Ryōbu Shintō is not regarded as an official, independent religion in Japan. Rather than standing as a separate institution, it arose historically as a doctrinal and ritual synthesis, weaving together Shintō kami worship with esoteric Buddhist understandings, especially those associated with Shingon. It functioned as a theological and ritual framework housed within existing Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples, not as a distinct religious organization with its own legal or institutional identity. In that sense, it is better understood as a current within broader Shintō–Buddhist syncretism than as a self-contained denomination.

Within the modern legal and social landscape, religious life in Japan tends to be categorized in broad terms such as Shintō, Buddhism, Christianity, and other traditions. Ryōbu Shintō, however, is treated as a historical form of interaction between Shintō and Buddhism, not as a separate, registered religious body. The policies of separating Shintō and Buddhism, instituted during the Meiji period, dismantled most of the formal structures that had supported this syncretic system. What remains of Ryōbu Shintō today persists under the larger umbrellas of Shintō and Buddhist practice, rather than as a formally recognized religion in its own right.

From a spiritual perspective, this status highlights the way religious currents can flow beneath the surface of official labels. Ryōbu Shintō may no longer appear as a distinct name on institutional registers, yet its patterns of thought and practice continue to inform how some traditions understand the relationship between kami and buddhas. The absence of formal recognition does not erase its historical role as a bridge between two great religious streams, but it does mean that, in contemporary legal and organizational terms, it is not counted as an independent religion.