Abstract: In the early Meiji period, the government carried out the campaign of citizenscultivation, which was jointly undertaken by Shinto and Buddhism, so that it could control its people spiritually. During this period, disputes over the “Three Criteria” of disseminating “ doctrines ” arose between the two sides. These disputes led to not only the failure of the campaign, but also the dissociation of the religious characteristics, making Shinto “nonreligious”, which means the theory of “Shinto cannot be classified as traditional religions ” was formed. Furthermore, this theory also heralded the direction of Shinto and opened the way for the establishment of the Kokkashinto with “nonreligious” characteristics.

Key words: three criteria, disputes between Shinto and Buddhism, the theory of “ Shinto cannot be classified as traditional religions ”, Kokkashinto