Gūkwe

A Gūkwe (Shirakawan: 宮會, lit. "Temple Association") or Guka (Saramosiri: Guka) is a form of in Chisei. The term Gūkwe under modern Chiseian law refers to any religious organisation, regardless of denomination or internal structure, which is registered with the National Temples and Shrines Bureau (全國寺社官 Zenkoku Jishakan, Sok'koku Cisakan). Non-gūkwe organisations are allowed to operate in Chisei, but are subject to taxation and various restrictions on religious advertising, donations and other activities. According to a 2012 survey, some 13% of religious organisations and charities in Chisei lack gūkwe status.

Structure
Gūkwe are officially non-profit organisations, but it is a common (and lawful) practice for a registered gūkwe to exist alongside a parallel gūkwesha (宮會社, "temple corporation"), which may be involved in various for-profit activities, with capital flowing freely between the gūkwesha and gūkwe as "donations". Many Chiseian corporations and even political parties have financial ties to organised religion via this system, and consequently religious organisations continue to play a massive role in Chiseian politics and the economy, though 'secular' organisations are restricted from outright religious messaging.

All gūkwe are required to be organised on a hierarchal, federal basis, resembling the traditional institutions of Chiseian Siddhism and Kukyō. The Association must designate a single, physical site as a Head Temple (一宮 Ichigū), which serves as its headquarters and is the first point of contact for all legal matters, with all subsequent sites being granted a degree of administrative flexibility in terms of finances and governance as branch temples (別宮 Betsugū). Every association recieves a Temple Commissioner (宮司 Gūji) appointed by the Temples and Shrines Bureau with the agreement of the organisation's governing body.

Generally, the Commissoner's role is primarily to monitor an association's finances and conduct, ensuring they remain compliant with the law and reporting any violations to the Bureau; they do not have a mandate to interfere with 'lawful' practices or beliefs exercised by any religious group, though the system has been criticised by many activists as a threat to.

A single gūkwe may not necessarily represent a single faith or sect. Among smaller Siddhist organisations, it is relatively common for several temples or monastic communities with doctrinal differences to band together to form a singular gūkwe, and such associations will frequently also encompass nearby kukyō shrines or other religious institutions. Many Hanafic and Eastern Siddhist organisations operating in Chisei form common gūkwe to pool resources and expand their reach, as is also common for minor messianist groups. However requirements for registration as a gūkwe are relatively stringent - many small or unrecognised faiths are denied state recognition and thus access to the benefits of registration.