Honmichi

Honmichi (ほんみち) is a Tenrikyo-based Shinshūkyō (Japanese new religion) that became formally independent in 1925 under its founder, Ōnishi Aijirō, with the title, Kanrodainin no Ri (甘露台人の理, The Princple of the Living Kanrodai).^[1][2][3] Despite to the religion being derived from Tenrikyo with different interpretation of the doctrine such as Sanken Mimune (三軒三棟),^[4] the religious structure still maintains the basic overall atmosphere from Tenrikyo. It was reorganized from the earlier Tenri Kenkyūkai (天理研究会, Tenrikyo Research Group), in which it was of a fragamentary nature.^[5] It had 319,031 followers in 2022 according to the Reiwa 4 (2022) Religion Almanac published by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

The main scriptures used in Honmichi are two of the three main scriptures from Terikyo: Ofudesaki and Mikagura-uta.^[6] The only main Tenrikyo scripture that is not accepted by the establishment is Osashizu written by the second spiritual leader of the original establishment, Iburi Izō.

Honmichi was a noticeable Japanese religion before World War II for its leader's active defiance against the Emperor of Japan.^[7] It quickly re-established itself during the US Occupation of Japan. It is currently based in Takaishi, Osaka.^[2]

Practices

It utilizes gagaku in its service.^[8]

Further reading

• Forbes, Roy Tetsuo (2005). Schism, orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Tenrikyō : three case studies (Thesis). University of Hawai'i Department of Religion.

References

1. Bocking, Brian (1996). A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Milton Park: Routledge. p. 55. ISBN 978-1138979079.
2. Staemmler, Birgit; Dehn, Ulrich M., eds. (2011). Establishing the Revolutionary: An Introduction to New Religions in Japan. Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 323. ISBN 978-3643901521.
3. "혼미치". 현대종교 (in Korean). 2008-04-25.
4. Schism, orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Tenrikyō : three case studies, Pg. 133
5. Schism, orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Tenrikyō : three case studies, Pg. 3
6. Melton, J. Gordon; Baumann, Martin, eds. (2002). "Honmichi [Original Way]". Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. p. 606. ISBN 1-57607-223-1.
7. Yamashita, Akiko (1998). "Eschatology of Japanese New and New New Religions from Tenri-kyo to Kofuku no Kagaku". Inter-religio: A Network of Christian Organizations for Interreligious Encounter in East Asia. 33 (Summer): 10. Nevertheless, as MURAKAMI Shigeyoshi points out, "Honmichi is the rare religious group that held a doctrine of denial of the Emperor despite arising from the indigenous Japanese spiritual climate."
8. Buijs-Drăgușin, Cornelia (January 2013). "#6: Gagaku and Tenrikyo". Liturgical Music in a New Japanese Religion : the Formation, Survival and Repositioning of Tenrikyo through Music (M. Mus. thesis). p. 193. The new religion Honmichi, which splintered from Tenrikyō, also uses gagaku in its service; its followers attempted to incorporate gagaku into their paraliturgical festivities , but failed.

External links

• Encyclopedia of Shinto > Honmichi