Taikyo Institute

The Great Teaching Institute (大教院) was an organization under the Ministry of Religion in the Empire of Japan.

History
It was founded in 1872 to train kyōdo shōku or religious teachers because the Missionary Office and Department of Divinities were unsuccessful in their national indoctrination objectives. It was intended as a joint Shinto and Buddhist organization, but ended up becoming entirely dominated by Shinto.

Medium Teaching Institutes (中教院) were established in each prefectural capital and Small Teaching Institutes (小教院) were established in various cities.

On January 1, 1875, an arson attack on the Great Teaching Institute caused confusion, with four Jōdo Shinshū sects informally announcing their departure from the Great Teaching Institute.

On May 3, 1875, the Great Teaching Institute was dissolved by the Ministry of Religion and was succeeded by the Bureau of Shinto Affairs and later Shinto Taikyo.

Ame-no-Minakanushi was one of its patron deities, also known under the Buddhist name Myōken.

The "Great Teaching" is the same word that is used in the "Great Doctrine" or Proclamation of the Great Doctrine, and Taikyo in Shinto Taikyo.