(1829–1902) was a founder of a

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 ...

group. He founded Shinto Shusei in 1849. He read the

Analects The ''Analects'' (; ; Old Chinese: '' ŋ(r)aʔ''; meaning "Selected Sayings"), also known as the ''Analects of Confucius'', the ''Sayings of Confucius'', or the ''Lun Yu'', is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings a ...

at age 9. He founded the sect at age twenty, and considered Japanese people to be descendants of deities. He considered allegiance to the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

to be central to his philosophy; he was a supporter of

Sonnō jōi was a ''yojijukugo'' (four-character compound) phrase used as the rallying cry and slogan of a political movement in Japan in the 1850s and 1860s during the Bakumatsu period. Based on Neo-Confucianism and Japanese nativism, the movement sought ...

but supported the Boshin Rebellion and 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 ...

later. He managed to gain independence for the sect in 1876. He believed that man's body came from his parents but his spirit came from the three kami

Ame-no-Minakanushi Ame-no-Minakanushi (アメノミナカヌシ, lit. "Lord of the August Center of Heaven") is a deity (''kami'') in Japanese mythology, portrayed in the ''Kojiki'' and the '' Nihon Shoki'' as the very first or one of the first deities who manifes ...

Takamimusubi Takamimusubi (高御産巣日神, lit. "High Creator") is a god of agriculture in Japanese mythology, who was the second of the first beings to come into existence. It is speculated that Takamimusubi was originally the tutelary deity for the J ...

, and

Kamimusubi Kamimusubi (神産巣日), also known as Kamimusuhi among other variants, is a ''kami'' and god of creation in Japanese mythology. They are a ''hitorigami,'' and the third of the first three ''kami'' to come into existence (''K ...

who he identified with

Shangdi Shangdi (), also written simply, "Emperor" (), is the Chinese term for "Supreme Deity" or "Highest Deity" in the theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the later ''Tian'' ("Heaven ...

. His sect had very positive attitudes towards science and commerce.

Biography

Nitta Kuniteru was a leader in Japan. He was born on December 30, 1829. His birthplace was Ebara Mura, in Awa Province on the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

. He had several names. Sometimes he was called Takezawa Kansaburo. He also used the name Toyō. He read the

at age 9 in 1838. Kuniteru believed Japan was a sacred land. He thought the people were descendants of gods from an early age. His early life was a time of change during the late

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 ...

. There was unrest in the country. Western ideas and Christian missions were influencing Japan. This worried many people. They wanted to protect Japanese culture. Nitta Kuniteru thought deeply about these issues. He believed in Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, but he combined it with Confucian philosophy. He traveled around Japan. He talked to people about his ideas. He wanted to unite the

Japanese people The are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago."人類学上は，旧石器時代あるいは縄文時代以来，現在の北海道〜沖縄諸島（南西諸島）に住んだ集団を祖先にもつ人々。" () Jap ...

. He was against foreign influences. He founded the sect at age twenty in 1849, He was involved in politics. He supported the Emperor and

the movement to restore the emperor. This was during the end of the Tokugawa regime. He believed religion was important for a strong country. He promoted his own version of Confucian Shinto. He went to places controlled by the Tokugawa. He told people to follow the Emperor. This led to his arrest. Later, he was released. He then lived in

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

, which is now Tokyo. In 1868, Kuniteru joined the

Department of Divinities The , also known as the Department of Shinto Affairs, Department of Rites, Department of Worship, as well as Council of Divinities, was a Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century, as part of the ''ritsuryō'' reforms. It was fi ...

. This was a government office for Shinto rituals. He got involved in a scandal. This led to his imprisonment in the

Oshi domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Musashi Province (modern-day Saitama Prefecture), Japan. It was centered on Oshi Castle in what is now part of the city of Gyōda, Saitama. History Oshi Castle was ...

. In

, he continued preaching about nationalism. His ideas were popular and he gained a large following. On August 31, 1873, they formed the Shusei Association. This group became a new Shinto sect. He managed to gain independence for the sect in 1876. Kuniteru became the first leader of this sect in 1884. Kuniteru's teachings are a distinct form of Confucian Shinto from the older Suika Shinto. This approach attracted more followers. He also welcomed members from other religious groups. These included the Ontake and

Mountain worship Mountain worship (sangaku shinko, ) is a faith that regards mountains as sacred and objects of worship. Description Mountain worship is a form of Nature worship that seems to have evolved from the reverence that ethnic groups closely associate ...

groups. He died on November 25, 1902. Shinto Shusei still exists today.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuniteru, Nitta Founders of religions Japanese Shintoists 1829 births 1902 deaths Japanese Confucianists Nitta clan Confucian Shinto

Biography

See also

References