The kata model of "2435 days" has unfolded several times in Omoto's history.

1. Summary: What is the Third Omoto Incident of Showa 55 (1980)?
   
   
2. Omoto's concept of kata, or models
   
   
3. In-depth analysis of each important stage of the Third Omoto Incident
   
   
4. Comparison between Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Third Omoto Incident
   
   
5. Conclusion
   
   
6. Possible ramifications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
   
   

Related link: Dragon-Shaped Japanese Islands

Note: Just because Japan serves as a model of the world does not mean Japan or Japanese people are superior to others. Onisaburo supports the transmigration of souls, adding that humans are reincarnated time and again to learn love, goodness and other virtues during their earthly sojourns so that they can be "resurrected" to heaven as celestial beings after they leave the material world. In this respect, current Japanese people are Japanese for a reason, but they may have been non-Japanese nationals in their former incarnations just as current non-Japanese nationals may have been Japanese. For details, see How the Spirit World Works

Osaka Bay (red sign) and Takeda (purple circle)

Black Sea (red sign) and Kiev (purple circle)

"This is not the end of the Omoto Incident. There are supposed to be three Omoto Incidents. They constitute the pine-bamboo-plum incidents. The Third Incident is take-da, take-da (bamboo, bamboo)."

• Type: Something that happens within Omoto.
  
  Note: Bamboo is uchi wa kara (hollow inside). Uchi wa kara can also mean "from within" or "from among members of the same family."
  
  
• Site: Takeda.
  
  Note: Literally "bamboo rice field," Takeda is a common Japanese place name.

