state-shinto-nationalism
A government-driven nationalization of Shinto practices that linked the emperor's divine ancestry to the sun goddess, reinforcing national unity and devotion.
2 chapters across 1 book
Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan (2000)Herbert P. Bix
The chapter traces the birth and early upbringing of Hirohito, emphasizing the imperial family's customs, the health concerns surrounding Crown Prince Yoshihito, and Hirohito's ambivalent emotional ties within the family. It situates his childhood within the broader Meiji-era political framework that combined autocratic imperial authority with constitutional elements, while also detailing the ideological construction of the emperor's sacred and paternalistic role through State Shinto and the Imperial Rescript on Education. The chapter further highlights early resistance to this imperial ideology, illustrating tensions between state power and dissent.
Chapter 5 explores the complexities of the Japanese imperial lineage and the political dynamics during Emperor Hirohito's reign, focusing on how imperial ceremonies like the enthronement and the daijsai rite were used to reinforce kokutai ideology and national identity. It details the state's strategic use of rituals, education, and censorship to promote the emperor's divine and militaristic image, suppress dissent, and maintain political control amid rising nationalism and social tensions in the late 1920s.