Shinto (神道, shintō), the folk religion of Japan, developed a diversity of schools and sects, outbranching from the original Ko-Shintō (ancient Shintō) since Buddhism was introduced into Japan in the sixth century.
Early period schools and groups
The main Shinto schools with traditions traceable to early periods, according to authoritative published records, can be grouped by lineage and outside influence as follows:
Buddhist-influenced (仏家神道)
These are various forms of Shintō developed by Buddhist thinkers, combining Buddhist and Shintō elements (Shinbutsu shūgō).
Taishi-ryū Shintō (太子流神道)
Founded by Prince Shōtoku (574–622), unifying Shintō, Confucianism, and Buddhism (sankyō itchi).
A mountain ascetic tradition seeking supranormal power through practice. Historically subordinate to Buddhism, later developed branches with more Buddhist or Koshintō influence.
The Shirakawa Hakuō House, hereditary holders of the Jingi-haku post of the Department of Divinities (Jingi-kan). Also called Shirakawa Shintō (白川神道).
Inbe Shintō (忌部神道)
Lineage of the Inbe clan (忌部氏), created by Inbe Masamichi, historically responsible for court rituals along with the Nakatomi clan.
Jingidōke
A collective term for lineages mainly occupied with Shinto, including the jingi clans (jingi shizoku 神祇氏族) and clans connected to the Jingi-kan such as the Nakatomi and Inbe.
Kaden Shintō
Shinto transmitted by hereditary shrine priests (shinshokuke or shake). Also called shake Shintō, shaden Shintō, or densha Shintō.
Kikke Shintō
Transmitted by the Tachibana clan; widely known during the mid-Edo Hōei era (1704–1710).
Founded by Yoshida Kanetomo (1435–1511), who called his tradition Yuiitsu Shintō (唯一神道, "One-and-only Shintō"). Until the end of the Edo period, Yoshida Shrine retained the right to award ranks to most shrines and priests.
Shinto explained by Japanese Confucianists, claiming unity of Shinto and Confucianism often in opposition or claiming superiority over Buddhism. Born out of a less extreme and more Sinocentric strain of the restorationist movement.
Ritō Shinchi Shintō (理当心地神道)
Created by Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan (1583–1657), the only Confucian scholar officially employed by the Tokugawa shogunate.
Suika Shintō (垂加神道)
Created by Yamazaki Ansai, a Confucian–Shintoist of the early Edo period. Also known as Suiga Shintō. Ōgimachi Shintō (正親町神道) is a form of Suika Shintō transmitted by Ōgimachi Kinmichi (1653–1733) to the sovereign and court retainers.
Founded by Goi Masahisa (1916–1980) emphasizes two characteristic Ōmoto doctrines, the notion that all religions emanate from the same root (bankyō dōkon), and the principle of world peace.
Chikakusan Minshukyō Kyōdan
Based on the mountain-worship cult of Mount Ontake in the Kiso region founded by Nehashi Umetarō (1868–1922) as the Chikaku Kōsha (Chikaku Religious Association).
Chūshinkai
A movement focused on divination and onomancy, founded by Kumazaki Ken'ō (1881–1961).
Founded by Ishikawa Sen (1886–1961), who declared to be possessed (kamigakari) by a spirit.
Hachidai Ryūōjin Hakkō Seidan
Founded by Demura Ryūsei (1926– ).
Hachirakukai Kyōdan
Founded by Ogawa Kōichirō (1919–80).
Hi no Oshie
Teaching of the Sun. Founded by Sakuma Nikkō (1884–1954) (Nikkō means "sun-light").
Hikari Kyōkai (ひかり教会)
Derived from Ōmoto. Founded by painter Okamoto Tenmei[ja] (1897–1963).
Hizuki no Miya
Founded by Fujimoto Toshinari (1930–1989). The founding of the religion is dated from January 11, 1956, when Fujimoto received a revelation from the kamiAmaterasu ōmikami.
A group from Tenrikyō lineage. Founded by Ōnishi Tama (1916–1969), the group was founded in 1961 within Honmichi as the Tenri Mirokukai (Tenri Miroku Association) and later seceded.
A Tenrikyō-lineage group founded by Yonetani Kuni (米谷クニ) (1889–1974).
Kannagarakyō (神ながら教)
Founded by Mizuno Fusa (1883–1970).
