Defining Shinto: A Reader

This book provides key official documents alongside political, religious-philosophical, and historical essays, illustrating how the term Shinto has metamorphosed terminologically from Japan’s emergence as a modern nation state in the late 19th century to the postmodern Japan of today.

Shinto is one of the most contested categories in the field of Japanese religious studies. While the term Shinto has a long history in the pre-modern period, this volume focuses on how the term has evolved in modern Japan. Divided into five parts, the book covers:

Shinto and the modern Japanese nation state

Pre-war Japanese intellectuals on Shinto

Shinto and ultra-nationalism of the 1930s and 1940s

Post-war reforms and reformulations

Contemporary ways of defining Shinto

Presenting a wealth of documents, most of which have been translated here for the first time, the book is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Japanese religion.