KOKUTAI-SHINTO

[Japanese] The common term for the form of Japanese religion usually referred to as 'emperor-worship'. It literally means 'National-Government-God-Worship' and is part of Shukyo-Shinto. A distinction should be made here from the concept of infallibility of the living emperor as head of the Shinto state; this divine nature of the emperor was officially abolished in 1945. However, there are still several shrines throughout Japan dedicated to the memory of semi-mythical emperors such as Jimmu Tenno and Ojin Tenno. They are still worshipped by the people as deities.