Kikueikai Kyōdan
Founded in 1928 by the sculptor of Buddhist images Hayashi Shikō (1901–88). Shikō claimed that a golden sphere with the form of a "nine-star divination pattern" came floating towards him, after which he began to engage in spiritual healing.
Kogi Shintō
Founded by the Shinto priest Kuwabara Yachio (1910–) after World War II.
Koshintō Senpōkyō
Founded by Masai Yoshimitsu (1907–1970), and known for its claim to be related to the tradition of "ancient Shinto" (Koshintō).
Founded by Takeuchi Kiyomaro (also Ōmaro) (1874–1965) based on the Takeuchi Documents[ja] (Takeuchi monjo), claimed to be rediscovered ancient texts.
Kuzuryū Taisha
Founded by Ōnishi Masajirō (1913–88) after receiving a dream oracle from the deity Benzaiten (Sanskrit Sarasvati) during a dream in 1954.
Kyūseishukyō
Resulting from the merging of four branches of Sekai Kyūseikyō, it began its activities in 1955 after the death of the founder of Sekai Kyūseikyō, Okada Mokichi (1882–1955).
Founded by Hagiwara Makoto (1910–81) who experienced paranormal powers since before World War II.
Makoto no Michikyō
Founded by Matsumoto Jōtarō (September 1881–1944).
Maruyamakyō (丸山教)
Founded by Itō Rokurobei (1829–94).
Misogikyō Shinpa
Founded by Sakata Yasuhiro (1962–).
Mitamakyō
Founded by Nagata Fuku (1891–1975).
Miyaji Shinsendō
Founded by Miyaji Suii (known as Kakiwa, 1852–1904) and with strong Taoist influence.
Nihon Jingū Honchō
Founded by Nakajima Shūkō (1902–88) who was deeply interested in the study of the traditional calendar (rekigaku) and the theory of five phases of matter (gogyō).
Nihon Seidō Kyōdan
Founded by Iwasaki Shōō (1934–) who had a mystical experience while in a coma.
Nikkōkyō (日光教)
Founded by Teraguchi Kōjirō (1881–1960).
Ōkanmichi (おうかんみち)
Founded by Yamada Baijirō (1875–1941), a Tenrikyō teacher.
Perfect Liberty Kyōdan (PL Kyōdan) (パーフェクト リバティー教団)
Known as Church of Perfect Liberty frequently abbreviated as merely "PL", founded by Miki Tokuharu (1871–1938), a Zen monk.
Reiha no Hikari Kyōkai (霊波之光教会)
Founded by Hase Yoshio (1915–84).
Renmonkyō (蓮門教)
Founded by Shimamura Mitsu (1831–1904) who was saved from serious illness by Yanagita Ichibei, who had studied the "marvelous law of things" (myōhō no ji).
Renshindō Kyōdan
Founded by Tanaka Jigohei (1886–1973).
Samuhara Jinja
Started in 1935 when Tanaka Tomisaburō (1868–1967) rebuilt a dilapidated shrine in Okayama.
Also known as World Divine Light outside Japan, it is one of the Mahikari movement Okada Kōtama (1901–1974, born Yoshikazu) founded the Mahikari religion, which then split into Sukyo Mahikari and Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan (World Divine Light) upon his death.
Founded by Nagahashi Yasuhiko (1895–1981) in 1931.
Shikō Gakuen
Founded by Kawakami Seizan (1908–51).
Shin Nihon Shūkyō Dantai Rengōkai
Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan, founded by and for new Japanese religious movements. Established in 1951 with a membership of twenty-four groups.
Founded by Tazawa Seishirō (1884–1966) after dedicating a shrine to a "mountain kami" (yama no kami) in 1919, witnessing extraordinary astronomical phenomena, and hearing divine voices.
Shūyōdan Hōseikai (修養団捧誠会)
Founded by Idei Seitarō (1899–1983).
Soshindō
Started focused on Matsushita Matsuzō (1873–1947), a spirit medium (reinōsha) active from the Taisho era (1912–26) to the World War II period.
Soshindō Kyōdan
Founded by Yoshioka Tajūrō (1905–87).
Subikari Kōha Sekai Shindan
Founded by the spiritualist manga artist Kuroda Minoru (1928– ).
