The Incorporation of Spiritual Learning and the Creation of Rituals at the Miho Shrine

This presentation examines the religious practices of Shinto shrine families within shrine kōsha and kyōkai under State Shinto during the Meiji and Taishō periods, focusing on the Miyagishima family of Miho Shrine in Shizuoka. In 1882, the government prohibited Shinto priests from performing religious guidance, leading to a division between Shrine Shinto and Sect Shinto. However, Miho Shrine engaged in religious activities through the Shinto Miho Church, affiliated with the Shinto Headquarters. Inspired by Honda Chikaatsu's Spiritual Learning (Reigaku), they practiced divine possession (kishinhō). The Miyagishima archives (1893–1925) contain oracular records, doctrinal texts, and one of the Ritual texts, "Shinkai Gakusoku", a 1915 ritual manual written under divine possession. This text details childbirth prayers and deity summoning rituals, reflecting Honda’s teachings. By analyzing "Shinkai Gakusoku", it becomes clear that shrine families exercised religious autonomy under kyōkai-affiliated kōsha, preserving spiritual traditions beyond the official framework of State Shinto.