Part 19: Shrine Rituals and Schoolchildren

Banner for Part 20 Shrine Rituals and Schoolchildren

This is part 19 of my series on Shinto as a civil religion, you can find the rest of the series here.

As mentioned earlier, The Imperial Rescript on Education was distributed to every school in Japan, along with a portrait of the emperor. These items were treated as sacred and stored in designated areas within schools, which were not used for any other purpose. In many cases, guards were hired to protect the rescript and portrait from potential harm, such as fire or other dangers. The items were kept in a specially designed shrine-like box, modeled after traditional Shinto shrine containers, emphasizing their sacred status.

When the rescript and portrait arrived at a school, they were accompanied by a ceremonial parade involving respected members of the local community. Before being placed in the shrine box, the rescript was read aloud in a specially prepared area covered with fresh gravel and decorated with red, white, and blue curtains. The school principal conducted the reading, wearing white gloves when handling the rescript. These items were also worshiped, with offerings placed before the shrine box. When they needed to be removed, deep bows were made to show proper respect, with hands on knees to ensure the bow was sufficiently low.

In essence, a miniature shrine was established at every school, with the purpose of venerating the rescript and the emperor. This illustrates how physical objects can be used to reinforce authority. By sanctifying these symbols of the nation, the government also strengthened its own legitimacy.

Ceremonies and Engagement
Readings of the rescript and related ceremonies were held on national holidays. However, many schools struggled to motivate students to attend these events on their days off. To encourage participation, schools began adding attractions such as candy, music festivals, exhibitions, or sporting events to the ceremonies.

After Japan’s wars with Russia and China, schools also began holding ceremonies to welcome home returning soldiers. This linked the rescript and its message of devotion to the state with the military’s role in protecting the nation, further embedding loyalty and patriotism in students.

Shinto Priests in Education
The rescript and the emperor’s portrait were not the only ways schoolchildren encountered civil religion and state Shinto. Shinto priests ranked second degree or higher were automatically qualified to teach in primary schools. Many local priests took on teaching roles to supplement their modest state-funded salaries.

Priests were also responsible for training school principals in the proper handling and ceremonial treatment of the rescript. This ensured that schools adhered to the rituals surrounding the rescript and maintained its sacred status.

Increasing Ties Between Schools and State Shinto
After 1912, the connection between schools and state Shinto grew stronger. Schools began holding more religious ceremonies and rituals on school grounds. Many schools established shrines to the kami (Shinto deities), displayed Ise talismans, and significantly increased field trips to national shrines.

On national holidays, students were often sent to local shrines to clean the grounds and make offerings to the gods. In 1938, a national holiday was created to honor the Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates Japan’s war dead. All schools and even kindergartens were instructed to observe this holiday by worshiping the shrine remotely.

Through these practices, the Japanese education system became deeply intertwined with state Shinto and the nation’s civil religion, reinforcing loyalty to the emperor and the state among young people. This blending of education and ritual created a powerful mechanism for fostering devotion to the national ideology.

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