Meiji Restoration

The Meiji Restoration narrowly refers to the 1868's collapse of the last feudal era, Tokugawa Bakufu or Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867). Broadly it is defined to refer to the Japan's beginning of a new era of radical change and the opening to the West.

The new era was named "Meiji" which literally means enlightened rule. The new government restored the imperial authority, banned many previous customs which were used during the long feudal period, and introduced new political system and many other things.

The capital was moved to Edo from Kyoto which had been a capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years, and the Imperial family moved from Kyoto to Edo. Edo was renamed Tokyo which literally means eastern capital.

Shinbutsu Bunri

Shinbutsu Bunri is the separation of Shinto and Buddhism. Shin of Shinbutsu means Shinto and butsu means Buddhism. Bunri is a separation.

During the Meiji Restoration, there was a movement into the Shinto to restore the purity of everything about Japanese culture. In March of 1868, the Meiji government banned the previous custom of amalgamating Shinto and Buddhism called "Shinbutsu Shugo." Shinbutsu Shugo is the harmonization of Shinto, the native Japanese religion, with Buddhism which was introduced through China in the 6th century. In Japan Shinbutsu Shugo had been widely accepted since the 8th century. It was not unusual that shrines were build in the temple provinces or pagodas were constructed in the shrine provinces. As a result of "Shinbutsu Bunri," many shrines or temples were renamed, and Gion-sha was one of them: Gion-sha was renamed Yasaka jinja (Jinja means shrine).

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