近代轉換期에 있어서 天皇像과 民衆

The Image of Emperor and Populace in Modern Transition Period

This study aims to provide an overview on the process and characteristics of the formation and spread of emperor worship among the populace of modern Japan. In order to do that, it focuses on the image of emperor as an ideology in relation with the traditional folklore consciousness of the populace and the consciousness toward the outside world. Tunnoils in the late Tokugawa period strengthened popular desires for liberation and change. By and large, those desires increased expectations for imperial authority. However, the popular image of emperor rooted in folklore was radically different from that of the government.