The Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1952 and Japanese Religions

By William P. Woodard. Leiden: E .J. Brilし 1972. xxy 282 pp” Appendices (pp. 283-375)， Sources (pp. 376—380)s Index (pp. 381—303).

Much has been written on the ultranationalism from public life Allied Occupation of Japan and and institutions. As one of the even more on the impact this instruments in the implementa­ Occupation had on Japanese tion of this policy the Shinto society in general，and on the Directive is usually mentioned political and social structure of in passing to pave the way for the country in particular. In the more pressing' issue of the all these writings one is sure to revision of the constitution of find some reference made to the Japan. Often the impression is Occupation’s policy of removing given that the more important the causes of militarism and of the two documents is the re­

—— 309—— REVIEWS vised constitution, while in religions, faiths, sects， creed、 reality the constitution could or philosophies” (art. 2 a). not possibly have been formu­ Even if the legislative validity lated in the present terminology of the Shinto Directive did not (especially in the articles 20 and extend beyond the period of the 89) if the Shinto Directive had Allied Occupation, its impact not first stated the principle has been such that the principle underlying this terminology. of separation of religion and The Shinto Directive’s great state found its way into subse­ merit is the clear guidelines it quent Japanese legislation, nota­ gives for the separation of re­ bly in the Constitution of Japan ligion and state, not only in the of 1947 and the Religious Jurid­ particular case of the state’s ical Persons Law of 1951. involvement with Shinto but in From the above it should be a much larger sense when it clear that the bhmto Directive states that “The purpose of this was not just one of the many di­ directive is to separate religion rectives issued by the Occupation from the state, to prevent misuse in its effort to establish a new of religion for political ends, and Japan based on democratic prin­ to put all religions，faiths, and ciples. Neither is it just a creeds upon exactly the same document recording the Occupa­ legal basis, entitled to precisely tion^ interference in Japanese the same opportunities and pro­ religious affairs. Although its tection. It forbids affiliation first purpose was the solution of with the government, and the a pressing and immediate pro­ propagation and dissemination blem in the religious field，its of militaristic and ultra-nation­ impact was much more far- alistic ideology not only to Shin­ reaching in that it formulated a to but to followers of all fundamental principle for a dem­

— 310 —— REVIEWS ocratic society. to keep in close touch with all In recent years Contemporary that happened in the field of Religions in Japan has published religions in the immediate post­ a number of documents and war period. As the author was translations around the back­ not in a policy-making post he ground of and the motives for is able to describe and judge the making of the Shinto Direc­ events in a more detached way tive1. Also this reviewer has than if he had been an active made an effort to come to a participant in the events that deeper understanding of the took place. The account of the precise impact and consequences observations and the experiences of the directive2. So far，how­ alone of a person in this position ever, much was left up to would make worthwhile reading. speculation and inadequate re­ However，not satisfied with his construction of events as a result own firsthand observations and of the non-availability of docu­ experiences, Dr. Woodard has mentation on many important made every effort to support his matters. findings by locating the necessary All students of the history of source materials and by corrobo­ Japanese religions of the postwar rating evidence thus found by period are in debt to Dr. interviews and correspondence Woodard who in the book under with people who were directly review has made available a involved in the events. This wealth of information on our method, together with the subject not found elsewhere for author’s own critical and care­ easy access. As head of the ful wording of any statement he Religions Research Unit during makes, make the book an the occupation Dr. Woodard was authoritative source of infor­ in a position whicn afforded him mation of the first rank.

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The strongest point of the policy in the field or religions, book is the use of many official the Civil Information and Edu­ U.S. documents which the author cation Section (CIE) under managed to unearth from the Brigadier General Kenneth R. World War II archives and to Dyke， its Religions Division have declassified for use in this headed by Dr. William Kenneth book. Ihis enabled the author Bunce， the Government Civil to judge critically any statements Affairs Teams whose task it was made in Japanese-language to survey the implementation of materials on the same subject. the Occupation policies, and the The book consists of twenty- Japanese government agencies eight chapters in eight parts. through which SCAP exercised Part one explains why the Allied its authority in matters concern­ Powers found themselves involved ing religion, namely the Shrine in Japanese religions; it clarifies Board of the Ministry of Home a number of terms used through­ Affairs and the Religious Affairs out the book, such as Shrine Section of the Ministry of Edu­ Shinto, State Shinto, Kokutai cation. Shinto，Sect Shinto, and introduces Part three takes up the discus­ the term Kokutai Cult as the sion of the two major policy author’s term for Japan’s emper­ documents of the Occupation in or-state-centered cult of ultra­ matters concerning religion. nationalism and militarism (p. These are the Civil Liberties 11); it further describes the re­ Directive of October 4， 1945 ligious policy of the Supreme which clearly stated the princi­ Commander of the Allied Powers ple of religious freedom, and the (SCAP). Shinto Directive of December 15， Part two discusses the organ­ 1945 which established the princi­ izations responsible for SCAP's ple of the separation of religion

