Questions arise as to whether Shinto and the Japanese state were deeply intertwined. Following Hardacre’s account, this paper argues that Shinto was recognized as a non-religious entity, which the Japanese state maintained for a purpose. Shinto priests were able to use this non-religious title to achieve both a spiritual and bureaucratic leadership role within the state. From this point forward, this paper will adopt the term “State Shinto” to emphasize the patronage and advocacy relationship between the Japanese state and Shinto in the period of 1868-1945. Besides that, this paper examines the case of Theravada Buddhism in Thailand for comparison for several reasons. Firstly, Thailand and Theravada Buddhism have an inherently strong and intertwined