User:Immanuelle/sandbox/Development of a unified pratice

Shinto is not merely unique by virtue of worshipping many gods of different areas and faiths.

This itself is not that uncommon across the world. But Shinto is unique for systematizing its faiths together into a common organizational framework.

We already opened with discussion of the Kiki and the Department of Divinities, but now that we have discussed many other faiths, it is time to discuss how they co-developed into a unified practice.

The best point to start discussing the modern consolidation of Shinto is with Yoshida Kanetomo (吉田 兼倶, 1435–1511).

Yoshida Kanetomo started the Yoshida School of Shinto. Many people falsely claim that all of Shinto was under Yoshida control until the Meiji Period. This is false as it was split between Yoshida Shinto, and Shirakawa Shinto.

Shirakawa Shinto is much less known than Yoshida Shinto. It was led by the Shirakawa family, who are descendants of the Imperial family (Genji) and took over the Department of Divinities, usurping the Fujiwara clan who previously controlled it.

The Yoshida family are a branch of the Urabe clan, relatives of the Fujiwara clan, but not in the main line (FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR ACTUAL GENEALOGICAL RELATIONSHIP WAS). They both descended from Ame no Koyane