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the Department of Shintôism by the Mikado’s government, in placing it on a level with the Council of State shortly after the revolution in 1868.
Mr. Von Brandt thought that a distinction should be drawn between Shintôism as it existed in ancient times and the doctrine as it was developed by the writers at the Court of the Mikados in the more modern times. The one was originally a veneration of the common source of life, the fire, light or sun, which was considered as the generating power; afterwards it was found more convenient to subdivide this principal power into its elements and to give to each of its emanations a special kami as its representative; the history also of the Sun Goddess having withdrawn for a certain time into a cavern in consequence of her brother Sosan’s behaviour might be explained by the changes of the seasons rather than by an eclipse of the sun; the withdrawal of the sun representing the winter, her re-appearance the new spring. In ancient times the chiefs of the families and tribes were the first priests, their houses the first temples, and it was only several centuries after Jimmu that the temple of the Sun Goddess was separated from the dwelling of the Mikado. There appears to be good evidence that Shintôism resembles very closely the ancient religion of the Chinese; we find the same sacrifices made by the Japanese as are reported to have been made by the Chinese; sacrifices consisting first in the killing of the animal offered to the god, and in later years in the setting at liberty of the animals so offered; birds, especially quails, appear to have been used generally, but also larger domestic animals, and even cattle are mentioned.
Sir Harry Parkes expressed the disappointment which he in common with others had felt in being unable to learn what Shintôism was. Japanese in general seemed utterly at a loss to describe it, but this circumstance was intelligible if what was once an indigenous faith had been turned in later days into a political engine. Under such circumstances its character as a religion would be lost, and it would become for the time what the rulers of the country chose to make it. Infallibility on the part of the head of the State, which was naturally attributed to rulers claiming divine descent, was as convenient a doctrine for political purposes in China or Japan as elsewhere. It was evident that we must look to early times for the meaning of Shintôism. He was disposed to agree with M. Von Brandt that its origin was closely allied to the early religion of the Chinese. The name seemed to imply such a connection—Shintô being a pure Chinese term meaning The Way of the Gods or Spirits. It seemed to point to one of those primitive or national systems of religion, often found coincident with early national life, which attribute spiritual agencies to the elements or natural phenomena. The sacrifices alluded to by M. Von Brandt included at a remote period human sacrifices at the graves of chiefs, in Japan as well as in China. The Gohei spoken of in Mr. Satow’s paper pointed also to a connection with other Asiatic superstitions of a very early date. The practice of
