Encyclopedia of Shinto

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カテゴリー1： 8. Schools, Groups, and Personalities
カテゴリー2： Modern Sectarian Groups
Title
Tenjōkyō Hon'in
Text A Shinto-derived new religion whose founder was Kuramoto Ito (1895-1985). Ito was born in Hōfu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, but stayed at the home of relatives in Saga while attending a girls' school there. Due to various family misfortunes, however, she returned to her family home. She later married into the Kuramoto family, but beginning in 1932 she experienced a series of extraordinary events after accompanying her husband to worship at Miyajidake Shrine in Fukuoka. Seven years later, in 1939 Ito became paralyzed by a disease with unknown origins. One evening she had a dream visitation from a male kami and female kami, and was ordered by the male deity to memorize a norito (Shinto prayer). Three days later her body recovered and thereafter she began to experience divine possessions (kamigakari). That year (1939) is considered by the group to be its founding year. Initially, the group's status was that of a "religious association" (shūkyō kessha) affiliated with the religion Ontakekyō, but it gained independence from that group in 1943. In 1947 it registered as the religious corporation Tenjō Kyōkai (church), and in 1952 the movement assumed its current name and joined the Federation of New Religious Movements of Japan (Shinshūren). Fujimoto Ito's eldest son Kuramoto Makoto (1912-), who has also experienced spirit possession, took office as the group's second leader in 1965 and succeeded to overall leadership of the group upon the death of his mother Ito in 1985. The movement teaches that humans are spiritual offshoots of the kami, and its aims include the use of religious faith to elevate the spirit and realize an ideal and harmonious society. Its main focus of worship is the kami Tenjō no ōkami. Headquarters: Yamaguchi Prefecture Nominal membership: approximately 1,500 (S)
—Inoue Nobutaka

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