The invention of a new religion

B.H. Chamberlain (1850-1935) was a pioneering translator of Japanese language and literature. He was professor at the Imperial University of Tokyo for many years. This short essay, written in 1912, is his analysis of what he saw as Japan's emerging "new religion," the national cult of emperor worship that was being promoted by Japanese officialdom. He considered this to be a deliberate creation for purposes of fostering national unity that was rooted in, but distinct from, earlier Shinto traditions.