In order to realize 'saisei icchi,' which was the basic spirit of the Meiji Government, and to prevent an influx of Christianity which, since the opening up of the country, had created public order problems (such as the Urakami Yoban Kuzure crackdown on Christians), the new government restored the Jingikan, which had been in decline since the collapse of the Ritsuryo system and reorganized Shinto, which had been in a state of chaos since the Medieval Period.
明治政府は新政府樹立の基本精神である祭政一致の実現と、開国以来の治安問題(浦上四番崩れなど)に発展していたキリスト教流入の防御のため、律令制の崩壊以降衰えていた神祇官を復興させ、中世以来混沌とした様相を見せていた神道の組織整備をおこなった。