Several new religions appeared in Japan during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many of them offshoots of Nichiren Buddhism. Their basic beliefs and practices are generally a mix of Shinto, Buddhism and Confucianism, incorporating loyalty to work and the family with teachings of karma, reincarnation and the coming of a new age. Most tend to have charismatic leaders, often of a shamanistic tradition, and grand headquarters. They also tend to appeal to the poorer classes, to whom they offer sympathy, a sense of belonging and importance, and help in adjusting to modern life. Considering the extremely rapid modernization of Japan during the last two centuries, the success of these organizations is perhaps not so surprising.

The biggest such organization is Soka Gakkai (Value Creation Society). It was founded in 1937 by schoolteacher Makiguchi Tsunesaburo, who emphasized the importance of educational philosophy alongside the day-to-day benefits of religion. Under the umbrella of Nichiren Buddhism, Soka Gakkai's structure was formalized after World War II, focusing on tightly knit groups engaged in educational work, social activities and large-scale jamborees aimed at finding fulfilment in the present. With its proselytizing mission and broad appeal to people of all ages and classes, Soka Gakkai now claims around twenty million members. The movement also has a nominally independent political branch, the Komeito or "Clean Government Party" founded in 1964 as a backlash to corruption in Japanese politics. With its vast and effective grass-roots network, Komeito has long been a significant group within Japan's opposition parties and since October 1999 has formed part of the ruling LDP-Conservative coalition government.

At the other end of the scale, AUM Shinrikyo (AUM Supreme Truth), now officially known as Aleph, was founded in 1986 by a blind yoga teacher, Asahara Shoko . Claiming to be a Buddhist sect, adherents believed that the world would end in 1997 and that only AUM members would survive. At its height, the cult boasted 10,000 members in Japan and 30,000 abroad, mainly in Russia. Little known to most of his followers, however, Asahara's prime goal was world domination, but the truth started to emerge after the 1995 Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. Fortunately, the police stopped AUM before Asahara could carry out his plans, but the group's activities stunned the Japanese population and raised fears that Japan may no longer be the safe and harmonious country it once was.