Religious Engineering and Field Survey by Utsuki Nishu and Kuno Horyu in French Indchina during World War 2

The purpose of this paper is to examine Japanese Buddhism's involvement in French Indochina during the Second World War.As a case example I take up the field trip by Utsuki Nishū and Kuno Hōryū,whom Kōa Bukkyō Kyōkai (Asia Development Buddhist Association) dispatched to the Indochina Peninsula from March to July 1941.Utuski was a priest of Shin Buddhism and professor at Ryūkoku University.Kuno was a Shingon priest and professor at Taishō University.Both were proficient at languages. It can be pointed out that this field trip is a proof that the Buddhist circles cooperated with the government's Go-South policy.The Japanese Army advanced into northern French Indochina on September 1940 for using this place as a stronghold for the southward advance.Imperial Japanese Army General Staff funded their field research for dealing with religious problems.Their written report was submitted just after the Japanese army advanced into southern French Indochina on July 1941,therefore,it is difficult to confirm it actually used their report for military operations.Nevertheless,it is considered that their report which recommended to respect local religious practice was applied to a religious maneuver in southern French Indochina the Japanese army occupied