Teishitsu to shūkyō no kankei

Inoue Tetsujirō's 1890 work, Teishitsu to shūkyō no kankei (The Relationship Between the Imperial Family and Religion), was influential in shaping public opinion in Japan. Inoue, a philosopher, advocated for the preservation of traditional Japanese values and opposed Christianity, viewing it as incompatible with Japanese culture. His writings, such as "Conflict Between the Nation and Christianity," were significant anti-Christian polemics. Inoue also worked to systematically document the history of Oriental philosophy using Western methods and sought to synthesize Eastern and Western philosophical traditions.1

This work emerged during the Meiji Restoration period, a time when the Japanese government sought to revitalize Shinto as the national religion and promote the emperor cult. State Shinto, the official religion from 1868 to World War II, emphasized ceremonies of the imperial household and public shrines, aiming to unify religion and government. Inoue's ideas aligned with this nationalistic sentiment, contributing to the emphasis on Japanese traditions and the emperor's authority.21