Birth of a New Religion, Oomoto Intellectuals’ Great Fuss

Abstract

Oomoto, which is founded by Nao Deguchi and her son-in-law Onisaburo Deguchi, was suppressed twice by the government in 1921 and 1935. It was Wasaburo Asano, a scholar of English literature, who led the nationwide expansion of Oomoto beginning in 1916. The mission based upon his writings made many intellectuals from all over Japan join the religion. Those intellectuals construed Nao’s prophecy that the world was about to be replaced as a reconstruction of the world that would arise from extraordinary natural occurrences, as well as the war between Japan and the world. They clearly stated that the time for the reconstruction would be within a few years, and made full use of the mass media to spread their message. These proponents of Oomoto received a wildly enthusiastic response from society. That is, the intellectuals had transformed the doctrine of the local small sect of Oomoto into something suitable for a nationwide belief system. However, while the popular fervor about the coming reconstruction of the world contributed to the surge in the number of believers, it also led to a crackdown from the government owing to the social unrest it caused.