Group II
Research on the Formation and Developmentof Shinto and Japanese Culture
Okada Shoji

Research on the Formation and Development of Shinto and Japanese Culture,
the area of research for Group II, lies at the heart of the Establishment of a National

Learning Institute for the Dissemination of Research on Shinto and Japanese Culture
program. Our research is based on and implemented via textual studies, which havebeen fostered since the foundation of Kokugakuin University many years ago.
Textual studies are the backbone of National Learning Research, one of themain themes of the overall program. By National Learning Research, we do not mean to
imply a specific field of study, but instead a specific form of engagement andindividuality employed in our research, which strives to produce highly objective anddetailed evidential studies. Given that the term Kokugaku, or National Learning is acentral part of our university’s name, we feel a strong need to be involved in research onand dissemination of works regarding National Learning.
Our main topic of research concerns Shinto as a historical phenomenon. As
Shinto has had a great influence had on the formation, development, and preservationof Japanese culture, we are focusing our attention on this relationship between Shinto
and Japanese culture, attempting to clarify the relationship primarily through textualstudies. In doing so, we aim to produce evidential and historical research on the natureof Shinto and it’s social functions. This is the main research focus of Group II.
While Shinto has a fundamentally consistent pattern of belief at its core, it has
also been influenced by the various events of each time period, thus developing in ahistorical fashion. In other words, although Shinto has been expressed throughhistorically determined phenomena, it also exists as a fundamental part of the Japanesespirit. Hence, it is a vitally important task to elucidate how the world of Shinto has bothchanged throughout history and how it has managed to preserve its essence.
Research on Shrines and Shinto: From Past to Present
The following is an outline of the structure of our Researches on the Formation

and Development of Shinto and Japanese Culture. When we inquire as how to study
Shinto, the conventional form of research is to focus on the shrine as the topos withinwhich the belief in divinities (kami) developed. While this research has generally been
undertaken upon the foundation of a firm understanding of phenomena such as
festivals and annual rites, such comprehensive research on shrines has not necessarily
produced adequate results. Accordingly, this is why the collecting of shrine-related texts
is at the core of our research.
1. Through the Collection, Analysis, and Research of Fundamental Data Concerning

ShrinesandShinto(Ancient/Medieval

Shinto:Professor

Okada

Shoji,

Pre-modern/Modern Shinto: Professor Sakamoto Koremaru), we are collecting,categorizing, and analyzing fundamental textual materials concerning shrines in
the ancient, medieval, pre-modern, and modern periods. Our model for compilingthis data is based on the Kojiruien, a massive compendium compiled by National
Learning scholars in the Meiji period. Currently, our attention is focused on theancient/classical period; focusing on the so-called Six National Histories of Japan,
we have collected basic textual data on approximately 500 shrines (mainly thosecategorized as “great” shrines in the Engishiki, devoted to deities of the Fourth
Rank or above). In order to understand the religious role of shrines through time, weare utilizing a diverse array of methods. The framework for our analysis andresearch includes a consideration of essentialist notions of Shinto, previous researchon Shinto, and the history of the study of Shinto texts. Likewise, we will also
consider theories concerning the origins of shrines, sitology, environmental studies,
festival studies, the economics of shrines, and the role of shrines in local areas. We
intend to further our research by examining the medieval and pre-modern/modern
periods in order to bring the overall picture of Shinto into greater resolve, and arealso currently working on an expanded version of the Wagakusha sōran(“Compendium of Japanese Scholars”). Finally, in order to understand the role that
National Learning played in shrine and Shinto research in the modern period, weare creating a database on scholars of National Learning. These scholars played avital social role in the period known as bakumatsu and in the Meiji Reformation.
We are also examining the historical development of shrines and their various
activities via the following research:
2. The Research into Medieval and Pre-Modern Pledges and Protective Talismans
project (Professor Chijiwa Itaru) aims to collect and research magical talismans andvotive tablets that were distributed at shrines and temples and to clarify thereligious beliefs of the Japanese people from the medieval period onward.
3. The Pre-modern Festival and Ritual Data Collection and Analysis project(Professor Negishi Shigeo) examines the festivals and rituals of the Edo Bakufu,
notably those of Nikko’s Tōshōgū.
4. The Shinto and Shugendo project (Professor Miyake Jun) project is surveying thenature of the Shugendo relationship to shrines. This project is closely involved with
the Collection, Analysis, and Research of Fundamental Data Concerning Shrines

and Shinto project. We expect that this project will provide a wealth of data.
In addition to these projects, we are also carrying out focused research on
specific regional areas, in the hopes of concretely elucidating religious sentiments
directed toward shrines..
5. The Research Based on Materials Concerning Shrines in the Izumo Region
project (Professor Mitsuhashi Takeshi), through the use of published materials andresearch on Hinomisaki Shrine, Shimane prefecture, aims to clarify the reality ofshrines operating at the local level. This group also plans to use their findings inthis region in a comparative fashion with shrines in other areas.
The above shrine-based research forms the main component of the research being
carried out by Group II. Additionally, the following research is designed to provide agreater degree of overall integration:

6. Survey of Materials in Kokugakuin's Library project
7. Research into Definitions of the Concepts of Shinto, Japanese Culture, andNational Learning projects
The Survey of Materials in Kokugakuin's Library (Professor Aoki Shuhei)
project focuses on surveying and researching the Takeda Yukichi Collection, which ishoused in the Kokugakuin University library. Through this research, we intend toclarify the study of classical texts and methods of interpretation used by ourKokugakuin predecessors and the academic history of Kokugakuin University.

The Research into the Definitions of the Concepts of Shinto, Japanese Culture,

and National Learning (Professor Asoya Masahiko) project is an integrated research
project that also involves Groups I and II. This project is designed to address all of ourindividual research projects in a collective manner.
While the above descriptions provide an overall outline of our work, a great
many other areas remain for research. Notably, one cannot overlook Buddhism, Daoism,and Confucianism, all of which have had a long relationship with, and great influenceon, Shinto. By working with outside researchers, we intend to further enrich our group's
research into shrines and further understand how Shinto has been influenced byoutside forces.
Research in Group II is done in collaboration with Group I and, in doing so,helps to form the overall structure of our institute's research. The findings of ourresearch and further studies into the current state of Shinto will be disseminated byGroup III, completing our overall research framework.