Abstract: In Edo era, Buddhism gained dominance over Shinto and Christianity due to the control of religion by Tokugawa Shougunate. However, as economy and culture developed, Confucianism and Kokugaku would later rise to challenge the dominance of Buddhism. Part of these challenges manifest as antiBuddhism thoughts, in which the Kokugakubased branch is represented by Hirata Atsutane. Hirata Atsutane gained the Buddhism historical knowledge for his antiBuddhism theories from the Daijo Hibussetsu (“Mahayana is not the teaching of the Buddha”) Theory in Tominaga Nakamotos Shutsujyoukougo. He then developed his own Kokugakubased anti-Buddhism theories from a Fukko Shinto viewpoint via the addition of Shinto values in his Buddhism criticism book, Shutsujyoushougo.

Key words: Fukko Shinto, Kokugaku, Hirata Atsutane, antiBuddhism theory, Tominaga Nakamoto