Shintō Tenkōkyo


Shinto Tenkokyo, also simply known as Tenkokyo is a Shinto-based Japanese new religion founded by Tomokiyo Yoshisane in 1920. Shinto Tenkokyo has several shrines on Mount Iwaki or Iwaki-yama in Hikari, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Its headquarters is located at the southern base of the mountain in Tabuse.

History

In 1920, the predecessor of the current organization was founded as Kakushin-kai in Shizuoka by Tomokiyo Yoshisane, who had been a magazine editor for Oomoto from 1918 and 1919. The organization, later renamed Shintō Tenkōkyo, was registered in 1922. In 1928, Tomokiyo moved Shintō Tenkōkyo from Shizuoka to Tabuse and constructed several shrines on Mount Iwaki in 1930.

Leadership

Shintō Tenkōkyo's leader is called the sōshu. Tomokiyo Yoshisane was the first leader but resigned in 1931. Afterwards, three different men, none of whom were his blood relatives, became the religious organization's leaders. In 1952, after Tomokiyo Yoshisane died, his wife Tomokiyo Misao became the leader of Shintō Tenkōkyo. After Misao's death in 1990, her third daughter Suzuyo became the leader of Shintō Tenkōkyo.

Rituals

Shintō Tenkōkyo considers its rituals to be a continuation of Ko-Shintō.
Every November on Mount Iwaki, Shintō Tenkōkyo organizes a nighttime ritual ceremony for "universal harmony and world spiritualization". Followers recite the "Ten Prayers" in dedication to Amaterasu.
A key focus of its activities is "spiritual national defense", which was practiced extensively during World War II in order to pray for the protection of the Empire of Japan. The religion also practices chinkon kishin, a spirit possession technique devised by Honda Chikaatsu and subsequently transmitted by his disciple Nagasawa Katsutate, that is also practiced in Oomoto and Ananaikyo. Shintō Tenkōkyo's practice of chinkon kishin still adheres closely to the original form as taught by Honda Chikaatsu during the 19th century. Today, chinkon kishin is strictly reserved for Shintō Tenkōkyo members and is not open to the general public.
Another ritual in Shintō Tenkōkyo is mikiyome tamashizume. According to Tomokiyo, he received this ritual on October 28, 1920 during a kishin session with the kami, Ame no Uzume.
The sun goddess Amaterasu is the main deity worshipped. Tokoto no kajiri is a prayer in which the ten syllables of Amaterasu are pronounced as "A-ma-te-ra-su O-ho-mi-ka-mi" many times.
File:Iwakiyama war ritual.jpg|thumb|center|600px|A large wartime night religious ritual ceremony performed by Shintō Tenkōkyo priests and followers on Mount Iwaki during the Pacific War, to pray for the protection of the Empire of Japan

Texts

Shintō Tenkōkyo's main religious text is Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū, a multiple-volume anthology of writings by Tomokiyo Yoshisane, the religion's founder. There are three editions:
  • The Iwakiyama edition was published 1955 and 1974 and consists of 5 volumes. 3 more volumes containing letters and other materials had been planned, but were never published.
  • The Sangensha edition was published in 1988 and 1989 and consists of 6 volumes, with 4 more volumes planned before Sangensha went bankrupt.
  • The Hachiman Shoten edition was published beginning in 2004, with 8 volumes total.
In October 1919, Tomokiyo published The origin and practice of chinkon kishin, a monograph about chinkon kishin. After it quickly sold out, it was revised as The essence of chinkon kishin in May 1920. This revised version is included in the first volume of Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū as published by Hachiman in 2004. The full text of Shintō montai by Honda Chikaatsu is attached at the end of Chinkon kishin no gokui. The text consists of 114 questions from Soejima Taneomi, along with answers from Honda, in literary Chinese.
A Guide to Spirit Studies is a synopsis of Tomokiyo's main teachings and contains two chapters about chinkon kishin. Originally published in August 1921, it is included in the first volume of all editions of Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū.

Shrines

Shintō Tenkōkyo's shrines are located on Mount Iwaki, located to the north of the town of Tabuse in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The religion pronounces the name of the mountain as Iwaki-yama, but outside the religion the conventional pronunciation is Iwaki-san. It is the most sacred mountain of Shintō Tenkōkyo and is considered to be the earthly representation of the heavenly gathering place of the gods, similar to Oomoto's treatment of Mount Hongū in Ayabe.
Going clockwise from south and west to north and east, the Shintō Tenkōkyo shrines on Iwaki-yama are:
  • Tenryū Jinja
  • Yamato Jinja
  • Iwayama Jinja
  • Mononobe Jinja
  • Isotake Jinja
  • Ashihara Jinja
  • Sekijōjima Jinja
Iwakisan Kōgoishi, the ruins of an ancient castle, is located to the northeast of the Shinto Tenkokyo shrine cluster.
To the west, Iwaki Jinja and its affiliated auxiliary shrines predate the Shinto Tenkokyo shrines. Iwaki Jinja's auxiliary shrines are :
  • Uwanari-sha
  • Ara-sha
  • Suga-sha
  • Takahi Jinja
  • Myōken-sha
  • Wakamiya-sha