Although the Meiji government insisted upon the unity of Japanese Temples, Shrines, and the state, the policy was changed to respect the freedom to study as they were pushing for the separation of religion and politics, and the freedom of religion to achieve a modern nation, during the last half of 1870s and the first half of 1880s, there were a free discussion held about criticizing the Kojiki (The Records of Ancient Matters), Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan) and mythology.
しかし、当初祭政一致を掲げていた明治政府は、近代国家を目指して政教分離・信教の自由を建前に学問の自由を尊重する方向に政策転換し、明治十年代には記紀神話に対する批判など比較的自由な議論が行われていた。