The Arahitogami reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Arahitogami

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Arahitogami is a Japanese word, meaning a god who is a human being. This word appears first in Kojiki, but assumingly used before this book. Most well-known usage of this word would be in Japan before 1945, until the end of the World War II. In those days Kokka-shinto, nationalisticalized Shintoism applied this word to the Emperor Hirohito and required to Japanese people to absolute obey and loyarity to the Emperor as a god. Later Hirohito himself disclamed this conception and claimed his relation to the people didn't rely on such a mythological idea but a historically developed family-like reliance.

A theological concept of Arahitogami on Kojiki

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