Confucian Shinto, also known asJuka Shintō (儒家神道) inJapanese, is a syncretic religious tradition that combines elements ofConfucianism andShinto.[1][2] It originated in Japan during theEdo period (1603–1868), and is sometimes referred to as "Neo-Confucian Shinto."[3]
Modern organizations includeShinto Taiseikyo,[4][5]Shinto Shusei,[4][5] andTsuchimikado Shinto.[6]Suika Shinto was a major school of Confucian Shinto.[7]
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 wasYamazaki Ansai (1618–1682), who developed a synthesis of Confucianism and Shinto that emphasized the importance of ethical behavior and filial piety.[1] Ansai's teachings were further developed by his disciple,Kaibara Ekken (1630–1714),[8] who wrote a number of influential works on Confucian Shinto, including the "Greater Learning for Women."[9] Ekken's writings emphasized the importance of education and the cultivation of virtue, and advocated for the integration of Confucian ethics into everyday life.[10]
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Confucian Shinto became increasingly popular among thesamurai class, who saw it as a way to reconcile their duty to theemperor with their Confucian ideals of loyalty, honor, and righteousness.[1] Confucian Shinto also gained a foothold among commoners, who were attracted to its emphasis onfamily values andpractical ethics.[2]Wang Yangming's concept ofunion of knowledge and practice was highly influential on Confucian Shinto.[1]
Confucian Shinto had a significant impact on Japanese society during theEdo period and beyond. It helped to shape the moral values and social norms of the samurai class,[1] and played a role in the development of modern Japanese nationalism.[7]
Confucian Shinto also had an influence on theMeiji Restoration of 1868, which marked the end of theEdo period and the beginning ofmodern Japan. The leaders of the restoration sought to revive traditionalJapanese values andculture, and saw Confucian Shinto as a way to do so. They promoted the idea ofkokutai, 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.[7]Fukko Shinto which was also quite significant developed in reaction to Confucian Shinto,[11][12] and it was the predecessor toState Shinto.[13]
WithinSect Shinto,Shinto Taiseikyo (神道大成教) andShinto Shusei are considered Confucian-influenced groups.[14]Tsuchimikado Shinto continues the legacy as well,[6] but it is not a member of the sect Shinto association.