Honmichi

A new religion based on Tenrikyo. It was founded in 1913 (Taisho 2) by Onishi Aijiro (1881-1958). It was originally called Tenri Kenkyukai (Society for the Study of Tenri) and Tenri Honmichi (Honmichi). Onishi, who was the head of the Yamaguchi Church of Tenrikyo, was possessed by a god and realized that he was the living god "Kanrodai" (sweet deity) who would succeed Tenrikyo founder Nakayama Miki. Nakayama Miki had declared that she would live to be 115 years old, but because she died early, the followers had a widespread belief that the year after 1912, the year the founder would reach her demise, would be the "year of succession," and that a new divine revelator would appear to succeed her. Onishi received divine revelation that very year and claimed the legitimacy of Tenrikyo. However, in 1924, Onishi was expelled from Tenrikyo as a heretic, and in 1925 he established the Tenrikyo Research Association in Iwaki Village, Kitakatsuragi County, Nara Prefecture (now Katsuragi City), where he disseminated warnings and prophecies for the times and organized farmers and small and medium-sized business owners mainly in the Kinki region. Its doctrine is a systematization of Tenrikyo doctrine from the early days of the religion based on the Kofuki (ancient records) mythology, and is characterized by the "Principle of Kanrodai People," which states that "Kanrodai" also means human beings, and the "Principle of Three Houses and Three Buildings," which states that the inner, middle, and outer shrines, which respectively enshrine the Shinbashira, Kanrodai, and Honseki, are to be built in the sacred land "Jiba" (the place of human creation). In 1928 (Showa 3), the sect distributed "Research Materials" both within and outside the sect, which criticized the times and concluded that the Emperor was not qualified to rule Japan, and was persecuted for lèse majesté, but Onishi was deemed mentally ill and acquitted. In 1938, the sect distributed a pamphlet with the same content, "Shoshin," and was persecuted again for lèse majesté and violation of the Peace Preservation Law, and "Honmichi" was banned. Immediately after Japan's defeat in World War II, Onishi was released as a political prisoner, and re-established the sect in 1946 (Showa 21). The headquarters is in Hagoromo, Takaishi City, Osaka Prefecture. There are 7 missionary stations, 1 other, 14,205 teachers, and 318,998 followers (Religious Yearbook, 2014 edition).

[Shigeyoshi Murakami]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

天理教系の新宗教。大西愛治郎(あいじろう)（1881―1958）が1913年（大正2）に開教。初め天理研究会、天理本道(ほんみち)と称した。天理教山口教会長であった大西は神がかりして、天理教教祖中山みきを継ぐ生き神「かんろだい（甘露台）」であるとの自覚をもった。中山みきは115歳定命(じょうみょう)を宣言していたが、早く世を去ったため、信者の間では、教祖が定命に達する年であった1912年の翌年を「継目(つぎめ)の年限」として、教祖を継承する新たな天啓者が出現するという信仰が広がっていた。ちょうどその年に天啓を得た大西は、天理教の正統を主張した。しかし1924年に、大西は異端として天理教を追放され、1925年奈良県北葛城(きたかつらぎ)郡磐城(いわき)村（現、葛城市）に天理研究会を設立し、時世への警告と予言を宣伝して、近畿を中心に農民・中小経営者などを組織した。その教義は、開教期の天理教教義を「こふき（古記(こうき)）」神話を基本に体系化したもので、「かんろだい」は人間をも意味するという「かんろだい人(にん)の理」と、聖地「ぢば（地場）」（人間創造の場）に真柱(しんばしら)・かんろだい・本席(ほんせき)をそれぞれ祀(まつ)る内・中・外の三宮が建つとの「三軒三棟(さんげんみむね)の理」を特徴とする。1928年（昭和3）時世を批判し、天皇には日本統治の資格はないと断定した『研究資料』を教内外に配布して、不敬罪で弾圧されたが、大西は精神病者とされて免訴となった。1938年同内容の小冊子『書信』を配布して不敬罪、治安維持法違反で再度弾圧され、「ほんみち」は禁止された。第二次世界大戦敗戦直後、大西は政治犯として釈放され、1946年（昭和21）教団を再建した。本部は大阪府高石(たかいし)市羽衣(はごろも)。布教所数7、その他1、教師数1万4205、信者数31万8998（『宗教年鑑』平成26年版）。

［村上重良］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例