is a New Sect Shinto-based shinshūkyō (Japanese new religion) that is based on the legacies and traditions of Ko-Shintō. The founder of the modern form of the religious organization was . is the current 81st head of Yamakage Shinto.Religion Almanac 2025 (page 108) "（名称・法人番号：山蔭神道（２１８０３０５０００７０９）／代表役員：山蔭仁嘉" [Name & Religious Corp. Number: Yamakage Shinto (2180305000709) / Represenatitve Individual: Yamakage Hitoyoshi]
History Yamakage Shinto came from generations of families that preserved and practiced Ko-Shintō traditions for generations.Dictionary Of Organizations And Figures In New Religions by Inoue, Nobutaka (page 308) "【概要】山蔭家は歴史的に表面には現れていないが、歴代皇室に仕えて信任あつかった古神道家という。現在の山蔭神道設立にいたる前史をみると、山蔭家第七五代山蔭昌衡は、吉田神道の分家の嫡男で、古伝神道を復活し、垂加説なども摂取して山蔭神道と称し、第七六代の中山忠伊（光格天皇の皇子）とともに倒幕運動に挺身した。第七七代の中山忠英も明治維新に参加し、明治二三年（一八九〇）には建国精神・王政復古を標榜する皇道会を組織した。これは大正三年（一九一四）には大日本皇道立教会として再編される。" [Summary – The Yamakage family may not appear on historical records, it is said to be a Ko-Shintō family that served successive Imperial families. When looking at the history that led up to the establishment of the present day Yamakage Shinto, the seventy-fifth head of the Yamakage family by the name of Yamakage Kazuhira, the eldest [also legitimate] son of a branch of the family that controlled Yoshida Shinto, revived Ko-Shintō and incorporated in elements such as the general theory of Suika Shinto (垂加神道) and called it Yamakage Shinto; the seventy-sixth head of the Yamakage family, Nakayama Tadakore (a child of Emperor Kōkaku) contributed to the toppling of the Shogunate. The seventy-seventh head, Nakayama Tadafusa, also joined the process of Meiji Restoration and established Kōdōkai in 1890, which advocated the foundational spirits of modern Japan and the restoration of the Japanese imperial family. It later reorganized as the Dai Nihon Kōdō Ritsukyōkai in 1914.] The earliest recognizable form of Yamakage Shinto started its origins before the Bakumatsu period and right before the Meiji Restoration. Below is the list of leaders of the earliest Yamakage Shinto with the descriptions of their spiritual or national achievements:Post-War Research on Sectarian Shinto by Inoue, Nobutaka "…中山忠伊（一八〇四～六四）…中山忠英（一八四六～一九一六）…中山忠徳（一八九八～一九五七）…" [… Nakayama Tadakore (1804 – 1864) … Nakayama Tadafusa (1846 – 1916) … Nakayama Tadanori (1898 – 1957) …]
The 75th head, who revived aspects of Ko-Shintō and incorporated doctrinal elements of Suika Shinto. The 76th head, (1804 – 1864) who made a contribution to the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate. The 77th head, (1846 – 1916) who participated in the national governance under Emperor Meiji to elevate the social and political status of the Imperial House of Japan with the additional help of his own organization, , which was later renamed as .
The 78th head (1898 – 1957) converted to Ontakekyō in 1921 and created his own separate religious organization called in April 1927 and renamed it to two years later.Dictionary Of Organizations And Figures In New Religions by Inoue, Nobutaka (page 308) "その三男・中山忠徳が山蔭家第七八代となる。忠徳は大正一〇年御嶽教に入信、五年後二九歳の若さで御嶽教管長に選ばれるが、数カ月で辞任し、昭和二年（一九二七）の四月、御嶽本教を組織し、太祖教主となる。二年後、これは人類愛信太祖教と改称され、文部大臣の認可を受ける。" [His (Nakayama Tadafusa) third son, Nakayama Tadanori, became the seventy-eighth head of the Yamakage family. He converted to Ontakekyō (御嶽教) in 1921 and was nominated as a priest of Ontakekyō five year later at the age of 29, eventually founded Ontake Honkyō (御嶽本教) in April 1927 as the head priest [bearing the title, Taiso Kyōshu (太祖教主)]. Two years later, his organization was renamed as Jinrui Aishin Taisokyō (人類愛信太祖教) and was approved by the Minister of Education, Science, Sports and Culture.]
