Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1996 23/1-2 The Distinctive Features of Sanno Ichijitsu Shinto

Sanno Ichijitsu Shinto is a religious system formulated in the early Edo period, based on Tendai Hokke icnijitsu thought and providing a reli gious basis for deijying the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The first section of the present analysis is a critical survey of the main sources relating to the creation and textual history of Sanno Ichijitsu Shinto. The second section is an analysis of the tradition’s theoretical structure and ritual symbolism, which testify to its intimate affiliation with Tendai esoteric Buddhism as well as its explicit political purpose of legitimizing Tokugawa rule. Translator’