LINGUIST

Kūkai

774 - 835

Kūkai

Kūkai (空海; Japanese pronunciation: [kɯꜜː.kai], 27 July 774 – 22 April 835), born Saeki no Mao (佐伯眞魚) posthumously called Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師; [koː.boː daꜜi.ɕi], lit. 'the Grand Master Who Propagated the Dharma'), was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism. He travelled to China, where he studied Tangmi (Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism) under the monk Huiguo. Upon returning to Japan, he founded Shingon—the Japanese branch of Vajrayana Buddhism. With the blessing of several Emperors, Kūkai was able to preach Shingon teachings and found Shingon temples. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Kūkai is the 19th most popular linguist (down from 16th in 2019), the 98th most popular biography from Japan (down from 92nd in 2019) and the most popular Japanese Linguist.

Kūkai is most famous for the establishment of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, which emphasizes the importance of meditation and mantras.

Memorability Metrics

Page views of Kūkai by language

Among LINGUISTS

Among linguists, Kūkai ranks 19 out of 214. Before him are Leonard Bloomfield, Franz Bopp, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Jost Gippert, August Schleicher, and Georges Dumézil. After him are Franz Miklosich, Edward Sapir, Antoine Meillet, Johann Martin Schleyer, Algirdas Julien Greimas, and William Jones.

Others Born in 774

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Kūkai
LINGUIST
774 - 835
HPI: 70.88
Rank: 1

Others Deceased in 835

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Kūkai
LINGUIST
774 - 835
HPI: 70.88
Rank: 1
Muhammad al-Jawad
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
811 - 835
HPI: 69.83
Rank: 2
Jayavarman II
POLITICIAN
800 - 835
HPI: 66.93
Rank: 3
Berengar the Wise
NOBLEMAN
790 - 835
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 4
Ibrahim al-Nazzam
PHILOSOPHER
760 - 835
HPI: 59.64
Rank: 5

In Japan

Among people born in Japan, Kūkai ranks 98 out of 6,245. Before him are Emperor Go-Momozono (1758), Junko Tabei (1939), Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740), Date Masamune (1567), Makoto Kobayashi (1944), and Tokugawa Hidetada (1579). After him are Tomoyuki Yamashita (1885), Akira Suzuki (1930), Empress Meishō (1624), Himiko (175), Tadamichi Kuribayashi (1891), and Fumio Kishida (1957).

Others born in Japan

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Emperor Go-Momozono
POLITICIAN
1758 - 1779
HPI: 70.98
Rank: 92
Junko Tabei
MOUNTAINEER
1939 - 2016
HPI: 70.97
Rank: 93
Empress Go-Sakuramachi
POLITICIAN
1740 - 1813
HPI: 70.96
Rank: 94
Date Masamune
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1567 - 1636
HPI: 70.90
Rank: 95
Makoto Kobayashi
PHYSICIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 70.90
Rank: 96
Tokugawa Hidetada
POLITICIAN
1579 - 1632
HPI: 70.89
Rank: 97
Kūkai
LINGUIST
774 - 835
HPI: 70.88
Rank: 98
Tomoyuki Yamashita
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1885 - 1946
HPI: 70.86
Rank: 99
Akira Suzuki
CHEMIST
1930 - Present
HPI: 70.85
Rank: 100
Empress Meishō
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1624 - 1696
HPI: 70.84
Rank: 101
Himiko
POLITICIAN
175 - 248
HPI: 70.75
Rank: 102
Tadamichi Kuribayashi
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1891 - 1945
HPI: 70.67
Rank: 103
Fumio Kishida
POLITICIAN
1957 - Present
HPI: 70.64
Rank: 104