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Kokka Shintō

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 700+ words | Copyright

Kokka Shintō (Jap., ‘state Shinto’). In Japan, the system of state-supported Shinto shrines, ceremonies, and education which the government administered from the early Meiji period until the end of the Second World War. The Meiji government attempted to provide a sense of national and cultural identity by restoring the ancient ideal of ‘the unity of religious rites and government (saisei itchi)’. Shrine Shinto was separated from Buddhism and combined with the Shinto of the Imperial House. At the core of Kokka Shintō was the belief in the divinity of the emperor and the uniqueness of Japan's national polity (kokutai). Kokka Shintō was abolished by the Allied Powers in 1945 in their Shinto Directive which prohibited the control, support, and dissemination of Shinto by the government. This separation of government and religion was subsequently incorporated into the constitution of Japan.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Kokka Shintō." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Kokka Shintō." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-KokkaShint.html

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