Jinja Honcho (Association of Shinto Shrines)

Founded in 1946, the Association of Shinto Shrines/Jinja Honchō (神社本庁) is the largest association of Shinto shrines in Japan. According to its website, approximately 80,000 shrines are affiliated with this association, which has local branches (Jinjyachō) throughout Japan.

The association was established, aiming to preserve the tradition of Shinto, which was separated from the state after World War II; the US-led occupation authorities issued an order, the Shinto Directive, to abolish the Japanese government’s support for Shinto. The member shrines regard Ise Shrine as the holiest of the Shinto shrines.

As of 2021, the leader of this group is Tanaka Tsunekiyo, who is the head of Kyoto Jinjyachō and one of the co-founders of the largest pro-constitutional revision group, Ustukushii Nippon no Kenpō o Tsukuru Kokumin no Kai.

Tokyo-to Jinjachō

Tokyo-to Jinjachō (東京都神社庁) is Jinja Honchō’s Tokyo branch. This branch is one of many that has actively collected signatures in support of constitutional revision. In their 2015 statement, they officially proclaimed their recommendation for the constitutional revision movement.