Ōkanmichi

TypeTenrikyo-derived Japanese new religion

ScriptureOfudesaki, Mikagura-uta

TheologyMonotheistic

LanguageJapanese

Ōkanmichi
おうかんみち
Type	Tenrikyo-derived Japanese new religion
Scripture	Ofudesaki, Mikagura-uta
Theology	Monotheistic
Language	Japanese
Headquarters	Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture
Founder	Egami Toshitane (江上寿胤)
Origin	18 April 1946
Separated from	Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho
Separations	Kanrodai Kanrodai Reiri Shidōkai
Official website	www.oukanmichi.or.jp

Ōkanmichi (Japanese: おうかんみち) is a Tenrikyo-based shinshūkyō (Japanese new religion) that was organized by its founder, Egami Toshitane (江上寿胤), as a successor organization of Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho.^[1] It is currently based in Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture.

Ōkanmichi was formed after a hiatus of the disbandment of the previous religious sect, Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho, in 1939 and upon the death of the founder of the said previous religious sect, Yamada Umejirō (山田梅次郎), in 1941.^{[n 1]}^[3] Egami Toshitane was one of Yamada Umejirō's followers and re-established Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho as a tenkeisha (天啓者, divine revelator), just like Yamada Umejirō, with the title, Hyōtan no Ki Kanrodai (ひょうたんの木甘露台).^[4] Egami Toshitane initially started proselytising in Tokyo right after the end of the Pacific War^{[n 2]} and eventually moved the headquarters to Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture in 1973.^[5]

Before its headquarters moved to a new location, there were numerous name changes of his organization until it became Ōkanmichi in 1960. The organization's historical name changes are as follows.^[6]

Ichiretsukai (一列会) in 1947
Tsukihi Kyōkai (月日教会) in 1948
Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho Ōkanmichi Kyōkai (天理神の口明場所大還道教会) in 1955
Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho Ōkanmichi Kyō (天理神の口明場所おうかんみち教) in 1957
Ōkanmichi (おうかんみち) in 1960

Ōkanmichi means broad path, a term from the Ofudesaki numerously mentioned by the founder of Tenrikyo, Nakayama Miki.^[7]

Egami Toshitane died in 1971 and was interred in Ōkanmichi Mausoleum (おうかんみち霊廟, Ōkanmichi Reibyō) within the headquarters.^[8]

Successor organizations

Kanrodai (甘露台), founded by Asano Hiroshi (浅野博) in 1952
Kanrodai Reiri Shidōkai (甘露台霊理斯道会), founded by Saitō Toshio (斎藤年男) in 1975

Publications

Kami no Jiyū-Yō Ezu Ōgi (神之自由用絵図奥儀) by Egami Toshitane^[9]

Notes

References

↑ Yumiyama "… Yamada Umejirō (1875-1941) … had founded an organization together with a religious center, the Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho … After Yamada Umejirō's death in 1941, his associates sought to establish an independent religious movement, and one of them, Egami Toshitane (1904-71) … [f]orming a new group called Ichiretsukai …"
↑ Matsui (page 74) "¹⁷⁾1933(昭和8)年に天理三輪講に入信し，その翌年には天理三輪講からその年に独立した天理神之打開場所に入信している。" [¹⁷⁾ (Yamada Umejirō) joined Tenri Sanrinkō in 1933, then Tenri Kami no Uchiake Basho was organized as a separate sect from Tenri Sanrinkō in 1934 and he joined it during that same year.]
↑ Yumiyama "… and on December 23, 1937, after just one year of activities, he [Yamada Umejirō] had founded an organization together with a religious center, the Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho (lit., "place of origin of the god of Tenri [principle of heaven]") … . The next year, however, associates of his were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order Act (Chian ijihō) and in 1939 the organization was forcibly dissolved. After Yamada Umejirō's death in 1941, …"
↑ Matsui (page 72) "ところがこれらの諸教団の中で明確に自己が天啓者であることを主張しているのは，おうかんみちの江上寿胤(「ひょうたんの木甘露台」)だけであり，むしろ例外的とさえ言えるのである。それどころか甘露台霊理斯道会のように天啓者の存在を明確に否定する教団も誕生している。" [However, among the (Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho-derived) sects, only (Hyōtan no Ki Kanrodai) Egami Toshitane of Ōkanmichi claims that he was a tenkeisha (天啓者, divine revelator), making it arguably an exception. Even a sect like Kanrodai Reiri Shidōkai clearly does not recognize the existence of a tenkeisha.]
↑ Yumiyama "Forming a new group called Ichiretsukai, he [Egami Toshitane] began proselytising activities in Tokyo. Within the movement, this incident is known as the Ri no seshū ("inheritance of the principle of heaven," namely, inheritance of the mantle of authority to Tenrikyō). Since then, the name of the movement has changed numerous times, until it became fixed on its present name in 1960. The group registered as a legal religious corporation in 1952. Its sacred center was established at Nasu, and in 1973 its head offices were also moved there."
↑ Inoue, Nobutaka, ed. (1996). 新宗教教団・人物亊典 [Dictionary Of Organizations And Figures In New Religions] (in Japanese). Tokyo: KOUBUNDOU Publishers Inc. p. 30. ISBN 978-4335160288. 【名称の変遷】昭和一二年天理神之口明場所、二二年一列会、二三年月日教会、三○年天理神の口明場所大還道教会、三二年天理神の口明場所おうかんみち教、三五年おうかんみち。 [Change of Name: Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho in 1937, Ichiretsukai in 1947, Tsukihi Kyōkai in 1948, Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho Ōkanmichi Kyōkai in 1955, Tenri Kami no Kuchiake Basho Ōkanmichi Kyō in 1957, Ōkanmichi in 1960.]
↑ Ofudesaki Part 2 Verse 1 "これからハをくハんみちをつけかける／せかいの心みないさめるで" [From now, I shall begin to open a broad path. / I shall make all minds in the world spirited.], Part 3 Verse 36 "いまの事なにもゆうでハないほどに／さきのをふくハんみちがみへるで" [Do not complain about your present situation. / A broad path will appear ahead of you.], Part 4 Verse 2 "このさきハをふくハんみちがみへてある／もふあこにあるこゝいきたなり" [I already see a broad path ahead. / You are saying that it is over there, but it is already before you.], and Part 5 Verse 57 "みへるのもなにの事やらしれまいな／高い山からをふくハんのみち" [Perhaps you cannot foresee what is going to appear. / From the high mountains, a broad path will open.]
↑ "江上寿胤" [Egami Toshitane] (in Japanese).
↑ "神之自由用絵図奥儀" [Kami no Jiyū-Yō Ezu Ōgi]. Nihon no Furuhonya (日本の古本屋) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Tokyo Metropolis Old Book Trading Co-Operative.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)

Successor organizations

Publications

Notes

Further reading

References

External links

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