Mainstream Shinto
Mainstream Shinto — Japan's indigenous religion of kami veneration through shrines and seasonal festivals — is a low-CLCI reference point. State Shinto's wartime instrumentalisation (1868–1945) is a separate historical phenomenon.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — Japanese indigenous religion; low control. State Shinto (1868–1945) was politically weaponised but is historical.
Profile facts
In context
Shinto centres on kami veneration through shrines, seasonal festivals, and rites of passage. Adherence is overwhelmingly cultural rather than confessional; many Japanese practise both Shinto rites and Buddhist funerals without exclusivity. Specific sectarian Shinto offshoots (Tenrikyo, Oomoto-kyo, others) sit somewhat higher and would be separate entries if rated.
Key control doctrines
- Kami veneration
- Ritual purification (harae)
- Seasonal festivals (matsuri)
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service covering new religious movements.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Evidence by BITE axis
- Ritual purification (harae)
- State Shinto (1868–1945) was politically weaponised but is historical
- Some sectarian Shinto offshoots (Tenrikyo etc.) higher control — separate
- Kami veneration
- Seasonal festivals (matsuri)
Timeline
- AncientIndigenous Japanese religious practice
- 1868–1945State Shinto period (politically weaponised)
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
| Title | Type | Reliability | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shintō, the disenchanter — Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies (2021) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2000) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| Notes — Shinto and the State, 1868-1988 (1989) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| Mind and Morality in Nineteenth-Century Japanese Religions: Misogi-Kyo and Maruyama-Kyo — Philosophy East and West (1998) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| 10.1.1.567.8041 · archive | Academic | Secondary | — |
| Kyōha Shintō · archive | Organisation | Tertiary | — |
| Notes — Shinto and the State, 1868-1988 (1989) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| Mind and Morality in Nineteenth-Century Japanese Religions: Misogi-Kyo and Maruyama-Kyo — Philosophy East and West (1998) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| lire en ligne · archive | Academic | Secondary | — |
| lire en ligne · archive | Government | Primary | — |
| Meiji Restoration · archive | Organisation | Tertiary | — |
Sources
- Helen Hardacre, 'Shinto: A History' (2017) search ↗
- Shintō, the disenchanter — Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies (2021) — https://doi.org/10.4000%2Fcjs.1630 open ↗
- The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2000) — https://doi.org/10.1093%2Facref%2F9780192800947.001.0001 open ↗
- Notes — Shinto and the State, 1868-1988 (1989) — https://doi.org/10.1515%2F9780691221298-014 open ↗
- Mind and Morality in Nineteenth-Century Japanese Religions: Misogi-Kyo and Maruyama-Kyo — Philosophy East and West (1998) — https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1399927 open ↗
- 10.1.1.567.8041 — https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.567.8041 open ↗
- Kyōha Shintō — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kyoha-Shinto open ↗
- Notes — Shinto and the State, 1868-1988 (1989) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9780691221298-014 open ↗
- Mind and Morality in Nineteenth-Century Japanese Religions: Misogi-Kyo and Maruyama-Kyo — Philosophy East and West (1998) — https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1399927 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.jstor.org/stable/1399927 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.bunka.go.jp/tokei_hakusho_shuppan/hakusho_nenjihokokusho/shukyo_nenkan/pdf/h27nenkan.pdf open ↗
- Meiji Restoration — https://www.britannica.com/event/Meiji-Restoration open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Mainstream-comparator lighter.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
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