Kyodoshoku is a religious official established for the

Proclamation of the Great Religion The was issued in the name of Emperor Meiji on January 3, 1870 (February 3). �歴代の詔勅�� p.66 河野省三内閣印刷局、1940年（国立国会図書館） It declared the "way of the gods" (Shinto) as the guiding principle of the s ...

a religious official established for the movement. It lasted from 1872 (

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

) to 1884 (

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

). The Taikyōsendō movement proved difficult and was abolished when the government adopted a policy of separation of church and state. The religious leaders were appointed by the semi-private sector and included shinkans,

Kannushi A , also called , is a person responsible for the maintenance of a as well as for leading worship of a given .* ''Kannushi'' (in Japanese), Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version The characters for are sometimes also re ...

Bhikkhu A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics ("nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist ...

s, and other

religious leader Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

s, as well as ,

Waka poets means a person who composes Waka or Tanka. Description In modern times, a poet usually refers to a person who composes waka or tanka poems on a daily basis and publishes them by some means. Before the modern era, however, poets were not neces ...

, and haiku poets were also appointed to leadership positions.

History

In the 3rd year of Meiji (

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Broo ...

), the

Evangelism Bureau The was one of the government offices in Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912). On July 8, 1869 (August 15, 1869), Proclamation of the Great Religion, was established for the purpose of proselytizing, and a director, vice director, lecturer ...

was established, and in addition to the clerical staff, the Great Missionary Messengers and others were appointed as instructors for missionary activities. In March 1872, the

was merged with the Ministry of Divinity and became the Ministry of Church Affairs. The Ministry of Education was merged into the

Ministry of Religious Education The was a central government organization of the Empire of Japan established under the Daijō-kan system in the early Meiji period for the purpose of national indoctrination through religion control. Outline In 1872 April 21, the Ministry of S ...

. The teaching ministry was an unpaid official position, and initially all shinkans (there were no

at that time), Shintoists and

were appointed to this position. Private experts were also appointed. A

Daikyoin The was an organization of the Empire of Japan. It was founded in 1872 to train Kyodo Shoku or religious teachers because the Evangelism Bureau and Department of Divinities were unsuccessful in their national indoctrination objectives.Yoshio ...

was established at Zojoji Temple as an institution for research and education, and Chu-kyoin and Kokyoin were established in the provinces. The head priests delivered sermons at various temples and shrines in accordance with the Three Articles of Faith (Respect for God and Patriotism, Humanitarianism, and the Imperial High Priesthood). The content of the sermons centered on reverence for the state and the emperor and the idea of respect for the gods, but they also included family ethics,

Bunmei-kaika ''Bunmei-kaika'' () refers to the phenomenon of Westernization in Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912), which led to major changes in institutions and customs. The term is generally used for the period in the early Meiji era when customs and m ...

internationalization In economics, internationalization or internationalisation is the process of increasing involvement of enterprises in international markets, although there is no agreed definition of internationalization. Internationalization is a crucial strateg ...

Rights Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical the ...

and

Duty A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may ...

Fukoku kyōhei , originally a phrase from the ancient Chinese historical work on the Warring States period, ''Zhan Guo Ce'', was Japan's national slogan during the Meiji period, replacing the slogan ''sonnō jōi'' ("Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians" ...

, and was expected to play a part in national

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

. The highest rank in the Ministry of Education was Kyōsei, which was divided into

lecture A lecture (from Latin ''lēctūra'' “reading” ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical inform ...

r, Kundou, and other ranks, each with major, medium, and minor ranks, for a total of 14 ranks. There were 14 classes in all. Due to the conflict between priests and monks, a strong opposition movement by Shimaji Mokurai and others, and internal turmoil within the priestly teaching staff, the Daikyo proclamation was unsuccessful. In the 8th year of Meiji (

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

), the Daikyo-in was abolished and joint Shinto and Buddhist missionary work was suspended. In 1877, the Ministry of Education was abolished, and in 1882, priests, who were supposed to be the main leaders of the teaching ministry, were banned from holding the same position, and finally in 1884, the teaching ministry was abolished太政官布告・太政官達, 太政官布達
第十九号「神仏教導職ヲ廃シ住職ヲ任免シ教師ノ等級進退ハ各管長ニ委任等ノ儀」（159）
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/994271/160?tocOpened=1 第十九号「神仏教導職ヲ廃シ住職ヲ任免シ教師ノ等級進退ハ各管長ニ委任等ノ儀」（160）]『明治十七年　太政官布達』　国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション。 Although the activities of the Teaching Office were not conspicuously effective, the system became the model for the systems of the later Teachings of Shinto denominations.

References

Bibliography

* 1999『神道辞典』弘文堂 Buddhism in the Meiji period Home Ministry (Japan) Daikyoin Religious policy in Japan Japanese schoolteachers Buddhist titles Monks Pages with unreviewed translations {{State Shinto