The centrality of Tenrikyo and its axial position relative to the urban grid is a unique feature to distinguish Tenrikyo churches from other religious structures in the country. This was not a code originally demanded by the headquarters, but was later insisted in 1934, nearly 100 years after the inception of this religion. Through this research, the process of this code along with the actual implementation was found using the examples of all 159 Grand Churches across the country.

 Masuno Kosetsu was a prominent figure in Tenrikyo becoming the Shikishima Grand Church head in his late 20’s, and the president of the company publishing the periodical, Michinotomo, where he edited and also contributed an article “Architecture and Clothing in our Religion” in its 1925 May edition. This article retains a vital role in understanding the architectural intent and thoughts of the Tenrikyo at the time being one of the oldest written disquisition about the architectural aspects of the religion. Here, Masuno categorizes the features and characteristics of the Tenrikyo architecture into five periods, each a decade long, starting in 1888 when the buildings for the regional churches began.

 In what Masuno defined as the first period from 1888 to 1897, he defines the regional churches built during this period to be the origins of Tenrikyo church designs. Analyzing the constructed churches in those periods, the features he did not describe revealed a style. Common features consist of a wood constructed single storied ceramic tile covered hipped roof with an entrance at the front with space extending further to the back. The similar architectural features among these first generation churches suggest some discussion took place within the followers to create a standard style for the church when it did not have one to follow. Masuno considers the churches from the first period to be “dark and fragile, ” and praises the architectural development of the churches from the second period of 1898 to 1907, to “give the impression of cheerful and glorious.” As the religion grew, the need for a larger building to house the followers pressed the development of the church constructed during this period to become larger. Churches in this period although still single storied, consist of double layered roof raising the ceiling height resulting in a more airy and brighter atmosphere inside relative to the first generation of churches leading to the before mentioned impression Masuno have had. The third period 1908 to 1917 was what Masuno called it as "a stale period" with no particular development to found in his view. It was a period when the colossal construction was taking place at the Tenrikyo headquarters. The completion of the headquarter buildings provided a new reference for the regional churches to follow. Masuno describes the fourth period of 1918 to 1925 as a period when "focus was placed into the regional dioceses." In numbers constructed, the third period has built more. However, those dioceses were mostly converted buildings. As such, Masuno's assessment is correct where all of the nine constructed dioceses was explicitly designed and built for this purpose including the Nara diocese where Masuno was the head then. The fifth period is the period after the published article. Masuno predicts several new churches constructed including those rebuilding after The Great Kanto Earthquake such as Azuma, the first concrete church completed in 1931. In the same year, Tohon church also completed reconstructing their church using a steel-framed concrete system. The use of new construction material reveals their concerns towards fires. This period was also the time wood constructed churches were at their peak in scale and glamour in the likes of Koriyama, Koga, Heishin, and Shikishima; the church Masuno was the head of until his early death in 1928. These churches were similar in size as the headquarter building, and in some cases more glamorous in its ornamentation.

 Further analyzing the built churches of the periods Masuno defined in his article confirms his assessment and revealed the architectural origins, trends, and shifts in regional churches and dioceses of Tenrikyo at the time.

本稿は、

結果、

本研究では新宗教に根ざした都市として天理を取り上げ、天理の都市の誕生から現在までの一連の中心市街地の変容を明らかにすることを目的としている。信者数や宗教施設の建設数など定量的な