The is one of the former state agencies of Japan.

Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...

's foreign bureau. Its purpose was to increase the prestige of

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

ism among the people and it was the core of shrine administration and Shintoism until the end of WWII. Showa's early

Divinities Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single ...

revival movement and movement to establish special divine offices In response to the

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

, it was established on the occasion of the commemoration of the 2600th anniversary of the accession of

Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Shinto Directive The Shinto Directive was an order issued in 1945 to the Japanese government by Occupation authorities to abolish state support for the Shinto religion. This unofficial "State Shinto" was thought by Allies to have been a major contributor to ...

was issued by the

Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (), or SCAP, was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) ...

(GHQ), and the

was terminated on January 31, 1946. It was abolished on January 31, 1946.

Establishment of the Institute of Divinities

In accordance with the Government Regulations of the Institute of Shinto Religion (Imperial Ordinance No. 736 of 1940), the

Bureau of Shrines The was an internal department of the Ministry of the Interior that existed until 1940. It was in charge of administrative matters related to shrines, Shinkan, and Kannushi. It was split off from the Bureau of Shrines and Temples in 1900 with ...

of the

Home Ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a Ministry (government department), government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law e ...

was elevated to a higher rank and established as an external bureau of the Ministry on November 9, 1940. It is located at 1-2,

Kasumigaseki Kasumigaseki (霞が関, 霞ヶ関 or 霞ケ関) is a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Most government ministries are located in the neighbourhood, making its name a metonym for the Civil service of Japan, Japanese bureaucracy, while Nag ...

, Kojimachi-ku,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

(Ministry of Home Affairs Office Building). 官報. 1940年11月09日内務省告示第五百八十九號昭和十五年一月九日 The president was appointed by the Minister of Home Affairs, and Eiji Yasui, Minister of Home Affairs, was appointed as the first president. The Vice President was

Ichisho Inuma Ichisho Inuma (February 15, 1892 – November 14, 1982) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from November 1938 to September 1939. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo. He was also the governor of Sait ...

, Director General of the

, who served in this position until the abolition of the JCG. The President's Secretariat, the General Affairs Bureau, and the Political Affairs Bureau were established to take charge of matters related to the Jingu shrine, matters related to shrines under the government and national government, matters related to priests and priesthood, and matters related to the spread of reverence for the Shinto religion.

Shinto Directive and Abolition of the Institute of Divinities

On December 15, 1945, GHQ issued a memorandum to the government, "Regarding the Abolition of the Government's Guarantee, Support, Preservation, Supervision, and Supervision of National Shinto and Shinto Shrines and the Abolition of Kobu" (SCAPIN-448), which resulted in the abolition of the Institute of Divinities. The Institute of Divinities was abolished on January 31, 1946, in accordance with the Imperial Ordinance No. 59 of 1946, which concerned the revision of government regulations for administrative reorganization.

References

Literature

国立国会図書館 The is the national library of Japan and among the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to ...

　デジタルコレクション　神社祭式行事作法　内務省神祇院教務局祭務課編集　昭和17年　書誌ID　000000664653　P15　https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1040190/1 * 国立国会図書館　デジタルコレクション　告示 / 内務省 / 第76号 / 神社祭式行事作法　明治40年　https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2950545 * 国立国会図書館　デジタルコレクション　神社局時代を語る　神祇院教務局調査課　昭和17年　https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1057614 * 国立国会図書館　デジタルコレクション　神社本義　神祇院編集　昭和19年　https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1040153 * 国立国会図書館　デジタルコレクション　神奈川県内政部 / 神社祭式行事作法解説　昭和18年　P21　22　23　https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1097500 {{Authority control Government agencies disestablished in 1946 Government agencies established in 1940 State Shinto Home Ministry (Japan)

Establishment of the Institute of Divinities

Shinto Directive and Abolition of the Institute of Divinities

See also

References

Literature