| Honmichi | |
|---|---|
| ほんみち | |
 TheSennan Temple, Honmichi's main temple | |
| Type | Tenrikyo-derivedJapanese new religion |
| Scripture | Ofudesaki,Mikagura-uta |
| Theology | Monotheistic |
| Language | Japanese |
| Headquarters | Takaishi, Osaka, Japan |
| Founder | Ōnishi Aijirō |
| Origin | 1925 Nara Prefecture, Japan |
| Separated from | Tenrikyo |
| Separations | Honbushin |
Honmichi (ほんみち) (also 本道 or 天理本道,lit. 'The True Way [of Tenri]') is aTenrikyo-basedshinshūkyō (Japanese new religion). Honmichi became formally independent in 1925 under its founder,Ōnishi Aijirō (大西愛治郎), also known by the titleKanrodainin no Ri (甘露台人の理,The Principle of the LivingKanrodai).[1][2][3] Despite the religion being derived from Tenrikyo with a different interpretation of doctrines such asSanken Mimune (三軒三棟),[4]: 133 Honmichi's religious structure still maintains the same basic overall characteristics as Tenrikyo. It was reorganized from the earlierTenri Kenkyūkai (天理研究会; Tenrikyo Research Group).[4]: 3 It had 319,031 followers in 2022 according to theReiwa 4 (2022)Religion Almanac published by theAgency for Cultural Affairs.
Honmichi considers itself, rather than Tenrikyo, to be the true, original religion ofNakayama Miki.[4]: 171–2 Devout Honmichi members are called "people of the way" (みち人,michibito) rather thanyōboku (ようぼく) as inTenrikyo.[5]
The termHonmichi comes from theOfudesaki and can be found inOfudesaki 1:49, 3:37, 4:75-77, 5:30, 5:82, 6:17, 6:28, and 17:22.
Some of the main scriptures used in Honmichi include theOfudesaki andMikagura-uta, which also form the basic scriptural canon of Tenrikyo.[6] TheOsashizu, written by the second spiritual leader of the original establishment,Iburi Izō, was also sometimes consulted by Ōnishi Aijirō. TheKyōgi Ichiban (教義一斑), written by Ōnishi Aijirō, is also used.
The mantraNamu Kanrodai (南無甘露台) is frequently chanted by adherents of Honmichi. Honmichi utilizes thegagaku in its service (かぐらづとめ,kagura-zutome).[7]
Every year, Honmichi followers celebrate "the establishment of the human Kanrodai" (甘露台人のおふみとめ,Kanrodai nin no o-fumitome) to commemorate their founder.[4]: 129
Honmichi began as a religion on July 15, 1913 inYamaguchi when its founderŌnishi Aijirō received a divine revelation, during which God told him that he was the livingkanrodai. At the time, he was a Tenrikyo missionary in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In January 1925, Ōnishi Aijirō officially established the Tenri Study Association (天理研究会,Tenri Kenkyūkai), which was later renamed as Tenri Honmichi (天理本道) in 1937, and finally asHonmichi in 1950.[4]
Honmichi was a noticeable Japanese religion beforeWorld War II due to its leader's active defiance against theEmperor of Japan. There were government crackdowns in 1928 and again in 1938.[8] It quickly re-established itself during the USOccupation of Japan.
In 1958, Ōnishi Aijirō died. Aijirō's grandson,Ōnishi Yasuhiko (大西泰彦), took over as the leader in 1960 and was viewed as Aijirō's reincarnation, and hence as the newkanrodai.[5]
In 1962,Honbushin (ほんぶしん), led by Aijirō's daughterŌnishi Tama (大西玉; 1916–1969) (whom Aijirō and Honbushin followers claim was the reincarnation ofNakayama Miki), separated from Honmichi.[4]: 173 It was incorporated as a religious organization in 1966. Originally, it was headquartered in Takaishi, Osaka, but then moved toShiojiri, Nagano. In 1969, Honbushin moved toOkayama, where it set up itskanrodai onMount Kami.
Honmichi is currently headquartered inTakaishi, Osaka.[2] However, the mainworship hall is located inSennan, Osaka.
Apart from the headquarters, there are several other locations, including two main offices (支部,shibu):
There are several branches (出張所,shutchōjo), including one in the United States:
There are also facilities inKatsuragi, Nara (竹之内廟所, where Ōnishi Aijirō and his wife are buried) andIzumi, Osaka (信太山作業所), as well as a training center (花瀬山修道場) near Fudo Waterfall (不動滝) in Takigawa Valley (滝川渓谷) inTotsukawa,Nara Prefecture (located just to the southwest ofMount Shakka).[9][10]
The following religious movements and organizations are founded by former Honmichi members.
During the 1970s, Shigeyoshi Murakami (村上重良) and Masaki Umehara (梅原正紀) published a few books about Honmichi:
The new religion Honmichi, which splintered from Tenrikyō, also usesgagaku in its service; its followers attempted to incorporategagaku into their paraliturgical festivities , but failed.
Nevertheless, asMURAKAMI 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."
34°31′56.5″N135°26′19.4″E / 34.532361°N 135.438722°E /34.532361; 135.438722