MIOSHIEs A NEW' MESSIANIC CULT IN JAPAI (1)
Ronald Le Olson
New roligious sects a nd cults are a frequent concomitant of cultural
stress, cultural collapse, or defeat in war. The Ghost Dance in America,
the Vailal.a Madness, and the post-war Cargo Cult in Molenesia are perhaps
the best known among the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of such movements which
have flourished within the last century. The life-span of most has been
brief, but a few such as the Shaker and Peyote oults of western America
have survived for more than fifty years.
These cults have been variously describod as "defeatist," "nativistio,"
or timessianic"l since they tend to spring up among the defeated, or among
groups which have suffered cultural collapse   Often they advocate a return
to the old or llnativet"*odlturee Nearly always there is a prophet or mes-
siah who initiates  or leads the movement amd who lays claim to divine or
z',upernatural visions and revelations.
Often such cults are more than religious, they may represont attempts
at social roform or social adjustment. Although they have most often ap.
learod among non-literate peoples they also spring up in sophisticate
cultures. During and after World War II soveral sprang up in Japan. Most
of theso were succossfully suppressed or died of internal weakness, But
one of those to survive and flourish is known as Mioshie (literally "Bright
Star") (2). The following notes may servo to call attention to this now
mcvemont and, I hope, lead someone to undertake further investigations (3).
This new religion appeared near the end of WTorld WFar II. Its doctrines
oontain many of the features so often associated with messianic cults in
other parts of the worldQ Among its tenets are blended elements of several
religions: a prophet, prediction of the ond of the world (followed by a
md;llenium), a last judgment, and salvation for the adheronts.
The founder is Mrs. Kitmura Sayo, a woman of fifty-odd years of age,
the w"'ie of a farmer of Tabuso-machi, Kumage-gun, Yamaguchi prefeoturo at
the southvest tip of Honshu.  She claims to have had periods of ecstasy
since childhood--a state accomplished "through ascoticism and mortifica-
tion"-probably of the Buddhist type. She has assumed the title "Ogami-
sama" or "Great honorable goddess" arnd claims to have been adopted by
Tensho-kotaijungu (the Absolute Almighty God) as His only Daughter. As
such she is to redeem the world before its endo The power thus acquired
enables her to penetrate the mysteries of the past, presont, and future;
to cast out evil and malignant spirits; and to cure "all incurable diseases."
Sha is the promised Redeemor who acmes each 3000 years when the Udanbara
(a plantain) blooms and the ond of the world is at hand. Mioshi, "tho
Divine Teaching," is the Iay of salvation and the way to establish the
Kingdom of God.
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Tho ond of World War II instoad of reforming people only made them
more selfish and more immoral. This is because science, materialism and
rationalism, and the old religions have failed. A new world will be
established by the followers of Mioshi. Man has neglected the spiritual
world and the minds of men have been enslaved by the evil spirits who
govern the "shadow world," i.e., the world of "reality*" Mankind has for-
gotten that men are reborn for the purpose of refining the souls not to
achievoe material success or to indulge the senses.
Each person may break through this ovil curtain and escape evil karma
by "lpolishing his soul," by confession and prayer, and eventually achieve
ecstasy. Confession will erase, one by ono, the black records kept in
heaven. Repontance and prayer will purge the soul of -the siix root' of.'
evil. These ares regret and desire (or greediness and attachment to
material things), hatred and fondness, loving and tho desire to be loved.
Constant meditation and prayer will be necessary to eliminate these desiros.
Each person can now aohleoVecontact with the true God through his prophet
Ogami-sama just as men did 2500 years ago through Buddha and 2000 years
ago through Jesus Christ.
Most important is that the following prayer should be recited always
ond everywhere t
Tenshoukotaijingu.  Yaoyoroso-no-kami
(0, True, Almighty God& 0, Eight Million Gods&)
Peace to the whole world
Peace to the whole world.
When all people comply with tho will of God
There will coma the Heavenly Kingdom which is pleasant
to live in.
Six roots of evils of my spirit are now entirely purged.
Since the six roots of sins have been purged
It oamot be that this prayer will not be fulfilled.
Namu yo o-rengo kyo
Namu yo o-renge kyo (4)
The full story of the cult and its origins must await detailed study,
but the following features emerge fran the data in my possossiont
1%. It is noteworthy that the founder is a woman-and this in a
oquntry where women are systematically relegated to an inferior position.
In Shinto and Buddhism they assist in the ceromonies, dance at the shrine
festivals, act as servants in the temples and monasteries but never achieve
an important status. In Shinto, however, women much more often than mon
becomo possessed by spirits.
2* The second phrase of the stylized prayer or formula refer-
ling to tie eight million 'o m'n is also derived from ahintoi
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3* Featuros derived from Christianity include confession, the
concept of the end of the world, a last judgment, and salvation. - The
Messiah, prophet, or teacher concept is found, of course, in both Christ-
ianity and Buddhism.
4* Elements derived from Buddhism st.nd out more strongly.
They include X
(a)  Karma, the doctrine of cause and result .
(b) The elimination of dosire as a means of achieving
peace of soul or ecstasy, as well as a means to bringing peace to the
world.
(o) The concept that the material world is only a "shadow
world," an illusion.
(d) Finally thero is the endless repetition of a formula-
prayer common in sevoral forms of Buddhism. It ends in the exact words
of the nombutsu of Nichiron Buddhism:
ttNamu..yo...o..ronge -kyo
Namu-yo-o-renge-kyo."
At present (1952) the cult seems to be flouri.shing rather than dying
out.  Its adherents number soveral hundred thousand and are found not
only in the particular part of Japan whore its founder lives but also in
Osaka, Yokohama, Tokyo and probably elsewhere. But despito this apparent
success it seems doubtful if it will survive the post-rwar adjustmont
period in Japan.
ENDNOTES
(1) Read at the meeting of the Western States Branch, American
Anthropological Association, held at Eugene, Oregon in Decomber
1951.
(2) An alternative name is Tensho-kodai-jingu-kyo, The Religion of
the Absolute Almighty God.
(3) My information was obtained in 1950-'51 whilo a member of the
teaching staff of the University of California, Far East Com-
mand Program. Since that time Dr. Leo May, also a member of
the staff, has carried on further research, including work with
the foundor.
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(4) This is the exact formula-prayer of the Nicheren seot of Bud-
dhism and is the equivalont of tho famous 80 Mani Pedme Hum"
of Tibotan Buddhism.  Comparable formulae are a pcrt of most
Buddhist sects.   It is translated in many ways, suoh as,
"Homage to the Scripture Lotus of the Good Law," "'O Lord tho
Flower of the Lotus." '"Prayor to Him of the Honored Lotus;" otes