Abstract

After the Meiji Restoration, the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, changing from "Edo-fu" to "Tokyo-fu".With this change, 12 shrines in Tokyo Prefecture were selected as "associate imperial shrines" to protect the imperial castle (present-day Imperial Palace) of the Meiji Emperor.
After the war, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Showa Emperor's accession to the throne, 10 shrines in Tokyo were designated as "Tokyo Jusha," which have acquired deep ties to the Emperor's family.
The exhibition will provide an opportunity to understand the details of these 10 shrines, and to ask questions about the emperor and shrines, the relocation of the capital during the Meiji Restoration, and what imperial festivals are.
The book is a travel guide to Tokyo, with detailed reading by religious scholar Dr. Hiromi Shimada, including the history of each shrine.

Author’s Information

Born in Tokyo, 1953. Graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1976 with a B.A. in History of Religion, and completed a doctorate in Religious Studies at the Graduate School of Humanities, University of Tokyo in 1984. She has been a professor at Japan Women's University and a specially-appointed researcher at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo. Her publications include "Shizen Funeral Recommendations" (Tokuma Shoten), "Funeral Ceremony is Not Necessary" (Gentosha), and "Religion is Full of Lies" (Asahi Shimbun Publications).