Shintō Tenkōkyo

In 1920, the predecessor of the current organization was founded as Kakushin-kai (格神会) in Shizuoka by Tomokiyo Yoshisane, who had been a magazine editor for Oomoto from 1918 and 1919. The organization, later renamed Shintō Tenkōkyo, was registered in 1922. In 1928, Tomokiyo moved Shintō Tenkōkyo from Shizuoka to Tabuse and constructed several shrines on Mount Iwaki in 1930.^[3][4]

Shintō Tenkōkyo's leader is called the sōshu (宗主). Tomokiyo Yoshisane was the first leader but resigned in 1931. Afterwards, three different men, none of whom were his blood relatives, became the religious organization's leaders. In 1952, after Tomokiyo Yoshisane died, his wife Tomokiyo Misao (友清操; 1899–1990, born Akahori Misao 赤堀操) became the leader of Shintō Tenkōkyo. After Misao's death in 1990, her third daughter Suzuyo (鈴世, born 1932) became the leader of Shintō Tenkōkyo.^[5]: 292

Shintō Tenkōkyo considers its rituals to be a continuation of Ko-Shintō.^[5]

Every November on Mount Iwaki, Shintō Tenkōkyo organizes a nighttime ritual ceremony (山上夜間特別修法) for "universal harmony and world spiritualization" (万有和合・世界霊化). Followers recite the "Ten Prayers" (十言神咒) in dedication to Amaterasu.^[6]

A key focus of its activities is "spiritual national defense" (霊的国防, reiteki kokubō), which was practiced extensively during World War II in order to pray for the protection of the Empire of Japan. The religion also practices chinkon kishin (鎮魂帰神) (lit. 'calming the soul and returning to the divine'), a spirit possession technique devised by Honda Chikaatsu (本田親徳) and subsequently transmitted by his disciple Nagasawa Katsutate (長澤雄楯), that is also practiced in Oomoto and Ananaikyo.^[7] Shintō Tenkōkyo's practice of chinkon kishin still adheres closely to the original form as taught by Honda Chikaatsu during the 19th century. Today, chinkon kishin is strictly reserved for Shintō Tenkōkyo members and is not open to the general public.^[5]

Another ritual in Shintō Tenkōkyo is mikiyome tamashizume (浄身鎮魂法) (lit. 'body purification and soul strengthening'). According to Tomokiyo, he received this ritual on October 28, 1920 during a kishin session with the kami, Ame no Uzume.^[5]

The sun goddess Amaterasu is the main deity worshipped. Tokoto no kajiri (十言の神呪) is a prayer in which the ten syllables of Amaterasu Ōmikami (天照大御神) are pronounced as "A-ma-te-ra-su O-ho-mi-ka-mi" (アマテラス オホミカミ) many times.^[5]

Shintō Tenkōkyo's main religious text is Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū (友清歓真全集) (lit. 'The Complete Works of Tomokiyo Yoshisane'), a multiple-volume anthology of writings by Tomokiyo Yoshisane (友清歓真), the religion's founder.^[8] There are three editions:^[5]

• The Iwakiyama edition (石城山版) was published from 1955 to 1974, as well as in 2002 (volume 6). 2 more volumes containing letters and other materials had been planned, but were never published. From volumes 1 to 5, the publication dates are, respectively, 1955, 1963, 1971, 1968, and 1974.
• The Sangensha (参玄社) edition was published from 1988 to 1989 and consists of 6 volumes, with 4 more volumes planned before Sangensha went bankrupt.
• The Hachiman Shoten (八幡書店) edition was published beginning in 2004, with 8 volumes total.^[9]

In October 1919, Tomokiyo published The origin and practice of chinkon kishin (鎮魂帰神の原理及応用, Chinkon kishin no genri oyobi ōyō), a monograph about chinkon kishin. After it quickly sold out, it was revised as The essence of chinkon kishin (鎮魂帰神の極意, Chinkon kishin no gokui) in May 1920. This revised version is included in the first volume of Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū as published by Hachiman in 2004.^[5] The full text of Shintō montai (真道問対) by Honda Chikaatsu is attached at the end of Chinkon kishin no gokui (鎮魂帰神の極意). The text consists of 114 questions from Soejima Taneomi, along with answers from Honda, in literary Chinese.^[10]

A Guide to Spirit Studies (霊学筌蹄, Reigaku sentei) is a synopsis of Tomokiyo's main teachings and contains two chapters about chinkon kishin. Originally published in August 1921, it is included in the first volume of all editions of Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū (友清歓真全集).^[5]

Other than the 6 volumes of Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū (友清歓真全集), the Iwakiyama (石城山) publishing house in Tabuse, which is the publishing arm of Shintō Tenkōkyo, currently publishes the following books as of 2026. Some of the books are also duplicated in various volumes of Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū (友清歓真全集).

