Soga clan
Thus, the powerful Soga clan seems to have played a key role in the early spread of Buddhism in the country. Their support, along with the support of certain immigrant groups like the Hata clan, gave Buddhism its initial impulse in Japan along with its first temple (Hōkō-ji, known originally as Asukadera). The "Nihon Shoki" and other sources mention various attempts to destroy Buddhist statues and relics. The enemies of the Soga clan often resorted to blaming the worship of a foreign kami (spirit/god) by the Soga for epidemics or natural disasters.