Genealogy of Deguchi Family

Year	Description
Taisho 13 (1924), Feb.	Onisaburo prophesied the infiltration of evil spirits into Omoto after his death, trying to mislead the Second Spiritual Leader (Sumi Deguchi) and the Third Spiritual Leader (Naohi Deguchi) - written in Onisaburo's de facto will that he left just before his expedition to Mongolia. His will is titled the Nishiki no Miyage ("Gift of Brocade").
Showa 6 or 7 (1931 - 1932)	Some Omoto members launched a secret campaign to install Hidemaru Deguchi, the husband-in-law of Naohi Deguchi (Onisaburo's first daughter), to force Onisaburo to resign. This campaign was eventually brought to light and failed, infuriating Onisaburo so much that he shouted, "How dare Hidemaru tried to take my place without understanding the Kami's grand design?" Even afterwards, rumor had it that other members in Hokkaido plotted to use Hidemaru to establish their own religious group.
Showa 20 (1945), Dec. 8	On Decemeber 8, Onisaburo and his followers performed a religious ceremony to report the resolution of the Second Omoto Incident to the Kami. December 8 is also the date when the Second Omoto Incident broke out in Showa 10 (1935) or when Japanese forces attacked on Pearl Harbor to wage war with the United States in Showa 16 (1941). Japanese Buddhism considers December 8 a sacred date because it was when Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment to become the Buddha. From this date on, Onisaburo started a new religious group named the Aizen-en (literally "Garden of Love and Goodness") by renewing the outdated Omoto religion to create good kata models for Japan and the world in the future. Onisaburo avoided using the box-like kanji character to make his new religious group open to anyone. It is important to note that Onisaburo cast away the old Omoto organizaion and started anew with the establishment of the new Aizen-en. In other words, he had no intention of reverting his new Aizen-en to the old Omoto.
Showa 23 (1948), Jan. 19	On January 19 at 7:55 a.m., Onisaburo ascended to heaven as head of the Aizen-en. He was 76 years, 5 months and 9 days old. He was freed from physical confines and is still active as the Mizu Spirit. In fact, he composed a 31-syllable poem in his Gessho-zan ("Moonlit Mountain") anthology, indicating that he was finished with the basic reform of Japan and would use the United States to revamp the world.
Showa 24 (1949), Oct. 29	Sumi Deguchi, the wife of Onisaburo who was officially sworn in as second head of the Aizen-en following her husband's ascension, changed the name of the group from the "Aizen-en" to the "Omoto Aizen-en." because she preferred to use the term "Omoto." This boded ill for the Aizen-en in that the use of the term "Omoto" ran counter to Onisaburo's intention and reverted to the archaic institution, symbolizing the old guard. Omoto vs. Aizen-en
Showa 24 (1949), Dec. 8	An in-house society called the "Rakuten-sha" was formed. It was a group centering on the promotion of fine arts, artistic movements and activities. But it was actually a group of anti-Mizu Spirit (= anti-Onisaburo) members. In Omoto, two major lines of spirits or deities have historically been in interaction or conflict with each other: the Izu Spirit and the Mizu Spirit. Izu Spirit is associated with Nao Deguchi Mizu Spirit is associated with Onisaburo Deguchi The relationship between the Izu Spirit and the Mizu Spirit may be similar to that between John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ. Members belonging to the line of the Izu Spirit often find it difficult to understand Onisaburo. They tend to place their whole trust in Nao but make light of Onisaburo. In January, Showa 25 (1950), the Rakuten-sha published its first monthy art magazine titled "Konohana." The Rakuten-sha was headed by Torao Deguchi, the second husband of Umeno Deguchi (Onisaburo's second daughter), and its initial members included such important figures as Naohi Deguchi (Onisaburo's first daughter), Eiji Deguchi (one of Naohi's sons-in-law) and Yoshihiro Hyuga (an influential member whom Kyotaro Deguchi, the first son of Naohi, often respectfully called "Big Daddy" because of his guardian role). As mentioned later, Torao Deguchi, Naohi Deguchi, Eiji Deguchi, Yoshihiro Hyuga and Kyotaro Deguchi played their respective roles in the outbreak of the Third Omoto Incident.
Showa 27 (1952)	Foundress Nao Deguchi once prophesied that the reign of the second-generation head (= Sumi Deguchi) would be short. Her prophecy proved right when Sumi passed away on March 31, Showa 27 (1952). She headed up the organization for a period of a little over four years. On April 1 of the same year, Naohi Deguchi succeeded her mother Sumi as head of the religious group. In fact, she became the Third Spiritual Leader. Similarly, Hidemaru Deguchi, Naohi's husband, became the Third Deputy Spiritual Leader. Naohi the new leader changed the group's name back to Omoto from the Omoto Aizen-en. That was partly because she was an ardent admirer of her grandmother Foundress Nao Deguchi and did not like his father Onisaburo Deguchi very much. She probably belonged to the divine line of the Izu Spirit. Naohi's reversion to Omoto shattered Onisaburo's intention to start anew for the coming new age, paving the way for the outbreak of the Third Omoto Incident and the ensuing call for internal reform.
