A Nativist NISHIKAWA Sugao and the Age of Introduction of Shinto as the National Religion

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13533
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: MITSUMATSU Makoto 佐賀大学, 地域学歴史文化研究センター, 准教授 (10712565)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 日本史 / 宗教史 / 国学 / 西川須賀雄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to add new insights to the existing understanding of the formation process of “State Shinto” and to stimulate the academic community through a nationwide survey of materials related to NISHIKAWA Sugao, a national scholar involved in Shinto religious reform in the early Meiji period, and to clarify Sugao's history. As a result, I was given the opportunity to discuss the formation of modern Shinto in a series of publications on modern religious history, and was able to introduce his role. I believe that I was generally able to fulfill may objectives.

Free Research Field

日本思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

国家神道形成過程の研究は昔日に比べて低調で、しかももともと、神道国教化に批判的な研究や、それが失敗に終わった点を強調する研究が多かったためか、当事者に視点を据えて長いスパンで事実と影響を明らかにしようとする研究は手薄だった感がある。本研究を通して、神道国教化はもちろん、佐賀藩の教育政策やキリスト教弾圧、出羽三山修験道や富士信仰、万国宗教会議など、それぞれの形で社会的に関心を持たれている様々なテーマについて、新たな知見を提示できたものと考える。