Confucian Shinto, also known as ''Juka Shintō'' (儒家神道) in Japanese, is a syncretic religious tradition that combines elements of

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

and

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

. It originated in Japan during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

(1603-1868), and is sometimes referred to as " Neo-Confucian Shinto" Modern organizations include

Shinto Taiseikyo Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoists ...

Shinto Shusei Sect Shinto () refers to several independent organized Shinto groups that were excluded by law in 1882 from government-run State Shinto. These independent groups may have more developed belief systems than mainstream Shrine Shinto which focuses mo ...

, and Tsuchimikado Shinto. Suika Shinto was a major school of Confucian Shinto.

History

The roots of Confucian Shinto can be traced back to the 17th century, when Japanese scholars began to study Chinese Confucian texts and integrate Confucian ideas into their understanding of Shinto. The most notable of these scholars was

Yamazaki Ansai was a Japanese philosopher and scholar. He began his career as a Buddhist monk, but eventually came to follow the teachings of Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi. He combined Neo-Confucian ideas with Shinto to create Suika Shinto. Life Early years/Budd ...

(1618-1682), who developed a synthesis of Confucianism and Shinto that emphasized the importance of ethical behavior and filial piety. Ansai's teachings were further developed by his disciple, Kaibara Ekken (1630-1714), who wrote a number of influential works on Confucian Shinto, including the "Greater Learning for Women." Ekken's writings emphasized the importance of education and the cultivation of virtue, and advocated for the integration of Confucian ethics into everyday life. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Confucian Shinto became increasingly popular among the

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

class, who saw it as a way to reconcile their duty to the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

with their Confucian ideals of loyalty, honor, and righteousness. Confucian Shinto also gained a foothold among commoners, who were attracted to its emphasis on

family values Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. In the social sciences and U.S. political discourse, the conventi ...

and practical ethics. Wang Yangming's concept of union of knowledge and practice was highly influential on Confucian Shinto.

Influence and legacy

Confucian Shinto had a significant impact on Japanese society during the

and beyond. It helped to shape the moral values and social norms of the samurai class, and played a role in the development of modern Japanese nationalism. Confucian Shinto also had an influence on the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

of 1868, which marked the end of the

and the beginning of modern Japan. The leaders of the restoration sought to revive traditional Japanese values and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

, and saw Confucian Shinto as a way to do so. They promoted the idea of kokutai, or the "national essence", which was based on the Confucian notion of the ruler-subject relationship and the Shinto idea of the emperor as a divine being. Fukko Shinto which was also quite significant developed in reaction to Confucian Shinto, 平重道「儒家神道」『国史大辞典』第7巻、吉川弘文館、1986年 ISBN 4-642-00507-2 Page 321 and it was the predecessor to

State Shinto was Imperial Japan's ideological use of the Japanese folk religion and traditions of Shinto. The state exercised control of shrine finances and training regimes for priests to strongly encourage Shinto practices that emphasized the Emperor as ...

Modern groups

Among

Sect Shinto Sect Shinto () refers to several independent organized Shinto groups that were excluded by law in 1882 from government-run State Shinto. These independent groups may have more developed belief systems than mainstream Shrine Shinto which focuses m ...

, and

are considered Confucian influenced groups. Tsuchimikado Shinto continues the legacy as well, but it is not a member of the sect Shinto association.

References

{{Religious Confucianism Confucian Shinto Religious Confucianism