The term unity of religion and rule (祭政一致,saisei itchi)[1] refers to the unification of ritual andpolitics. ritual in ritual-politics means "ritual" andreligion. The word "politics" means "ritual" and politics.[2]
Under theritualistic system, the political leader is also the religious leader. This ideology and political form is common in ancient societies governed byanimist religions.[original research?][3][4]、In Japan, theOracle ofmiko can be traced back to the ancienttheocracy, including theYamato Kingship, where the Oracle ofWu had political authority, as well as theRyukyu Kingdom, a system of government that was based on theRyukyu Kingdom.[5]
Shinto is ananimistic religion, and one of its characteristics is the unity of ritual and government.[6] Although not necessarily restricted to Shinto in Japanese, rites and ceremonies are used in English asSaisei itchi as a term for Shinto.[6][7][8][9] Keiichi Yanagawa defined ritual government as different from theocracy, in which a professional clergyman directly governs.[10] Ritual and political unity has been referred to primarily in the context of the ancient emperor system.[11]
^Public Shrine Forests? Shinto, Immanence, and Discursive Secularization, Aike P. Rots, Japan Review 30 Special Issue (2017): p.187
^Saisei itchiは"the unity of religion and government"か"the unity of ritual and government"と直訳され神道固有の概念として解説されている
^Between Unity and Separation: Religion and Politics in Japan, 1965-1977 Yanagawa Keiichi and David Reid, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 6/4 December 1979. p.502