Showa 27 (1952) & there-after	With both Onisaburo and Sumi Deguchi gone, the Rakuten-sha, an internal society of Omoto comprised of top aides to the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi, had the time of its life. The top aides included: Torao Deguchi The second husband of Umeno Deguchi (Onisaburo's second daughter). His former family name was Tagami. Torao helped the Deguchi family while Onisaburo and many other male Deguchi's were imprisoned due to the Second Omoto Incident, and in the process he had a romantic relationship with Umeno, 10 years his senior. Onisaburo did not approve of Torao and Umeno's marriage. For this reason, Torao had to wait until after Onisaburo's ascension to marry into the Deguchi family. Yoshihiro Hyuga His excessive authority within Omoto earned him the epithet "Emperor Hyuga." The Second Omoto Incident preceded the imprisonment of top leadership members including Hidemaru Deguchi (Kyotaro Deguchi's biological father) for nearly seven years. Like Torao Deguchi, Hyuga also helped the Deguchi family following the Second Omoto Incident and gave the little Kyotaro a lot of tender loving care. Kyotaro became so attached to Hyuga that he called him "Bid Daddy." However, neither Onisaburo nor Sumi regarded Hyuga's strong clout over Naohi as favorable. Kyotaro was the apple of Hyuga's eye. As such, he had the ambition of installing Kyotaro, the only son of Naohi and the hope of the Rakuten-sha, as the next head of Omoto. Hyuga successfully instilled his ambition mentioned above into Kyotaro, who would often say, "This Ten'on-kyo (one of Omoto's two major holy grounds) is all mine." Omoto's Kami dictates that only women should be the religious group's Spiritual Leaders because men are more likely to harbor Machiavellian ambitions and because it is the Kami's grand design to allow seven goddesses to assume the post of Omoto's Spiritual Leader in seven different generations. In this respect, it will violate the Kami's orders if any male person becomes the Spiritual Leader.
Showa 32 (1957) & there-after	As prophesied in Volume 67 of the Reikai Monogatari, Onisaburo's death was followed by Omoto's internal struggle between the Kyotaro Deguchi faction and the Eiji Deguchi faction. Around Showa 32 (1957), the faction that supported Kyotaro Deguchi as its leader was organized. It was named "Wakamatsu-kai." To the Wakamatsu-kai, the Eiji Deguchi faction was a nuisance because: Eiji Deguchi was the husband of Naomi Deguchi, the 4th Spiritual Leader to be as decreed by Omoto's Kami, and For the Wakamatsu-kai to make Kyotaro Deguchi head of Omoto, it needed to eliminate Naomi Deguchi from any opportunity to assume the 4th Spiritual Leader.
Showa 33 (1958), Apr.	Eiji Deguchi, the husband of Naomi Deguchi, was sworn in as President of Omoto. President, or Soh-choh in Japanese, was the administrative leader of the organization, going in tandem with the Spiritul Leader. Eiji replaced President Uchimaru Deguchi, who had served Onisaburo as his most trusted right-hand man and who had led the group's adminisrative affairs since its inception in 1945. The replacement was not amicable, however. President Uchimaru resigned to take responsibility for failing to contain the internal conflict between the Rakuten-sha group (Kyotaro Deguchi) and the Eiji faction (Eiji Deguchi). The Kyotaro faction recommended Torao Deguchi as new President, but Uchimaru opposed it, saying that it would be unreasonable for him to assume the post, but that Eiji Deguchi would be a good fit for the role because the experience would help make him a competent Deputy Spiritual Leader in the future. A top Omoto director came to Uchimaru's rescue, facilitating the transfer of power from Uchimaru to Eiji. Incidentally, Uchimaru Deguchi was the husband of Onisaburo's third daughter, Yaeno, and the father of Yasuaki Deguchi, the author of The Truth about the Third Omoto Incident (1986). A notable change in Omoto during Eiji's reign was the 3rd Spiritual Leader Naohi's desire to revert to Nao's teachings (but not Onisaburo's). That was because Naohi was a great admirer of her grandmother Nao, because she preferred Nao's Izu Spirit teachings, and because she did not really get along with his father Onisaburo. Ironically, Naohi expressed this desire in the Zuisei Festival, a celebration of Onisaburo's birth. This incident may have marked a negative turning point for Omoto. The Omoto leadership's disregard of Onisaburo's teachings became clearer when the religious group performed the 567 (Miroku = Maitreya) Festival for the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi in Showa 33 (1958). This important festival had been observed for Onisaburo Deguchi. "567" was reserved for Onisaburo and did not mean anything to Nao.