• 春風遍路
• 続春風遍路
• 霊学筌蹄
• 古神道祕説
• 音霊の話
• 信白文艸藁
• 異境備忘録
• 幽冥界研究資料
• 神仙の存在について
• 口語 神判記実
• 天行居雑祭式集成
• 同志必携
• しきしま霊界訪問記
• 友清歓真先生御書跡集 (1997) (collection of calligraphic works by Tomokiyo Yoshisane)

Shintō Tenkōkyo's shrines are located on Mount Iwaki (石城山), located to the north of the town of Tabuse in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The religion pronounces the name of the mountain as Iwaki-yama, but outside the religion the conventional pronunciation is Iwaki-san. It is the most sacred mountain of Shintō Tenkōkyo and is considered to be the earthly representation of the heavenly gathering place of the gods, similar to Oomoto's treatment of Mount Hongū in Ayabe.^[5]

Going clockwise from south and west to north and east, the Shintō Tenkōkyo shrines on Iwaki-yama are:^{[1][11][12][13]}

• Tenryū Jinja (天龍神社) (small auxiliary shrine where the spirit of Hori Tenryūsai 堀天龍斎 (1856-1920), a hermit who was one of Tomokiyo Yoshisane's teachers, is enshrined)
• Yamato Jinja (日本神社) (main shrine; large shrine building dedicated to the nation of Japan and the imperial family)
• Banzan Jinja (磐山神社) (small auxiliary shrine where the spirit of Tomokiyo Yoshisane is enshrined)
• Mononobe Jinja (物部神社) (small auxiliary shrine)
• Itakeru Jinja (五十猛神社) (small auxiliary shrine)
• Ashihara Jinja (葦原神社) (shrine with a koi pond located along the path to Shikishima Jinja)
• Shikishima Jinja (石城島神社) (large shrine building for memorializing ancestors)

Iwakisan Kōgoishi (石城山神籠石), the ruins of an ancient castle, is located to the northeast of the Shinto Tenkokyo shrine cluster.

To the west, Iwaki Jinja (石城神社) and its affiliated auxiliary shrines (setsumatsusha 摂末社) predate the Shinto Tenkokyo shrines. Iwaki Jinja's auxiliary shrines are (clockwise from south and west to north and east):

• Uwanari-sha (宇和奈利社) (just east of Banzan Jinja (磐山神社))
• Kuwau-sha (荒神社)
• Suga-sha (須賀社)
• Takahi Jinja (高日神社) (northeasternmost shrine, also called Myōken-sha (妙見社). It is located at the top of a summit (高日ヶ峰; elevation: 362 metres))
• Wakamiya-sha (若宮社) (just south of Mononobe Jinja (物部神社))

Ko-Shintō Senpōkyō (古神道仙法教), currently headquartered in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, is a splinter religion derived from Shintō Tenkōkyo. Masai Kieki (正井頎益, 1907–1970), who used to be a member of Shintō Tenkōkyo before the end of World War II, founded the organization in 1946 and officially registered it as Shintō Senpōkyō (神道仙法教) in 1949. After his death, the organization was renamed as Ko-Shintō Senpōkyō (古神道仙法教). The organization's teachings are based on the writings of Hirata Atsutane and Miyaji Suii (宮地水位, 1852–1904).^[14]

Another related organization is Shinseidō (神仙道; also known as Miyaji Shinseidō 宮地神仙道), founded by Miyaji Suii (宮地水位) and led by Shimizu Shūtoku (清水宗徳).^[15] It is headquartered in Godaisan (五台山), Kōchi and is heavily influenced by Chinese Taoism.^[16][17][18]

• Ananaikyo
• Chinkon kishin

• Ōmiya, Shirō (大宮司朗) (1997). Chinkonhō gokui 鎮魂法極意 (in Japanese). Hachiman Shoten 八幡書店. ISBN 9784893501929.
• 小西雲鶴 (2024). 鎮魂帰神法伝習録 (in Japanese). Hachiman Shoten 八幡書店. ISBN 9784893509420.