Religion and Positions of Power
Religion was not a major dictator of the running of the country in ancient Japan. There were, however, a few exceptions.
In ancient Japan, there were many clans. Each different clan descended from a God or prominent Kami (Shinto deities), and their ancestor was worshipped within the clan. The only position of power in the Japanese class system that was dictated by religion was that of The Emperor. After the death or abdication of an Emperor, the next had to come from the direct line of the emperor. This was because the emperor was descended from the Shinto sun goddess Amarterasu, the most important Deity in Shinto religion. This line had to be unbroken, as the Emperor had to be the ‘bridge between heaven and earth’. Women were also allowed to be emperors, firstly as they could be a more direct embodiment of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Secondly, it was seen in Ancient Japan that there was a special confidence that they could bring to leadership and regulation, and they would also not give in to jealousy, and not let emotion affect decisions. The reason the emperor was seen as the descendant of Amatersau was from a tale in Shinto. In shinto, Niniji, Amaterasu’s son, was sent down from heaven to rule Japan. Jimmi, Niniji’s great grandson, is the first recorded emperor in Japanese history, in the 7th century CE. The only other position which had regulations on who ruled after was the Shogun, although this was not as strict as the Emperor. There could only be one shogun at any given time, but they could only be succeeded by their son, once the shogun had retired or died. |