Showa 37 (1962)	The pro-Kyotaro group successfully forced President Eiji Deguchi to resign. Once sworn in, President Eiji Deguchi overhauled the top leadership a little too hastily by removing many distinguished senior members and formed his cabinet with only his factional members. This left a lingering discomfort among those members who felt they were unfairly treated. Eiji had a pure-hearted and passionate personality. He devoted himself to peace movements and earned high praise especially from pacifist groups. However, his pure-heartedness sometimes led to his bigotry; he made a clear distinction between friends and foes - based solely on his subjective judgment. He was not as tolerant or broad-minded as Onisaburo. Eiji favored memberes of his Ayabe faction over others, and he eliminated his critics. One disgruntled pro-Eiji member after another was bought by the worldly-wise Kyotaro into the Kyotaro faction. President Eiji Deguchi was successful externally but not so internally. The power balance began tipping towards Kyotaro Deguchi during the reign of President Eiji Deguchi. Ideologically, the Eiji faction and the Kyotaro faction were divided over peace movements. The former took a pro-peace stance, whereas the latter advocated Japan's military alliance with the United States through the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Eiji was such an active pacifist that he met with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and other powerful Chinese officials to facilitate religious and cultural exchanges between Japan and China. It was during this peace mission that the Kyotaro faction sent some Japanese conservative business and political leaders to the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi to warn her that Omoto would end up with a third Omoto Incident if it continued its current peace movements. Having already suffered the hardship of the two Omoto Incidents, Naohi was so overwhelmed by the dreadful possibility of yet another Omoto Incident that she decided to dismiss President Eiji. The Kyotaro faction successfully misled Naohi into believing their groundless notion. Afterwards, members of the Eiji faction were expelled or relegated. Omoto's peace movements suffered a major setback.
Showa 38 (1963)	The Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi, the Fourth Spiritual Leader to-be Naomi Deguchi, Eiji Deguchi, Kyotaro Deguchi, Torao Deguchi and others had a meeting to discuss how to handle the real estate in Naohi's name in Ayabe, Kyoto. The minutes indicate that Kyotaro said: He had the right to inherit the property of the Deguchi family as the eldest son, including the right to succeed his mother as Fourth Spiritual Leader, and He opposed Eiji's planned appointment as Deputy Spiritual Leader. It should be noted that Kyotaro saw Omoto's female succession, an ironclad divine rule, as a mere property right.
Showa 39 (1964), Jan. - Feb.	Torao Deguchi maintained in the Omoto, an in-house magazine of the religious group, that Hidemaru Deguchi was none other than Hinode no Kami, a heroic god in Omoto's literature who played an important role in the divine work. (This is totally groundless.) This was part of the Kyotaro group's attempt to deify Hidemaru. Hidemaru and Hinode no Kami share two identical kanji characters. But that does not mean they are the same entity. Meanwhile, in February of the same year, the Naniwa Chapter was established in Osaka. This chapter was under the direct control of the Omoto Headquarters. Kyotaro headed up the Naniwa Chapter. This church proved to be a major hub where the Kyotaro faction implemented various stratagems.
Showa 41 (1966), Mar.	The completion of the Baisho-kan Hall Eiji Deguchi still had a considerable clout in Omoto because he was the husband of Naomi Deguchi, the future Fourth Spiritual Leader. The Kyotaro faction needed to water down the teachings of Nao, Onisaburo and Sumi Deguchi to seize full control of the religious organization. The Kyotaro faction plotted to deify Hidemaru Deguchi, the husband of the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi and the father of Kyotaro himself. To this end, they built the Baisho-kan Hall to propagate the wrong belief that Hidemaru was a living god and a saviour. Hidemaru had remained mentally insane for a long time - even before the outbreak of the Second Omoto Incident in 1935. Hidemaru once rebelled against Onisaburo, trying in vain to take his place. His behavior was so egregious that Onisaburo said, "The Kami won't forgive Hidemaru even if I do." Sumi said something to the effect that the Kami had to keep Hidemaru insane for a reason, and that things would get worse if Hidemaru's insanity were cured. The Kyotaro group knowingly or unknowingly mystified and capitalized on Hidemaru's insanity, saying that he would someday awaken to emerge as a saviour. (This is totally groundless, and the truth is that he remained punished by the Kami.)
