Yehan Numata (沼田 恵範)[1] was a Japanese industrialist and Buddhist missionary.
Early life
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture,[2] Numata was the third son of a priest of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. He studied at Kyoto Heian Junior High School (today Heian High School) and was ordained a priest and sent to the United States as a missionary. He studied mathematics at Hollywood High School and obtained a degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
During his time in the United States, he established Pacific World,[3] a publication dedicated to propagating Buddhist teachings and furthering understanding between the United States and Japan. Despite financial assistance from Nishi Honganji and Shibusawa Eiichi, the publication ran out of funds and closed after four years.