— 312 — REVIEWS and state and strengthened the tions Ordinance and “was the principle of religious freedom. result of the cooperative effort of The implementation in law of the Japanese Government, Japa­ the principles expressed in these nese religious leaders, and the two directives is the topic of [SCAP] Religions Division. Part four. The author first dis­ ...probably none of the major cusses the making of the new participants were entirely satis­ constitution which incorporated fied with the results. ...it was the principles of religious freedom the best that could be devised and of the separation of religion under the circumstances5 5 (p. and state, especially in the articles 97). 20 and 89. The second law is Part five treats of the numerous the Religious Corporations Ordi­ difficulties encountered in imple­ nance promulgated on December menting the principle of the 28,1945. This ordinance simpli­ separation of religion and state. fied the procedures for incorporat­ The three major issues were the ing religious groups，it removed place of religion in public edu­ the necessity of government re­ cation, the restoration to shrines cognition as a prerequisite to and temples of titles to their incorporation, and it deprived properties, and the enforced government administrative agen­ solicitation of funds for the cies of any control over the in­ shrines by neighborhood associ­ ternal organization and religious ations. activities of incorporated religious Part six deals with a number bodies (p. 91). The third law of items which were not directly discussed here is the Religious of a religious nature but were in Juridical Persons Law promul­ some way connected with re­ gated on April 3， 1951. It ligious matters. These items replaced the Religious Corpora­ were problematic not in the

— 313 — REVIEWS first place because of any direct (p. 178). The author emphasizes connection with Shinto, but be­ the Religions Division’s official cause of their ultranationalistic attitude of respect for all reli­ and militaristic coloring. Spe­ gions and of the willingness to cifically they are the following help with advice and guidance issues: the national holidays at the request of the religious which in many cases had origi­ organizations. At the same nated in Shinto mythology and time, he points out, CIE assumed “were created to further ultra- a strict attitude of non-involve­ nationalistic tendencies of State ment in that it did not allow Shinto，5 (p. 143), the public itself to be identified with any commemoration of the war dead specific religion. In five chapters which “in the past had been (on Shinto，Buddhism, the New subverted by militarists and Sects, Christianity and the ultranationalists to provide re­ Christian Missionary Movement) ligious sanction for their program he goes into the details of the of national aggrandizement55 (p. relationship between the Occu­ 148), the veneration of the pation and the religions in Japan. Emperor, a problem connected In the eighth and final part with “the Emperor’s alleged the author gives us some insights more-than-human nature，， (p. into the roles played by 'a 164). In this part we find dis­ “prophet” of American demo­ cussions on the Yasukuni Shrine, cracy5 and ‘the “high priest，’ of the Imperial Rescript on Educa­ the Japanese nation5 (p. 240). tion, the Imperial portraits, etc. General Douglas MacArthur’s Part seven covers a topic very preference for Christianity and close to the author’s heart: the his derogatory statements on the Occupation’s concern “to develop indigenous religions often made a desire for freedom of religion55 him violate the official policy of

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the Occupation, and caused the be found. Many contradictory Buddhists and Shintoists to ques­ statements have been made on tion the sincerity of the official the history of the making of the pronouncements on religious Emperor’s New Year’s message f . reedom and the separation of of January 1，1946，the so-called religion and state. However, “Declaration of Humanity.” once the General became aware The author, with the help of the of the inappropriateness of his various statements and documents attitude he refrained from speak­ at his disposal，tries to reconstruct ing on Christianity in official the course of events leading up statements. to the imperial message. As it The feelings concerning the is very doubtful that in the future Emperor’s mystic relation to the any more new data will be found， Japanese people were of great it would seem that here (chapter concern to the Occupation, not 27) we have the most authori­ so much because of the religious tative account that ever will be nature of this relationship, but written. specifically because of the danger This general description of the of ultranationalism and national content of Dr. Woodard’s book aggrandizement emanating from certainly does not do justice to these feelings. As a result of the the enormous amount of work way in which the “divinity” of that must have gone into the the Emperor had been treated in making of the book. Almost the American press it seems any topic the author raises throws plausible to suppose that in the a new light on the bewildering highest circles of the Occupation maze of issues the Occupation authorities some thought must found itself involved in. In have been given to this problem. spite of the wealth of information However，no evidence of this can the author presents to us, he

— 315 — REVIEWS himself admits that his book “is many documents he has made not a definitive discussion of any available to the general public. of the problems raised，， In the appendices he presents us Much more can be said on the with almost 100 pages of official Occupation's involvement in the documents from both the Occu­ religious scene of Japan，and it is pation and the Japanese Govern­ hoped that those who take up any ment sides，and with many other of the issues for more thorough sources of information which so study will be able to do so in the far were not available. same almost inimitable way and The high price of the book was with a similar eye for detail as doubtless beyond the author’s Dr. Woodard. control. It is hoped nevertheless Anyone who in the future will that the book will be accessible occupy himself with the further to interested students through study of our topic owes a vote of libraries which appreciate having thanks to the author also for the valuable books on their shelves.

1 . Union of New Religious Organizations of Japan (comp.). ‘‘Reminiscences of Religion in Postwar Japan，’’ Contemporcoy Religions in Jatmn, Vol.VI, No. 2 (June 1965)， p p . 111-203; No. 3 (September 1965), pp. 295-314; No. 4 (December 1965)，pp. 382-402; Vol.VII，N o .1 (March 1966)，pp. 51-79; No. 2 (June 1966)，pp. 166-187; No. 3 (September 1966)，pp. 217-273. “Disposition of State-owned Land Currently Used by Religious Institutions- Official Documents,” CRJ，Vol. V I I ，No. 3 (September 1966)，pp. 209-216. General Headquarters SCAP, C I& E Section. “Shinto, A Study，，，CRJ, Vol. VII ，No. 4 (December 1966), pp. 321-360. General Headquarters SCAP. “Religion in Relation to the Public Schools of Japan - Official Documents,” CRJ，Vol.VIII，N o .1 (March 1967)，pp. 85- 100. 2. Creemers, Wilhelmus H .M . Shrim Shinto After World War II, Leiden: Brill, 1968.

W. H. M. Creemers Institute of Japanese Studies

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