Afterwards, it was renamed as after the Occupation of Japan in 1954; afterwards it merged with to change its name to in 1956 and finally Nakayama Tanadori's adopted son as well as the 79th head, (11 March 1925 – July 2013),Dictionary Of Organizations And Figures In New Religions by Inoue, Nobutaka (page 601) "山蔭基央（山蔭神道） 旧名・大植明正。大正一四年（一九二五）三月一一日～" [Yamakage Motohisa (Yamakage Shinto) Former Name – Ōue Akimasa; Date of Birth – 11 March 1925] renamed it to Yamakage Shinto in 1966.Dictionary Of Organizations And Figures In New Religions by Inoue, Nobutaka (page 308) "戦後昭和二九年、単立宗教法人愛信会を新たに設立。昭和三一年、この愛信会は包括法人唯一神道天祖教と合併して天社山蔭神道愛信会と名称変更し、その主幹には、戦後すぐ中山忠徳の養子となった山蔭基央が就任。昭和四一年、現在名の山蔭神道に改称。" [After the Pacific War, a new separate religious corporation, Aishinkai (愛信会), was established in 1954. Then afterwards, Aishinkai merged with the umbrella religious corporation, Yuiitsu Shintō Tensokyō (唯一神道天祖教) and changed its name to Tensha Yamakage Shintō Aishinkai (天社山蔭神道愛信会) in 1956, with Yamakage Motohisa, who had been adopted by Nakayama Tadanori shortly after the war, took the role of the leader in charge [of the organization]. Its name was changed to its current name, Yamakage Shinto, in 1966.]
Belief The two important kami figures in Yamakage Shinto are Ōkuninushi and Sukunabikona.Dictionary Of Organizations And Figures In New Religions by Inoue, Nobutaka (page 308) "以後、管長の盛んな著述宣伝布教活動により、古神道系の新宗教教団として知られるようになる。山蔭神道とは、古伝によれば、大己貴神と少名彦神、二神の伝えた古神道といい、また「山蔭」の「山」は天皇を意味し「蔭」は侍することを意味し、天皇の蔭となって天皇の意志を宇内に行うことを祈る役目をかつて負っていたものであるという。山蔭神道には、古代の天皇の聖言であったアジマリカンが神呪として伝えられ、その意味は、もしこれがヘブライ語とすれば「全ての罪を背負う祭司長」になるとも説かれる。" [Since then, this religious organization became well-known as a Japanese new religion based on Ko-Shintō thanks to the [currently former] leader's active publication of writings, propagation, and missionary activities. According to an ancient legend, Yamakage Shinto is the form of Shinto taught by the two kami entities, Ōkuninushi (Ōnamuchi-no-Kami) and Sukunabikona (Sukunahiko-no-Kami), and [as for parsing 'Yamakage'] the kanji for 'yama' symbolizes the emperor, while 'kage' [in which it means shadow] symbolizes the works of retaining the emperor; ultimately meaning a certain set of tradition from the ancient times by taking the role of praying for the spread of the emperor's governance in his realm by acting as his shadow. Within Yamakage Shinto, the sacred phrase (聖言) from ancient times, Ajimarikan, was passed down today as a divine incantation, with the meaning in the expression of Hebrew parlance 'a chief priest who bears all sins'.]
Activities It is known as a Sect Shinto-based new religious organization that performs vigorous publication of literature for laypeople, especially under Yamakage Motohisa.
Chinkon meditation is practiced in Yamakage Shinto.Yamakage, Motohisa; Komuro, Yoshitsugu (trans., ed.). (19xx). Shinto: A Mirror held up to the Cosmos. Kireigu. The Shinto sect, headquartered at Kirei-gū (貴嶺宮) in Kōta, Aichi Prefecture, is associated with the modern koshintō (古神道) revival movement. Chinkon meditation in Yamakage Shinto is performed while seated on the floor and is performed using techniques such as breathing exercises, counting numbers, mudras, meditating on a mirror, and ritual chanting.
Incantation The most sacred incantation in Yakamage Shinto is .Post-War Research on Sectarian Shinto by Inoue, Nobutaka "…古代天皇の聖言であったとされる「アジマリカン」が神呪として伝えられている。" … [The sacred incantation (神呪) 'Ajimarikan' is passed on as a holy phrase (聖言) of an ancient emperor.] It is also written as 天地真理観.
Branch Shrines based in Yokohama based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is led by Paul de Leeuw, a Dutch Shinto priest.
See also Shinto sects and schools
Notes
Further reading
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