State Shinto
Origin of Shinto
    Before any discussion can be made of State Shinto,one has to understand the origin of Shinto itself. Shinto is the native relgion of Japan and has been present in various forms for most of its history. Although its earliest origins are lost,Shinto seems to have appeared during the Jomon Period of Japanese History. "Jomon Period". Most likely, after the arrival of the earliest ancestors of today's Japanese, each tribe and area had its own collection of gods and rituals with no formal relationship between each of the areas. Following the ascendency of the ancestors of today's Imperial family to a position of power among the other groups, their ancestral deities gained dominance, though different systems probably existed for some time. The introductions of writing in the 5th century and Buddhism in the 6th century had a profound impact on the development of a unified system of Shinto beliefs. In a brief period of time, the kojiki"1 and the Nihonshoki were written by compiling existing myths and legends into a unified account. These works are the oldest in Japan and can be seen as a view into early Shinto and its beliefs. They exhibit strong Chinese influence (Confucian, Taoist, and Bhuddist)and probably drew directly from some of that culture's myths and legends. With the introduction of Buddhism and its rapid adoption by the court, it was necessary to explain the apparent differences between native Japanese beliefs and Buddhist teachings. One explanation saw the Japanese kami as supernatural beings still caught in the cycle of birth and rebirth. The kami are born, live, die, and are reborn like all other beings in the karmic cycle. However, the kami played a special role in protecting Buddhism and allowing its compassionate teachings to flourish. This explanation was later challenged by Kukai, who saw the kami as different embodiments of the Buddhas themselves. For example, he famously linked Amaterasu, Sun Goddess and ancestor of the Imperial family, with Dainichi Nyorai, a central manifestation of the Buddha, whose name is literally "Great Sun Buddha". In his view, the kami were just Buddhas by another name. Kukai's syncretic view held wide sway up until the end of the Edo period. At that time, there was a renewed interest in "Japanese studies," perhaps as a result of the closed country policy. In the 18th century, various Japanese scholars, in particular Motoori Norinaga"1 , tried to tease apart the "real" Shinto from various foreign influences. The attempt was largely unsuccessful,since Shinto had incorporated Chinese influnces since the writings mentioned above. (For example, the co-creator deities Izanami and Izanagi are explicitly compared to yin and yang.) However, the attempt did set the stage for the arrival of state Shinto, following the Meiji Restoration.
Ideals of State Shinto
    # At the center of the state Shinto lies three major ideals. The first of these is a carry over from Shinto, the so called "Four Affirmations""1 . The Four Affirmations consist of: _________Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage. _________Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the kami. Natural objects are worshipped as containing sacred spirits. _________Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth often. _________Matsuri"1 : Festivals in which the worship and honor is given to the kami.________________ The second major concept, also a carryover, is a belief in Kami"1 . Loosely defined, Kami are objects of worship or awe. They range from the sungoddes Amaterasu"1 to the life force of oddly shaped rocks. Kami are prayed for and to, depending on the nature and temperament of the Kami in question. The ancestors of a particular family can also be worshipped as kami. In this sense, these kami were worshipped not because of their godly powers, but because of a distinct quality or value. These kami were regional and many shrines (hokora) were built in honour of these kami. In many cases, people who once lived can thus be deified as gods. This was the basis of the next major concept in State Shinto.__________ The third major concept, and the one that distinguished State Shinto from its previous manifestation, was the concept of the emperor as a Kami, descended, like the land and people of Japan, from the sun goddess Amaterasu. Thus the Emperor was considered officially divince. It became the duty of every citizen to pray to the Emperor and his decisions became above questioning.
Demise of State Shinto and its aftermath
    The demise of State Shinto shortly followed the fall of the Japanese Empire in 1945. In his 1946 radio broadcast Ningen-sengen"1 , Emperor Hirohito renounced his claim to being a manifest Kami, although he continued to worship the sun godess as his ancestor. With the loss of the emperor's rol and the seperation of church and state enforced by the American Army, State Shinto disappeared completely. Shinto reverted back to its previous form and become just another religion in Japan, albiet the dominant one.    

Unlinked Sources

www.jref.com"1

www.philtar.ucsm.ac.uk"1

Bunce, Willliam K., Religions in Japan: Buddhism, Shinto, Christianity (Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle, 1955)

www.wikipedia.org"1