is a religious position established in the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

for the Proclamation of the Great Doctrine. The institution showed little success and was abolished in 1884. They were divided into 14 ranks

History

In the 3rd year of Meiji (

1870 Events January * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge be ...

), the Missionary Office was established, and in addition to the clerical staff, the Great Missionary Messengers and others were appointed as instructors for missionary activities. In March 1872, the Missionary Office was merged with the Ministry of Divinities and became the Ministry of Religion. The teaching ministry was an unpaid official position, and initially all shinkans (there were no

Kannushi , also called , is the common term for a member of the clergy at a responsible for maintaining the shrine and leading worship of the there.* ''Kannushi'' (in Japanese), Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version The chara ...

at that time),

Shintoists , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes ...

and

Bhikkhu A ''bhikkhu'' (, ) is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male, and female monastics (''bhikkhunī''), are members of the Sangha (Buddhist community). The lives of all Buddhist monastics are governed by a set of rules called the pratimok� ...

were appointed to this position. Private experts were also appointed. The Great Teaching Institute was established at Zojoji Temple as an institution for research and education, and and were established in the provinces. is one of the few surviving Chukyoin, located in Toyama City. The head priests delivered sermons at various temples and shrines in accordance with the Three Articles of Faith (Respect for God and Patriotism, Humanitarianism, and the Imperial High Priesthood). The content of the sermons centered on reverence for the state and the emperor and the idea of respect for the gods, but they also included family ethics,

Bunmei-kaika ''Bunmei-kaika'' () refers to the phenomenon of Westernization in Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912), which led to major changes in institutions and customs. The term is generally used for the period in the early Meiji era when customs and ...

internationalization Internationalization or Internationalisation is the process of increasing involvement of enterprises in international markets, although there is no agreed definition of internationalization. Internationalization is a crucial strategy not only for ...

Rights Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of freedom or Entitlement (fair division), entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal sy ...

and

Duty A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; , past participle of ; , whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may arise from a system of ethics or morality, e ...

, Fukoku kyōhei, and was expected to play a part in national

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

. Due to the conflict between priests and monks, a strong opposition movement by Shimaji Mokurai and others, and internal turmoil within the priestly teaching staff, the Daikyo proclamation was unsuccessful. In the 8th year of Meiji (

1875 Events January * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the year (Third C ...

), the Great Teaching Institute was abolished and joint Shinto and Buddhist missionary work was suspended. In 1877, the Ministry of Religion was abolished, and in 1882, priests, who were supposed to be the main leaders of the teaching ministry, were banned from holding the same position, and finally in 1884, the teaching ministry was abolished太政官布告・太政官達, 太政官布達
第十九号「神仏教導職ヲ廃シ住職ヲ任免シ教師ノ等級進退ハ各管長ニ委任等ノ儀」（159）
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/994271/160?tocOpened=1 第十九号「神仏教導職ヲ廃シ住職ヲ任免シ教師ノ等級進退ハ各管長ニ委任等ノ儀」（160）]『明治十七年　太政官布達』　国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション。 Although the activities of the Teaching Office were not conspicuously effective, the system became the model for the systems of Sect Shinto denominations.

References

Bibliography

* 1999『神道辞典』弘文堂 Buddhism in the Meiji era Home Ministry (Japan) Taikyo Institute Religious policy in Japan Japanese schoolteachers Buddhist titles Monks Pages with unreviewed translations {{State Shinto