During Early modern Japan, all Japanese people were under the Tera-uke system or temple-membership system, and the Buddhist monopoly on death-related rituals triggered the Shinto funeral movement in the late Edo also haibutsu kishaku 廃仏毀釈 in early Meiji. Based on textual analysis of funeral texts of Yoshida Shinto, Yoshikawa Shinto, Suika Shinto, and Kokugaku Shinto, this study investigates how the Shinto group adopted and localized Confucian rituals in establishing Shinto funerals during the Edo period. There was a Buddist overtone in Yoshida Shinto funerals, however, starting from Yoshikawa Koretari, Shinto clergies from Suika Shinto, Kokugaku Shinto all borrowed Confucian rituals to build a Shinto-style funeral. To revive the ancient Japanese way of funerals, the Confucian-style spirit tablet was modified to Shinto reiji霊璽, and Confucian rituals were explained by invoking the practices of the Japanese ancient gods. This is a pioneering study of the Shintoization of Confucianism through the lens of funeral rites, and it also helps to deepen our understanding of the development of Shinto, and its relationship to Buddhism and Confucianism in Edo Japan.

Authors:
Tiantian Tan, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Tiantian TAN is a University Postdoctoral Fellow or Instructor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong

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