Current ideas;
1. Is there any way to have *Rome* (and -OR - Papal States), as the ancient legacy, lead or hold all the reunification process of Italy?
Like maybe a... 'Japanese Empire' scenario - the Pope as the rallying figure - instead of a repoussoir, like against HRE emperor, maybe, but maybe NO real leading power, the real power being in the hands of a noble warlord (Borgias?)?
Or was the Pope and the Papal States too 'tainted', and the Pope too ambitious?
2. Buddhism and Shinto lived, coexisted since centuries in Japan, often one side having more power or hold...
Is there a way to make Buddhism a definitive winner, then? To 'obliterate'-assimilate SHinto for good, and have a Buddhist Japan?
Maybe with a surviving Yamato rule, Fujiwara and all? Or maybe an alternate, deeply religious shogun? Tokugawa?
3. A bit related, distantly...
Korea have an ancient spirituality, still surviving in a way, a form of Shamanism which was, I heard, compared to SHinto of Japan (specially if maybe the two nations are indeed distantly related..).... Is there a way to make it stronger, surviving deeper amongst the peoples, maybe a 'Royal Shamanism' like there was an official Shinto in Japan?
Shamanistic-based sects in Korea taking hold? syncretism ruling out/pushing away christianism in a nationalistic bent, later? etc?
Anything?