the Imperial Edict (of 1870) for Establishment of Shinto (大教宣布)
The Imperial Edict (of 1870) for Establishment of Shinto is a Shosho (imperial edict, decree) which was issued on February 3, 1870. This Shosho indicated national policy to deify Emperor, establish Shinto as the national religion and determine Japan as the state of saisei icchi (unity of church and state, theocracy).
After the Meiji restoration, the theory of saisei icchi became popular around a scholar of Japanese classical literature, Kokugaku HIRATA who followed Fukko shinto (returning to the ancient Shinto), and then, Senkyoshi (missionary) was established in Jingikan (department of worship) in August 15, 1869, and Tadayasu NAKAYAMA was appointed as a administrator of missionary work and Bisei FUKUBA was appointed as assistance administrator of missionary work. Fukuba served as a de facto superintendent, jingi taifu, after Jingikan was renamed Jingisho (Ministry of Divinities).
Following this, the Imperial Edict (of 1870) for Establishment of Shinto was issued, and the principle 'we should make clear about chikyo, and promote Kannagara no Michi (Shinto, Way of Gods)' was set out. This imperial edict also set out direct denunciation of Christianity, promotion of Shinto by missionary, and national protection of Shinto. However, a movement to establish Shinto as a state religion continued to be inactive because of disorder by Haibutsu-kishaku (a movement to abolish Buddhism), confrontation with Domains' emphasis on Confucianism and Buddhism which still operated function as local government, difference of policy among scholars of the Japanese classics, and moreover, demand for an end of oppression of Christianity from the West. In April 21, 1872, they were forced to revise the Imperial Edict (of 1870) for Establishment of Shinto by establishment of Kyobusho (Ministry of Religion), separation of court ritual and abolition of missionary, and then, next year, Daikyoin (Great Teaching Institute), which aimed to reconstruction and reinforcement of the policy of Edict, was established.