Saisei Itchi

Saisei itchi (祭政一致) is a Japanese term meaning "unity of worship and government". Under a saisei itchi system, the political leader is also the religious leader.

In Japan, unity of religion and rule can be traced back to the theocratic Yamato Kingship and Ryukyu Kingdom of ancient times where the proclamations of spiritual mediums had political authority. Saisei itchi is an inherent feature of the Shinto religion as the emperor is both leader of the country and priest to Japan's kami, though this aspect has not been focused on since the end of World War II. However, Japanese theologian Keiichi Yanagawa argued a ritual government is different from a theocracy as a theocracy is a government managed directly by a member of that religion's clergy.

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