Showa 41 (1966), Aug. - Oct.	Hidemaru Deguchi refused to move to the Baisho-kan Hall. On August 22, the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi moved to the Baisho-kan Hall, along with his son Kyotaro's family. But her husban Hidemaru refused to move three times! The Kyotaro group needed Hidemaru to stay at the Baisho-kan Hall to use him for their own objective: Installation of Kyotaro as head of Omoto. Therefore, on August 16, Showa 46 (1971), they abducted Hidemaru in the early morning and whisked him away to the Baisho-kan Hall. Hidemaru's scream and the abductors' angry voice blared, and several female believers in the kitchen who witnessed the incident reported it to the Omoto Headquarters. But a gag rule was quickly put in place to effectively muzzle those believers.
Showa 42 (1967), Sep.	Kyojin Deguchi Onisaburo ("The Great Onisaburo Deguchi") by Kyotaro Deguchi was published. Omoto launched a group-wide campaign to deliberately make Kyotaro's book a best-seller. Kyotaro's speeches across the country spurred the sales drive. The campaign proved successful and enabled Kyotaro to step into the limelight as a representative of the Omoto religion.
Showa 43 (1968), Nov.	Yoshihiro Hyuga (dubbed the "Emperor Hyuga"), who had wielded power over Omoto as an aide to the Naohi Deguchi family, and who had groomed Kyotaro Deguchi to take over the religious group in the future, died suddenly at his mistress' house.
Showa 44 (1969), Apr.	The Baisho-kan Hall (Naohi & Kyotaro Deguchi's private residence) was upgraded to a religious group named the Baisho Kyokai ("Baisho Church"). To avoid paying hefty taxes, the Kyotaro group turned the Baisho-kan Hall into the site of another religious group within the Omoto faith (to enjoy tax exemption as a religious corporation). They defended themselves by arguing that the founding of another church within the Omoto church would plant a seed for creating the utopian Maitreya world. What seed is it, we wonder? (This is simply their sophistry!) The Baisho Church was composed of Kyotaro and his pet believers. It propagated bigoted teachings - in stark contrast to Omoto teachings - within Omoto. This mini-church acted like a cancer cell that would ruin Omoto from within, as correctly prophesied by Hisa Fukushima, the third daughter of Foundress Nao Deguchi.
Showa 44 (1969), Jul.	Eiji Deguchi, the Deputy Fourth Spiritual Leader to-be, was stripped of his qualification as an Omoto missionary and was dismissed from his post as a member of the religious group's commission on Omoto teachings. The direct cause of Eiji's divestiture was his involvement in a quarrel with a senior Omoto member who was believed to be on Kyotaro's side.
Showa 44 (1969), Aug.	The Omoto Headquarters declared its support of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Omoto traditionally chose to remain politically neutral, siding with neither rightist nor leftist ideologies. Kyotaro pulled some strings behind this incident. He got his mother Naohi to issue a group-wide statement to ensure that all Omoto believers were in favor of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. He also used his pet followers to hand out to visiting worshippers some politically biased leaflets that endorsed the treaty.
Showa 45 (1970), Jan. & Apr.	In January, Eiji Deguchi's book titled the Omoto-kyo Jiken ("The Omoto Incidents") came out. 30,000 copies of the first edition were quickly sold out, and reprinting got underway. The Omoto Headquarters asked its local chapters to promote the sales of the book. In April, Eiji also published a photo book titled the Minshu no Shukyo Omoto ("Omoto: A Faith for the Masses"). Alarmed by Eiji's success, the Kyotaro group sent a document to the heads of different churches across the country, discouraging them from buying Eiji's books on the pretext that his writings might mislead Omoto believers about the religion's missionary work. This was tantamount to a call for a boycott.
Showa 46 (1971), Aug.	This year marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Onisaburo Deguchi. A special festival to commemorate the occasion was held, and Yasuaki Deguchi, a grandson of Onisaburo Deguchi, was asked by the Omoto Headquarters to write about his interviews with members related to Onisaburo including Eiji Deguchi for the religious group's in-house mazagine "Aizen-en" in 12 installments. Around the time of the 3rd or 4th installment, Omoto's top leadership threatened Yasuaki Deguchi, trying to bring his serialized articles to a halt without explaining why. However, Yasuaki refused to give in to their threat and demanded that they give reasons for wanting to terminate his serialized interviews in the "Aizen-en" magazine. His father, Uchimaru Deguchi, supported him as a senior member. Yasuaki eventually managed to complete the 12 installments, whereas another in-house magazine "Oomoto," of which Omoto's top leadership seized control, totally ignored his articles. Still, he was able to light the fire of Onisaburo Deguchi in the hearts of like-minded Omoto members.
