Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) Society for the Promotion of Buddhism Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai 3-14, 4-chome Shiba Minato-ku Tokyo 108-0014 Japan Tel. (03) 3455-5851

About Us     Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata    Chairman's Message     A Wish

The Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism) was founded by the Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata in December 1965, one year after the Mitutoyo Corporation celebrated its 30th anniversary. With the worldwide success of his company, Dr. Numata decided that the time had come to realize his dream of making the Buddhist teachings more widely available. Working with a community of like-minded people, including leaders of major Buddhist sects in Japan and eminent Buddhist scholars, Dr. Numata established the BDK in order to "to transmit the Buddhist religion to as many people in the world as possible, without expounding the doctrines of any particular sect or denomination." To achieve this goal, the BDK promotes a wide range of activities and projects in the hope of contributing to world peace and mutual understanding among humanity.

One of the Twentieth Century's most dedicated patrons of Buddhism was the late Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata, the founder of Mitutoyo Corporation and the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism [BDK]). It was Numata's lifelong belief that the Buddhist teaching which is based on the spirit of wisdom and compassion, could assist in bringing about lasting peace and happiness for all of humanity.

Receiving his secondary education in the United States in the early part of the twentieth century, Numata lived in an era marked by anti-Japanese sentiment. He believed that the existing problems of that time between Japan and the United States were due to the fact that Americans did not understand the Japanese and vice versa.

It was at this point that Numata decided to dedicate his life to contribute to world peace and understanding by sharing Buddhism with others throughout the world.

Founding Mitutoyo Corporation in 1934, he nurtured it to become the world's largest manufacturer of precision measuring instruments.

In 1965, Numata together with other Buddhist leaders and using his own personal funds, founded Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai. Non-sectarian in organization, BDK is dedicated to sharing Buddhism with people worldwide.

It was Rev. Dr. Numata's life commitment that as long as he had even one breath left, he would do all within his power to tell the world about the teachings of Buddha and contribute to the cause of world peace and happiness for all of humanity. In 1994, Rev. Dr. Numata passed away at the age of 97.

Today, BDK's mission to the world is continuing under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Numata's oldest son, Rev. Dr. Toshihide Numata.

The American affiliate of BDK was founded in 1986 as the first overseas partner of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai. Currently headquartered in Berkeley, California, BDK America oversees a wide range of activities and programs in fulfilling the mission and dream of founder Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata.