[1] Compared to mainstream Shrine Shinto, which focuses primarily on rituals, these independent groups have a more developed theology.
[5] Its formation was stimulated by the religious policies of the Meiji government,[6] and it emerged at a time when there was increasing theological discussion among people of a wider range of classes, rather than only between intellectuals.
This produced a division in Shinto between shrines for state-run public rituals and religious groups centered on edification.
This separation strengthened the idea that it was necessary to establish an institution that was a more developed version of the former Shodo Shido Practice Center.
[citation needed] Accordingly, the Meiji government established the Office of Japanese Classics Research in Tokyo Prefecture, independent of the Bureau of Shinto Affairs, in order to organize the exploration of ideas unique to Japan.
It was succeeded by the Bureau of Shinto Affairs in the same year, to which the originally disparate folk belief religions belonged.
[12] The priesthood was initially divided in two geographically in two, with the eastern division headed by Konoe Tadafusa, priest of Ise Grand Shrine, and the western division headed by Senge Takatomi, the grand priest of Izumo Taisha Shrine.
In August, the Ministry approved the Kurozumikyō, the Tohokami (later Misogi-Kyo), the Mitake, and the Fuji Isan (later Fuso-kyo), as well as Buddhist kosha.
[15] In 1873, the Great Teaching Institute was established—first in Kojimachi, Kioicho and later in Masukami, Shiba at Zōjō-ji—as the head temple for kyōdō shoku of a joint Shinto and Buddhist sect.
[16] The Taikyo Institute was initiated by the Buddhist side to concretize teaching by the Ministry of Religion, but it later became focused entirely on Shinto.
[16] The Shinto side felt that there was no organization that corresponded to the various Buddhist sects,[17] and on March 27, 1875 (Meiji 8), Grand High Priest Suechi Sanjonishi, Grand Priest-in-Charge Inaba Masakuni, Yoriyasu Tanaka, Hirayama Seisai, and Konosetsu Tsume jointly petitioned the Ministry of Religion for the establishment of a government office for Shinto.
[19] On April 15, the Bureau of Shinto Affairs was opened in the Tokyo Branch Office of the Jingu Shichosha.
[24] Hirayama Seisai was the grand priest of Hikawa Shrine and the first headmaster of Shinto Taiseikyo and Ontake-kyo.
The Bureau of Shinto Affairs had a plan to make Jingu Haruhaiden (later becoming Tokyo Daijingu) the central temple[12] and a center for missionary work.
[27] Since Jingu Haruhaiden was to enshrine a branch spirit of Amaterasu, not only the Ministry of Religion but also the Emperor visited the building and obtained permission from the Seiin [ja] to begin construction, which was funded by donations from the Imperial Household Agency and various families.
[citation needed] On November 4, 1881, the Office of Japanese Classics Research was established as a successor to the Bureau of Shinto Affairs.
[33] Immediately after the Great Council of Shinto, it was decided to establish the Office upon the proposal of Akiyoshi Yamada of Lord of Home Affairs [ja].
[34] Prince Arisugawa Takahito was appointed as its first president, and announced his intention to pursue a unique Japanese academic discipline.
In January of the following year, the Dai Nihon Shinto-kai, the Imperial Academy, and the Jingu Bonan-kai were dissolved to form the Association of Shinto Shrines, a religious corporation.
Jingūkyō was founded in 1882, but later reorganized into the Ise Shrine Offering Association[a][needs independent confirmation] in 1899 (Meiji 32).
[45] In 1895, eight denominations—Izumo Taisha-kyo, Kurozumikyō, Ontake-kyo, Jikkō kyō, Shinto Taiseikyo, Shinshu-kyo, Fuso-kyo, and Jingūkyō—joined to form the Shintō Dōshikai (lit.
[48] In 1912 (Meiji 45), Konkokyo, Shinto Shusei, and Tenrikyo joined, forming 13 groups (14 if including the breakaway Jingūkyō), and the name was changed to Shintō Kyōha Rengōkai.
[46] After World War II, Oomoto joined the federation, but Tenrikyo and Shinto Taiseikyo withdrew.
Fusō-kyō (扶桑教) is a mountain worship sect traditionally seen to have been founded by Hasegawa Kakugyo (who was also associated with Jikkō kyō).
[64] Jikkō kyō (実行教) is a mountain worship sect traditionally seen to have been founded by Hasegawa Kakugyo (who was also associated with Fusō-kyō).
[67] He worked at Ise Jingu and later was head of Tatsuta Shrine, but due to laws restricting teaching, he entrusted his children to Itō Hirobumi (before he became Prime Minister) and established a new branch based on his family traditions.
Tenrikyo (天理教, Tenrikyō, sometimes rendered as 'Tenriism') is a Sect Shinto group founded by Nakayama Miki.
However, because of the inclusion of fortune-telling and magic, the Meiji government considered it pagan and issued the Tensha Shinto Prohibition Ordinance [ja].
[79] New Shinto sects have shamanistic leadership, syncretism of religious and philosophical beliefs, closely knit social organization, and individualism.
[79] Some groups have characteristics of monotheism, in the extreme case making a compromise of Buddhism, Confucianism, and folk religion.