Showa 46 (1971), Aug. 16	The Kyotaro group needed Hidemaru to stay at the Baisho-kan Hall to use him for their own objective: Installation of Kyotaro as head of Omoto. Therefore, on August 16, Showa 46 (1971), they abducted Hidemaru in the early morning and whisked him away to the Baisho-kan Hall. Hidemaru's scream and the abductors' angry voice blared, and several female believers in the kitchen who witnessed the incident reported it to the Omoto Headquarters. But a gag rule was quickly put in place to effectively muzzle those believers. One of the abductors was Takashi Nobori, a close aide to Kyotaro Deguchi. Nobori concocted a doctrine that treated Hidemaru Deguchi as a living god. Kyotaro and his pet believers regarded Nobori as a guru. After Hidemaru was confined in the Baisho-kan Hall, the Kyotaro group declared that the Baisho-kan Hall was the only holy place that enshrined the living god (= Hidemaru) within the Omoto premises, dismissing the Baisho-en in Ayabe and the Ten'on-kyo in Kameoka as completely deserted holy sanctuaries. As a result, an increasing number of Omoto believers visited the Baisho Church (at the Baisho-kan Hall) without stopping by the Baisho-en or the Ten'on-kyo.
Showa 48 (1973), May	Uchimaru Deguchi passed away. Uchimaru was the most trusted right-hand man of Onisaburo Deguchi, married his third daughter and was imprisoned during the Second Omoto Incident. After the end of WWII, he was instrumental in the religious group's fresh start as the Aizen-en. In his later years he served as President of Omoto before he resigned to take responsibility for failing to contain the internal conflict between the Kyotaro faction and the Eiji faction. The Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi visited Uchimaru on his deathbed and promised him that she would allow Yasuaki, his first son, to become one of the nine top aides to the Third Spiritual Leader. (It is customary to choose a top aide to Omoto's Spiritual Leader each from the nine Deguchi families - a total of nine top aides. Following the passing of Uchimaru, Naohi kept her word and appointed Yasuaki as top aide to her in June, Showa 48 (1973) so that he could succeed his late father.
Showa 48 (1973), Aug.	Yasuaki Deguchi was appointed as member of the Omoto Study Council. Yasuaki was anxious to hear profound and intriguing discussions on the religious group's teachings, but his anticipation turned out to be a letdown. The council was an arena of internal feuding between the Kyotaro faction and the Eiji faction, with the Kyotaro-related members boycotting council meetings and Eiji (as chair of the council) and his loyal members dominating the council, discussing measures against the Kyotaro faction and venting their dissatisfaction with the Kyotaro-led administration. Yasuaki strongly requested that the council be a place to discuss Omoto's teachings, but as far as he remembered, no such discussion took place during his tenure.
Showa 48 (1973), Oct.	The Omoto Artworks Exhibition toured major cities in countries like France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States and Canada over a period of three years and three months. The artworks mentioned above featured pottery works, paintings, calligraphic works, woven fabrics and others by Onisaburo, Sumi, Naohi, Hidemaru and Naomi Deguchi. Onisaburo's yowan scintillating teabowls attracted great attention. The Kyotaro group was responsible for organizing the exhibition, and as the project became successful, Omoto's in-house magazine praised Kyotaro to the skies. Kyotaro and his group deserved praise for their commitment in that the exhibition was instrumental in publicizing Onisaburo and Omoto to a wider international audience. However, Yasuaki Deguchi was stunned to learn about the true motive for the the exhibition: to enhance the prestige of the young Kyotaro with a weak track record.
Showa 48 (1973)	Taking advantage of its successful running of the Omoto Artworks Exhibition abroad, the Kyotaro group was hatching yet another plot: to let Kyotaro assume the name of Onisaburo Deguchi. Kyotaro had no chance to become the Spiritual Leader of Omoto because Omoto's Kami proclaimed that only women are entitled to become the Spiritual Leader. That being the case, the Kyotaro group hit on the idea of enabling Kyotaro to become an entity that would outrank the Spiritual Leader - namely, Onisaburo Deguchi, who had long been seen as a saviour, or the de facto leader of Omoto while supporting Foundress Nao and the other successive Spiritual Leaders. In fact, Kyotaro flooded his mother Naohi with international phone calls time and again, urging her to allow him to assume the name of Onisaburo Deguchi. Naohi is believed to have rebuffed her son's tall order, saying, "You're still too young to assume the name of Onisaburo Deguchi. Wait until you turn 56 years old."
