Shrine Consolidation Policy
During the Meiji and Taisho eras, the Japanese government merged smaller, unprofitable shrines in an effort to enhance the presence of shrines overall. The Bureau of Shrines in the Home Ministry was responsible for this reorganization, focusing on village shrines and unranked shrines. The government's goal was to organize existing shrines and limit the number of shrines receiving offerings. However, there were accusations of corruption and attempts to seize land for financial gain. In 1906, an imperial edict called "With Regard to the Provision of Offerings to Shrines of Prefectural Rank and Below" was issued to financially support thriving shrines only, leading to the merging of many shrines. Under the edict, merged shrines, temples, and other sacred sites were required to surrender their land without compensation. Local authorities in Wakayama and Mie prefectures in particular carried out mergers, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of shrines by 1914.