page_title: Buddhism in the United States
section_title: Japanese Buddhism
hierarchical_section_title: Buddhism in the United States / Types of Buddhism in the United States / Japanese Buddhism
caption_attribution_description: English: Interior of the newly consecrated Higahsi Hongan-ji in Los Angeles, corner Central Ave. / East 1st St.
context_page_description: Buddhism, once thought of as a mysterious religion from the East, has now become very popular in the West, including the United States. As Buddhism does not require any formal "conversion", American Buddhists can easily incorporate dharma practice into their normal routines and traditions. The result is that American Buddhists come from every ethnicity, nationality and religious tradition. In 2012, U-T San Diego estimated U.S. practitioners at 1.2 million people, of whom 40% are living in Southern California. In terms of percentage, Hawaii has the most Buddhists at 8% of the population due to its large Asian American community.
  The term American Buddhism can be used to describe Buddhist groups within the U.S, which are largely made up of converts. This contrasts with many Buddhist groups in Asia, which are largely made up of people who were born into the faith.
caption: Interior of the Higashi Honganji, Los Angeles (East 1st St./Center Ave.), Nov. 1925.
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