Awataguchi Takamitsu Buddhist religion. Chan which then became Zen in Japan was widely received by the samurai class which had political power in Japan in the thirteenth century. Zen Buddhism then continued to grow and spread in Japan and was the most recognized and practiced form of Buddhism between the fourteenth and sixteenth century. The spread of Zen Buddhism in paintings was influenced by a small circle of elite Japanese men of the Ashikaga clan which had political power and influence over the country at the time of Awataguchi Takamitsu. The Ashikaga shōguns embraced art and culture through their private villas which
Buddhism by country Buddhism by country Buddhism is a religion practiced by an estimated 488 million in the world, 495 million, or 535 million people as of the 2010s, representing 9% to 10% of the world's total population. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population. They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of "Mahayana", making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practiced in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of the world's Buddhists. The second largest body of Buddhist schools is "Theravada", mostly followed in Southeast