Honmichi

Honmichi (ほんみち) (also 本道 or 天理本道, lit. 'The True Way [of Tenri]') is a Tenrikyo-based shinshūkyō (Japanese new religion). Honmichi became formally independent in 1925 under its founder, Ōnishi Aijirō (大西愛治郎), also known by the title Kanrodainin no Ri (甘露台人の理, The Principle of the Living Kanrodai).^[1][2][3] Despite the religion being derived from Tenrikyo with a different interpretation of doctrines such as Sanken Mimune (三軒三棟),^[4]: 133 Honmichi's religious structure still maintains the same basic overall characteristics as Tenrikyo. It was reorganized from the earlier Tenri Kenkyūkai (天理研究会; Tenrikyo Research Group).^[4]: 3 It had 319,031 followers in 2022 according to the Reiwa 4 (2022) Religion Almanac published by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Honmichi
ほんみち
The Sennan Temple, Honmichi's main temple
Type	Tenrikyo-derived Japanese new religion
Scripture	Ofudesaki, Mikagura-uta
Theology	Monotheistic
Language	Japanese
Headquarters	Takaishi, Osaka, Japan
Founder	Ōnishi Aijirō
Origin	1925 Nara Prefecture, Japan
Separated from	Tenrikyo
Separations	Honbushin

Scriptures and practices

Honmichi considers itself, rather than Tenrikyo, to be the true, original religion of Nakayama Miki.^{[4]: 171–2} Devout Honmichi members are called "people of the way" (みち人, michibito) rather than yōboku (ようぼく) as in Tenrikyo.^[5]

The term Honmichi comes from the Ofudesaki and can be found in Ofudesaki 1:49, 3:37, 4:75-77, 5:30, 5:82, 6:17, 6:28, and 17:22.

Some of the main scriptures used in Honmichi include the Ofudesaki and Mikagura-uta, which also form the basic scriptural canon of Tenrikyo.^[6] The Osashizu, written by the second spiritual leader of the original establishment, Iburi Izō, was also sometimes consulted by Ōnishi Aijirō. The Kyōgi Ichiban (教義一斑), written by Ōnishi Aijirō, is also used.

The mantra Namu Kanrodai (南無甘露台) is frequently chanted by adherents of Honmichi. Honmichi utilizes the gagaku in its service (かぐらづとめ, kagura-zutome).^[7]

Every year, Honmichi followers celebrate "the establishment of the human Kanrodai" (甘露台人のおふみとめ, Kanrodai nin no o-fumitome) to commemorate their founder.^[4]: 129

History

Honmichi began as a religion on July 15, 1913 in Yamaguchi when its founder Ōnishi Aijirō received a divine revelation, during which God told him that he was the living kanrodai. At the time, he was a Tenrikyo missionary in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In January 1925, Ōnishi Aijirō officially established the Tenri Study Association (天理研究会, Tenri Kenkyūkai), which was later renamed as Tenri Honmichi (天理本道) in 1937, and finally as Honmichi in 1950.^[4]

Honmichi was a noticeable Japanese religion before World War II due to its leader's active defiance against the Emperor of Japan. There were government crackdowns in 1928 and again in 1938.^[8] It quickly re-established itself during the US Occupation of Japan.

In 1958, Ōnishi Aijirō died. Aijirō's grandson, Ōnishi Yasuhiko (大西泰彦), took over as the leader in 1960 and was viewed as Aijirō's reincarnation, and hence as the new kanrodai.^[5]

In 1962, Honbushin (ほんぶしん), led by Aijirō's daughter Ōnishi Tama (大西玉; 1916–1969) (whom Aijirō and Honbushin followers claim was the reincarnation of Nakayama Miki), separated from Honmichi.^[4]: 173 It was incorporated as a religious organization in 1966. Originally, it was headquartered in Takaishi, Osaka, but then moved to Shiojiri, Nagano. In 1969, Honbushin moved to Okayama, where it set up its kanrodai on Mount Kami.

Locations

Honmichi is currently headquartered in Takaishi, Osaka.^[2] However, the main worship hall is located in Sennan, Osaka.

