Shinto and the State

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Shinto and the State

• Presentation adapted from
• Shinto and the State 1868-1988 by Helen Hardacre

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Shinto and the State

• One of the most striking changes in modern
  societies is the increase in the power and
  authority of the center over its own periphery...
  The combination of the power of the expanding
  center and the incapacity of the leaders of the
  sub-centers and peripheries to maintain their
  autonomy increases the persuasiveness of
  tradition.
• Edward Shils, Tradition, 1981

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What is Shinto?

• The way of the gods
• The indigenous religion of Japan
• Invented tradition to unite people into a modern
  nation
• Innovations were presented as if very old

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Why and How?

• Shogunate is dismantled in 1889
• Meiji Constitution is formed
• Buddhism is blamed for loss of original way
• National Learning program formed to recover
  traditional thought

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Meiji Constitution

• Gave religious freedoms
• Religion could not interfere with state duties
• As Shinto was not a religion shrine rites
  categorized as obligatory duties of subjects

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Why and How?

• Shogunate was unable to respond to foreign
  influence
• Japan wanted to return to idealized and pure
  mentality
• Wanted to rid polluting influence and bring
  about restoration
• The word Shinto wasnt even popular then

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Department of Divinity

• Unify the populace through common worship of
  national deities
• Built and regulated shrines
• Educated children in mythology
• Developed emperors priest-like roles

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Department of Divinity

• First ceremonial calendar
• First flag
• National Anthem
• Rites of State

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Great Promulgation Campaign

• Prevent spread of Christianity and Buddhism
• Train National Evangelists to teach people
  Great Teachings and civic duties
• Pay taxes
• Send children to school
• Sons to army

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Great Teaching

• Respect for the gods
• Make clear the principles of Heaven and the Way
  of Man
• Reverence for Emperor and obedience to the will
  of the court

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State Sponsorship

• Priests wanted benefits of state
• Women wanted prestige in household
• Access to state strengthens the power of center

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State Sponsorship

• Shrine building
• Boshin Rescript of 1908 the shrines will be
  utilized in promoting the unification and
  administration of the country.
• Focused rural people by merging and removing
  other shrines
• Buddhist shrines closed or destroyed

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Post WWII

• Shinto declared a religion
• Receives tax-exempt status and govt benefits
• Yasukuni Shrine a major contention
• Prime Minister still visits

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Yasukuni Shrine

• The deities of about 2.5 million people who died
  for Japan
• The Satsuma Rebellion and similar domestic
  conflicts
• The First Sino-Japanese War
• The Russo-Japanese War
• The First World War
• The Manchurian Incident
• The Second Sino-Japanese War
• The Second World War
• 14 class A war criminals are among them

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Shintos Staying Power

• Primarily practice of ritual
• As ritual, it had no contradiction
• No central figure, doctrine, or practice
• Embraced ancient cult mythologies and native
  deities
• Provided ideological support to Imperial Japan.