Hotokusha - Hotokusha

An association based on the teachings of Houtoku, founded by Ninomiya Sontoku. The first associations are said to be the Houtoku Shinyu-ko in Shimodate Domain, Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), and the Odawara Shiho Association in Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture), both of which were established in 1843 (Tenpo 14). The Houtoku philosophy is based on the principles of virtue: hard work, moderation, and deference, and the Houtoku Society was organized to carry out the Houtoku Shiho as a plan for the revival of impoverished individuals and society. At the end of the Edo period, they spread to Sagami, Shimotsuke (Tochigi Prefecture), Totomi (Shizuoka Prefecture) and other areas to restore struggling villages and rebuild household politics, but from the Meiji period onwards, they developed in Shizuoka Prefecture, centering on the Totomi Province Hotokusha (founded in 1875, renamed Dai Nippon Hotokusha in 1911), led by three generations of Okada Saheiji, Ryoichiro and Ryohei in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture. In addition, there were other Hotokusha, such as Odawara Hotokusha, Suruga Higashi Hotokusha, Hotoku Hohonsha, Hotoku Enjosha, Suruga Nishi Hotokusha, Shizuoka Hotokusha and Mikawa Hotokusha. These were sects that arose due to differences in the circumstances of their establishment, and between 1924 and 1940 (Taisho 13th to Showa 15th), they merged and came under the umbrella of Dai Nippon Hotokusha. The Hotokusha preached the harmony between economics and morality and emphasized the spirit of cooperation, and achieved results by providing interest-free or low-interest loans through the accumulation and investment of Hotoku funds, promoting industry, agricultural improvement, and educating people on morals. Meanwhile, the government guided and encouraged the Hotokusha as a means of educating the public and implementing local autonomy policies during the local improvement movement, civil power cultivation movement, national rehabilitation movement, and economic rehabilitation movement, and so the Hotoku movement spread nationwide. After World War II, the Hotokusha organization declined, but in 1977 (Showa 52) there were 208 companies affiliated with the Dai Nippon Hotokusha nationwide, with 9,040 employees and Hotoku funds totaling 2.92 billion yen. There are also various other Hotoku groups.

[Umino Fukuju]

"The 100-Year History of the Hotoku Movement" by Shigeki Yagi (1980, Ryukei Shosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

二宮尊徳(にのみやそんとく)が創唱した報徳の教えに基づく結社組織。1843年（天保14）設立の常陸(ひたち)国（茨城県）下館(しもだて)藩の報徳信友講と相模(さがみ)国（神奈川県）小田原(おだわら)仕法(しほう)組合が最初とされている。報徳思想は、勤労、分度、推譲を徳行の原則とし、個人や社会の衰貧復興計画としての報徳仕法を行うために報徳社が組織された。幕末期には難村復旧、家政立て直しのため相模、下野(しもつけ)（栃木県）、遠江(とおとうみ)（静岡県）などに普及したが、明治以降は静岡県掛川(かけがわ)の岡田佐平治(さへいじ)・良一郎(りょういちろう)・良平(りょうへい)3代が指導した遠江国報徳社（1875年設立、1911年大日本報徳社と改称）を中心に静岡県下で発展した。また、ほかに小田原報徳社、駿河(するが)東報徳社、報徳報本社、報徳遠譲社、駿河国西報徳社、静岡報徳社、三河報徳社などがあった。これらは設立事情の差異により生じた分派で、1924～40年（大正13～昭和15）に合同、大日本報徳社の傘下に入った。報徳社は、経済と道徳との調和を説いて協同精神を強調するとともに、報徳金の積立てと運用による無利・低利の貸付け、殖産興業、農事改良、風俗教育などを行い成果をあげた。一方、政府は地方改良運動、民力涵養(かんよう)運動、国民更生運動、経済更生運動などの際、国民教化と地方自治政策の一手段として報徳社を指導、奨励したため、報徳運動は全国的に広まった。第二次世界大戦後、報徳社組織は後退しているが、1977年（昭和52）の大日本報徳社所属社は全国で208社、社員数9040人、報徳金は29億2000万円となっている。なおこのほかにも各種の報徳団体がある。

［海野福寿］

『八木繁樹著『報徳運動100年のあゆみ』（1980・龍渓書舎）』

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