Sukui no Hikari Kyōdan (救いの光教団)
A new religion deriving from Sekai Kyūseikyō, one of several groups in opposition to that religion's policy of centralization (ichigenka) implemented in the mid-1960s.
Derived from the lineages of Ōmoto and Sekai Kyūseikyō, founded by Kōtama Okada (Sukuinushisama) (1901–74) on August 28, 1959 and established as a registered religious organisation on 1978 by Mr Okada's daughter Sachiko Keishu Okada (Oshienushisama), (1929– ).
Sumerakyō
Founded by Onikura Taruhiko after having experienced possession (kamigakari) by a deity around 1919.
Taireidō
Founded by Tanaka Morihei (1884–1928) who was said to have acquired a kind of supranormal power (reishiryoku) after a four-month ascetic seclusion in the mountains.
Taiwa Kyōdan
Emerged from Yamatokyō, founded by Hozumi Kenkō (1913–76) and his wife Hisako (1908–2003).
Tamamitsu Jinja (玉光神社)
Founded by the spirit medium Motoyama Kinue (1909–74).
Ten'onkyo (天恩教)
Founded by Hachiro Fukuji (1899–1962) who experienced the ability to converse with a spirit, and thereafter received visitations from various deities.
Tenchikyō (天地教)
Founded by Uozumi Masanobu (1852–1928).
Tengenkyō
Founded by Naniwa Hisakazu (1902–84).
Tenjōkyō
Founded by Ishiguro Jō (1908– ).
Tenjōkyō Hon'in
Founded by Kuramoto Ito (1895–1985).
Tenkōkyō ((天光教)
Derived from Konkōkyō. Founded by Fujita Shinshō (?–1966) who received at age nineteen a revelation from a deity he called Tenchikane no kami ("heaven-earth gold deity").
It was one of the thirteen sects of prewar Shinto. Founded by Nakayama Miki (1798–1887) after having a sudden experience of spirit possession (kamigakari) from a deity she called Tenri-O-no-Mikoto. in the tenth lunar month of 1863. Tenrikyo removed itself from its Sect Shinto classification when it was free to do so after World War II.
Tensei Shinbikai
Founded by Iwanaga Kayoko (1934–).
Tensenku Monkyō (Tendan)
Known locally as Tinsinkun Munchu (Tinkha), emerged from ancient Shintō (Koshintō) in the southern Ryukyu islands.
Tensha Tsuchimikado Shintō Honchō
Inspired in Tsuchimikado Shintō (Tensha Shintō).
Tenshin Seikyō
Founded by Shimada Seiichi (1896–1985).
Tenshindō Kyōdan
Founded by Tamura Reishō (1890–1968) who received the revelation of Kami on April 3, 1927. [permanent dead link] While working in the office of the Governor-General of Korea, Reishō studied the Daoistic magical arts transmitted in Korea since ancient times.
Tenshinkyō Shin'yūden Kyōkai
Founded by Kamiide Fusae (1922–1980) who had a sudden experience of spirit possession (kamigakari) in 1958.
There may be some Shinto schools and sects, that even having a structure and followers, are not included in authoritative publications. This may be because of their small size and influence, fairly unknown presence or practices, or because those schools are new branches from older schools and still considered within their structure.
↑MacKenzie, Donald A (2005). Myth of China and Japan. London, UK: Kessinger Publishing. p.387. ISBN978-1-4179-6429-1.
↑Breen, John et al. (2000). Yoshida Kanetomo’s early teachings in Essentials of Prime Shinto (Yuiitsu Shintō myōbō yōshū) are referred to as Jūhachi Shintō (十八神道).Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami, p.176.
↑Tenshindō Kyōdan By Yumiyama Tatsuya, 2006/ 5/ 25, Establishment of a National Learning Institute for the Dissemination of Research on Shinto and Japanese Culture
Encyclopedia of New Religions, Shinshūkyō jiten. Inoue Nobutaka et al., eds., Kōbundō, 1990. ISBN4-335-16018-6
Encyclopedia of Shinto, Schools, Groups and Personalities. Institute of Japanese Culture and Classics, Kokugakuin University (2006) Edit Norman Havens ISBN4-905853-12-5
Religions Yearbook, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Shūkyō nenkan (1993), eds Japan Monbushō, Japan Bunkachō. ISSN 0583-1571
