”Divisions in Shinto”
”Fundamental Concepts and Commentary on Shintoism”
Kazushi Kurokawa
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Ⅱ.Divisions in Shinto
As mentioned in the previous section, there are many proposals for different forms/branches of Shinto today. This is probably the reason why not only Japan, but other countries have given the wrong image of Shinto. In order to resolve this misunderstanding, we will examine three important branches.
-State Shinto
First, due to The State Shinto at the Beginning of Meiji Japan, many people thought that Shintoism was not a religion. In the beginning, the Meiji government, based on the concept of Separation of politics and religion took the position that Shinto was not a religion, as an interpretation of public law (Jinja hi Shukyo ron 神社非宗教論). However, as a countermeasure against Christianity in Japan, the Japanese government used Shinto for official national religious activities. In addition to this, the Japanese government deified the Emperor, who has a high authority of the history as the diplomatic strategist. The Meije Japanese government then implemented a DeFacto "Shinto as the national religion of Japan" in such places as system of ranked Shrines and created an Imperial Rescript on Education.
This was "National Shinto," and it was treated as "a symbol of Fascism" by GHQ after Japan’s defeat. In other words, the national Shinto (国家神道) was the national religion carried out under national policy based on the "Imperialistic idea" of the Japanese government of at that time, which is completely different from the original Shinto. Also, the true authority of the Japanese Emperor (which is based on the long history of japan) are different from the State Shinto which was made by Meiji Japanese government. The State Shinto was one of the Japan's detailed diplomatic strategies for the modernization and for the suppressing the colonization of japan from Western countries.
-Imperial household Shinto
Second, Imperial household Shinto (Koushitsu Shinto 皇室神道). Since the State Shinto was based on this imperial household Shinto, a lot of people confuse the two, but they are different from each other. It is a traditional Shinto practice of the Japanese Imperial family, which branched off from the Tenson tribe (天孫族) of the Amatsu Kami (天津神). The Imperial family came to the Japanese archipelago from the Jomon period to the Yayoi period and ruled Japan. So, this Imperial Shinto has its own long history, tradition and ancient rituals which have nothing to do with the State Shinto which was made by the Meiji government from the diplomatic strategy. Imperial household Shinto was first founded by the first Emperor Jinmu, who is said to be from the Amatsu Kami (天津神) lineage, ruled Japan after the battle between the Amatsu Kami (天津神)and the Kunitsu Kami (国津神) in the record of Kojiki (古事記). Amatsu Kami 天津神 and kunitsu kami 国津神 are both the people who come from overseas and settled in japan as traijin 渡来人. Kunitsu Kami settled in japan before the Amatsu Kami.
So, there was a battle between them to decide which of tribe rules Japan. (Kuni yuzuri 国譲り). While the State Shinto was based on the imperialism as the national religion of Meiji japan, on the other hand, the Imperial household Shinto was not religious, but based on a political system of domestic autonomy, the record of the history and technology, and for the diplomacy of the ancient times.
Since Shinto was originally based on the "sustainable life activities," of the ancient people, the values of original Shinto remained deep in the Imperial household Shinto and promoted the prosperity of the nation. It became a highly developed culture that was a mix of the culture of Jomon period, the early Shinto view at shrines, and festivals with continental culture.
-New Shinto movements
Thirdly, New Shinto movements from the Edo period to the Meiji period, "Koku gaku (国学)" influenced by the Sonno joi (尊王攘夷)movement, became popular. Kokugaku was trying to research ancient Japanese idea (but even included political thoughts and new interpretations of some part of mysticism) and trying to redefine Japanese culture. As the part of Kokugaku movement, theories of Restoration Shinto (fukko 復古神道) and Kannagara (かんながらanother name for Shinto which is/was used in mostly Kokugaku contexts) was promoted. In addition, during that age, there are also many thoughts of syncretism and spiritualism as new movements appeared. For example, Miwa Ryu Shinto (三輪流神道). The reason why many of these new Shinto movements were born was probably because of that, in spite of the fact that Shinto has no doctrines or founder but still, so many Japanese value the traditional culture and festivals from ancient Japan, Shintoism had a high affinity for other religions and ideas.
However, these new Shinto movements have developed differently from the original Shinto, along with the Shinto context as a sublimation of culture. If we look at the bifurcation of Shinto, we can see that many images of Shintoism currently are derived from this "branching and later-occurring Shinto" and not the original Shinto. For example, the image of "Fascism" comes from the Meiji government's national policy of the state Shinto. The image of Shinto as "religion or spiritualism" comes from New Shinto movements, especially, it must be handled in a context completely different from the original Shinto and the Fascism concept. This is because the original Shinto and Fascism are total opposite ideas. Original Shinto values the prosperity of Every living thing, by the ties between Nature and Culture.
