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14 J. Church & St. 59 (1972)
The Fusion of Politics and Religion in Japan: The Soka Gakkai-Komeito

handle is hein.journals/jchs14 and id is 67 raw text is: The Fusion of Politics and Religion in Japan: The Soka Gakkai-Komeito JOHN KiE-CHIANG OH The doctrine of obutsu myogo (the implicit fusion of politics and religion) is one of the most essential and intriguing prin- ciples for an understanding of the Soka Gakkai (Value-Creating Society) and the Komeito (Clean Government Party) of Japan. It is essential not only in analyzing the nature of the Gakkai and the Komeito separately but also-more importantly-in understanding the linkage between the lay organization of the Nichiren Shoshu (orthodox sect of Nichiren) believers and their dynamic political arm. The doctrine is an intriguing one in a largely secularizing world that seems to believe in the separa- tion of the church and state, often as a constitutional principle and as a requisite sign of modernity. The phenomenal expansion of the Gakkai, that now claims membership of well over ten percent of the total Japanese population, might indicate that a sizable portion of the Japanese today does not believe in this separation despite Article 20 of their constitution that divorced the state from the church, which had been partly united through the bonds of the State Shinto.' It is intended here to examine the historical and contemporary meaning of the obutsu myogo doctrine, to distinguish it from seemingly similar theocratic principles, to indicate the policy and institutional manifestations of the doctrine in contemporary Japan, and finally to analyze critically the theoretical and prac- tical significance of the doctrine. I As in the case of most other Nichiren Shoshu doctrines, the literal proof or the doctrinal source of obutsu myogo is to be JOHN KIE-CHIANG OH is Professor and Chairman of Political Science at Mar- quette University. President of the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs, 1970-1971, Professor Oh's special field of interest is East Asia. In addition to two dozen articles on Asia and international affairs, he is the author of two books on Korean politics, including Korea: Democracy on Trial (1968). 1. In view of the real or alleged role of the State Shinto in the development of an expansionist Japan, the secular orientation of the state was underlined by Article 20 of the constitution, partly as follows: No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the state, nor exercise any political authority.

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