Imperial Shrine (religion)

Imperial Shrine (帝国神社, Teikoku Jinja), also known as kami-no-michi, Akitsukunese Shinto or Shinto, is an Akitsukunese that is a radical offshoot of Fusenese  and  practices. It is the state religion of Akitsukuni, and 90 to 95% of the population are followers. Due to its unique veneration of the Empress of Akitsukuni, who is also the head of state of Akitsukuni, Imperial Shrine has few followers outside of the Akitsukuni.

Widely divergent from its roots in Fusenese Shinto, Imperial Shrine is a religion that focuses on the worship of a pantheon of gods known as Kami, many of whom share names and properties with their Fusense Shinto counterparts. The Imperial Shrine Kami are a fixed pantheon of deities that will one day return to this plane of existence to lead humanity's progress, and unlike Fusenese Shinto the term Kami used in a religious context only to refers to the pantheon deities, with no "minor" Kami existing in Imperial Shrine. Imperial Shrine teaches that the current plane of existence is impure, preventing the Kami from returning, necessitating purification rituals and worship by the Akitsukunese to purify the land for their eventual coming. One of the central figures in Imperial Shrine is the Empress of Akitsukuni, who is worshipped as the vessel of the only Kami remaining on this plane in order to watch over and lead the Akitsukunese in the purification efforts; this "Imperial Kami" is passed down from mother to daughter during succession.

The Imperial Shrine religion first appeared as a fringe movement and cult in Fusen following the death of the Tenno. It was led by the first Empress of the Shrine, Kaguya, who claimed to be the descendant of the Tenno and began preaching a highly warped form of Shinto covenant centred around the divinity of the Tenno, worship of herself as a descendant of the Tenno, and a highly original interpretation of various Shinto beliefs. The ensuing chaos following the Tenno's death led some groups of both peasants and educated elite to accept Kaguya's assertion that the Tenno was indeed a divine figure required for the survival of the Fusenese people and the return of the Kami to restore order. Subsequent leaders of the Imperial Shrine would place the Empress of the Shrine into a more symbolic role, and beliefs often evolved over the next centuries. After the rise of Emperor Iwaki Takahiro in 1671, Imperial Shrine was banned as a dangerous cult and most members were exiled to the new Akitsukuni colony. New conditions and colonial experiences resulted in a more nationalistic vision for the new colony, which was believed to be the promised 'Pure Land' that the Akitsukunese had to prepare. Attaining great power and influence in the colony, Imperial Shrine became a major backer of the nationalist faction in the Akitsukunese Civil War, establishing itself as the state religion after the war. Further government interference led to more changes to the theology to promote nationalism and exceptionalism, resulting in the recognisable modern incarnation of Imperial Shrine by the 1950s.