During the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which religion was adopted as the state religion of Japan?

• A. Buddhism
• B. Shinto
• C. Christianity
• D. Confucianism

Answer: (C)

Shinto served as the state's chosen religious framework, used to unify the nation under the Emperor. The Meiji rulers wanted a single, mobilizable source of loyalty that could tie together a rapidly modernizing society, and Shinto—with its emphasis on kami (spirits) and the Emperor’s divine lineage—provided a built-in narrative of national unity and legitimacy. The government promoted public Shinto rituals, national ceremonies, and education that reinforced loyalty to the Emperor, a policy often described as State Shinto. Christianity faced suppression early in the modernization process and was not elevated as the national faith, while Buddhism remained influential but did not become the official state religion. Confucian ideas influenced governance, but they were not established as the state religion.