user-1: How is Buddhism structured? All I really know if you have lay people, priests, monks, and in some places masters or grand masters (I don't know if these are the same), and there are various different variants of the religion, each with their own clergy etc..
So, by analogy, Britain has the arch bishop of Canterbury, and he's the principle "head of the Church" of England. What equivalent formal positions exist in Japanese Buddhism?
Google wasn't much help! All I found out was that e.g. Soto zen has two principle temples, Eihei-ji and Sōji-ji. Do they have heads? Soto's - democratic - head is the "Shūmusōchō"; where can I read about this position?
Are the other subsets of Buddhism structured similarly?

user13709: My Zen teacher was Tanouye Rotaishi of Chozen-ji. In Japanese Buddhism, lineage is paramount. Tanouye Rotaishi's lineage teacher was Omori Sogen Rotaishi. That lineage continues back to China and ultimately via Ananda to the Buddha. Wikipedia explains the lineage principles of Dharma transmission that guide Japanese Buddhism. As you can see, lineage defines formal relationships.  Major lineages of Zen include Soto and Rinzai.  Informally, as a Rinzai Zen student, I would feel welcome and comfortable in any Zen lineage center. Formally, one relies on the guidance of one's own lineage teacher.
The formal system of lineages is common to Japanese Buddhism as explained in Wikipedia: Buddhism in Japan. Over years the traditions of each lineage have evolved in different ways. The differences are simply accepted and respected as they are: they are independent and different formal ways to teach Buddhism. The  hierarchy of the Church of England is quite different.

-1: <p>How is Buddhism structured? All I really know if you have lay people, priests, monks, and in some places masters or grand masters (I don't know if these are the same), and there are various different variants of the religion, each with their own clergy etc..</p>
<p>So, by analogy, Britain has the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbishop_of_Canterbury" rel="nofollow noreferrer">arch bishop of Canterbury</a>, and he's the principle &quot;head of the Church&quot; of England. What equivalent formal positions exist in Japanese Buddhism?</p>
<p>Google wasn't much help! All I found out was that e.g. Soto zen has two principle temples, Eihei-ji and Sōji-ji. Do they have heads? Soto's - democratic - head is the &quot;Shūmusōchō&quot;; where can I read about this position?</p>
<p>Are the other subsets of Buddhism structured similarly?</p>
 13709: <p>My Zen teacher was <a href="https://www.chozen-ji.org/about" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tanouye Rotaishi of Chozen-ji</a>. In Japanese Buddhism, lineage is paramount. Tanouye Rotaishi's lineage teacher was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omori_Sogen" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Omori Sogen Rotaishi</a>. That lineage continues back to China and ultimately via Ananda to the Buddha. Wikipedia explains the lineage principles of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_transmission" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dharma transmission</a> that guide Japanese Buddhism. As you can see, lineage defines formal relationships.  Major lineages of Zen include Soto and Rinzai.  Informally, as a Rinzai Zen student, I would feel welcome and comfortable in any Zen lineage center. Formally, one relies on the guidance of one's own lineage teacher.</p>
<p>The formal system of lineages is common to Japanese Buddhism as explained in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Japan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia: Buddhism in Japan</a>. Over years the traditions of each lineage have evolved in different ways. The differences are simply accepted and respected as they are: they are independent and different formal ways to teach Buddhism. The  hierarchy of the <a href="https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Archbishops-of-Canterbury/#:%7E:text=The%20Church%20of%20England%20is,is%20%27primate%20of%20England%27" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Church of England</a> is quite different.</p>