Apart from the headquarters, there are several other locations, including two main offices (支部, shibu):

• Uda office (宇陀支部). This is the location of Ōnishi Aijirō's birth place.
• Sennan office (泉南支部). Honmichi's largest building, the Sennan Temple (泉南神殿, Sennan Shinden), is located in Sennan.

There are several branches (出張所, shutchōjo), including one in the United States:

• Central (Chūbu) branch (中部出張所) in Okazaki, Aichi (near Motojuku Station 本宿駅)
• Western (Seibu) branch (西部出張所) in Yamaguchi (near Nihozu Station 仁保津駅)
• Akashi branch (明石出張所) in Akashi, Hyōgo (near Nishi-Akashi Station 西明石駅)
• Kantō branch (関東出張所) in Noda, Chiba
• Hon-Michi Congregation of LA on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, United States

• 
  Honmichi headquarters in Takaishi, Osaka
• 
  Honmichi headquarters in Takaishi, Osaka in 2025
• 
  Mural at the Honmichi headquarters in Takaishi, Osaka
• 
  Honmichi Central (Chūbu) branch in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture
• 
  Central (Chūbu) branch in Okazaki as seen from a train
• 
  Hon-Michi Congregation of Los Angeles

There are also facilities in Katsuragi, Nara (竹之内廟所, where Ōnishi Aijirō and his wife are buried) and Izumi, Osaka (信太山作業所), as well as a training center (花瀬山修道場) near Fudo Waterfall (不動滝) in Takigawa Valley (滝川渓谷) in Totsukawa, Nara Prefecture (located just to the southwest of Mount Shakka).^[9][10]

Schisms

The following religious movements and organizations are founded by former Honmichi members.

• Shūyōdan Hōseikai (修養団捧誠会), founded by Idei Seitarō (出居清太郎) (1899–1983) in 1929^[11]
• Tenri Sanrinkō (天理三輪講), founded by Katsu Hisano (勝ヒサノ) in 1933 (now defunct)
  • Tenri Kami no Uchiake Basho (天理神の打開場所, 天理神之打開場所), founded by Watanabe Yoso (渡辺ヨソ) in 1934 (now defunct)
    • Ōkanmichi (おうかんみち)^[12]
    • Kanrodai Reiri Shidōkai (甘露台霊理斯道会)^[13]
  • Kami Ichijōkyō (神一条教), founded by Yonetani Kuni (米谷クニ) (1889–1974), originally a follower of Tenri Sanrinkō in 1942. Upon her death in 1974, her son (米谷千恵子) took over until his death in 1985. The current leader is Nishi Yoshio (西義男). Kami Ichijōkyō is headquartered in Higashiōsaka, near Fuse Station and Shuntokumichi Station.
  • Sekai Shindōkyō (世界心道教), founded by Aida Hide (会田ヒデ), originally a follower of Tenri Sanrinkō in 1944. It is headquartered in Toyokawa.
• Honbushin (ほんぶしん), founded by Ōnishi Tama in 1961. It is currently headquartered in Okayama.

Further reading

• Forbes, Roy Tetsuo (2005). Schism, orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Tenrikyō : three case studies (Thesis). University of Hawai'i Department of Religion.
• Honmichi Kyōgibu ほんみち教義部編 (1972). Honmichi gaikan ほんみち概観 (in Japanese). Takaishi, Osaka: Honmichi Kyōgibu ほんみち教義部.

During the 1970s, Shigeyoshi Murakami (村上重良) and Masaki Umehara (梅原正紀) published a few books about Honmichi:

• Murakami, Shigeyoshi 村上重良 (1974). Honmichi fukei jiken: tennōsei o taiketsu shita minshū shūkyō ほんみち不敬事件 : 天皇制と対決した民衆宗教 (in Japanese). 講談社.
• Umehara, Masaki 梅原正紀 (1975). Honmichi: minshū shūkyō no genshō ほんみち:民衆宗教の原像 (in Japanese). Shirakawa Shoin 白川書院.
• Umehara, Masaki 梅原正紀 (1977). Tenkeisha no shūkyō Honmichi: kanrodai sekai ni itaru dō 天啓者の宗教ほんみち:甘露台世界にいたる道 (in Japanese). Kōdōsha 耕土社.