Tanritsu (単立)

The term "Tanritsu" refers to Tanritsu Shukyo Dantai (an independent religious organization).

Summary

Unlike temples, shrines, churches of old-line religions, that are implicitly assumed to be part of some sort of religious schools, sects, and superior organizations, the term Tanritsu, that mainly refers to 'Tanritsu-jiin' (nonsectarian temples) (Buddhism), 'Tanritsu-jinja' (independently incorporated shrines) (Shinto), and 'Tanritsu-kyokai' (non-denominational churches) (Christianity), is in many ways used to show that they are exceptional beings and that they are not assumed to be part of any religious schools, sects or superior organizations.

Tanritsu Shukyo Dantai refers to Tani Shukyo Dantai (a unitary religious organization) that doesn't belong to any Hokatsu Shukyo Dantai (comprehensive religious organizations that take in religious schools, sects, and religious communities). Any Tanritsu Shukyo Dantai that are certified as religious corporations are called Tanritsu Shukyo Hojin (single religious corporations).

Tani Shukyo Dantai refer to religious organizations that are contained in the category of article 2, number 1 of the religious corporation act, such as shrines, temples, churches, and places for missionary work. Hokatsu Shukyo Dantai refer to religious organizations, that are contained in the category of article 2, number 2 of the religious corporation act, that take in Tani Shukyo Hojin such as religious schools, sects, and religious communities.

Being Tanritsu does not mean it has uniqueness in the aspects of its belief or thought, because it is only a matter of the legal system. As seen in XX-shu (sect) Tanritsu, and XX-ha (school) Tanritsu, it is not unusual that some Tanritsu follow tenets and rituals of traditional religious schools or sects. There are examples of Tanritsu that broke away from Hokatsu Shukyo Hojin through personnel tug-of-war.

In general, the term Tanritsu is understood as 'a religious corporation that is set up independently,' however, one theory holds that they linked one temple to 'Tan,' the space that every priest has in a meditation hall at a temple, to create the term Tanritsu to express a condition in which one is independent from a religious school.