Showa 50 (1975), May	Takashi Nobori, a top aide to Kyotaro Deguchi, left Omoto in protest. Takashi Nobori was a main culprit of abducting Hidemaru Deguchi, the Third Deputy Spiritual Leader. He invented a strange dogma for the Baisho Church (a religious group within Omoto) established to deify Naohi, Hidemaru and Kyotaro Deguchi. The younger Kyotaro showed respect to Nobori in public by calling him "Master." Their relationship began to be strained when Nobori achieved tremendous popularity and gained devoted followers at the Baisho Church. Similarly, Nobori's distrust of Kyotaro deepened as the young leader strove to assume the name of Onisaburo Deguchi by leveraging his achievements like his publication of the book titled "The Great Onisaburo Deguchi" and his successful launch of the Omoto Artworks Exhibition while at the same time instructing his aide to disseminate the theory on Hidemaru as a living saviour. Nobori suspected that Kyotaro was using Hidemaru just as he was using Onisaburo for his purposes. At that time, Kyotaro scolded his son for reading "In Search of Meaning" by Hidemaru Deguchi, warning him that reading stuff like that would make him go insane. Nobori was angered by this event and criticized Kyotaro for his inconsistent behavior characterized by his public promotion of "In Search of Meaning" because it was a divine text and his private prohibition on the book. Kyotaro took a retaliatory action against Nobori by trying to transfer him to the Missionary Department. Enraged by this attempt, Nobori left Omoto along with four members of the Baisho Church to found his own new faith - Ananai Zuisho-kyo. Nobori collected substantial donations from his believers to construct what would be later dubbed the "Nobori Palace" - a place to welcome Hidemaru Deguchi based on Nobori's prophecy that Hidemaru would be fed up with the Baisho Church and come to Nobori in the future. The upshot: Nobori's prophecy was never fulfilled. Nobori prophesied again and again that Hidemaru would move to the Nobori Palace on such and such a date, but all his prophecies never came true. Nobori planned to abduct Hidemaru and take him to the Nobori Palace, just as he abducted Hidemaru from the Choyo-kan Hall and took him to the Baisho-kan Hall before. Kyotaro countered the plot by placing his bodyguards around the Baisho-kan Hall to keep an all-night vigil against Nobori. With all means exhausted, Nobori made himself a living god to retain his believers.
Showa 50 (1975), Aug.	Omoto's Kyotaro-led top management issued a warning to believers about the misleading theories spread by Takashi Nobori. Nobori devised a weird dogma for the Baisho Church (a religious group within Omoto) established to deify Naohi, Hidemaru and Kyotaro Deguchi. The top management had long benefited from Nobori's dogma and misled nationwide Omoto believers through active dissemination of the wrong teachings. Once a friend, Nobori was then a foe, a nuisance, and the Kyotaro group dumped him like that. Even after Nobori left Omoto, his legacy - the dogma that treated Hidemaru as a living kami - lingered on. In October of the same year, Oishi, director general of Omoto's educational affairs department, gave a lecture on Hidemaru Deguchi in front of Omoto missionaries, saying that it was the Holy Master (Onisaburo Deguchi)'s divine feat and ultimate purpose to discover Hidemaru, and that Hidemaru would take care of the remaining divine work. Oishi's statement was totally false and groundless. Hidemaru was the one who attempted in vain to rebel agaisnt Onisaburo to take his place in Showa 6 or 7 (1931 or 1932). Hidemaru later developed mental insanity, and Onisaburo and Sumi said that Hidemaru was punished by the Kami and made to remain that way for a reason. The above state is often termed the Uranai-kyo ("Uranai faith"), or the faith eliminating or underestimating Onisaburo's teachings, and this trend has persisted within Oomoto even today. As prophesied in Volume 15 of the Reikai Monogatari, the current Oomoto has become the headquarters of the Uranai faith: The ruby text (kana syllabary) alongside the Chinese characters in the left image says Oomoto and is original, whereas that in the right image was tampered and has been deliberately changed to Hombu ("Headquarters"). "Oomoto" Excerpts: Omoto Shinto Rengoh-kai's version "Hombu" Excerpts: Oomoto's version
Showa 51 (1976)	Kyotaro Deguchi took up his post as President of Omoto. President, or Soh-choh in Japanese, was the administrative leader of the organization, going in tandem with the Spiritul Leader. The Soh-choh system had long been replaced by the Hombu-choh ("secretary-general") system, and the Kyotaro group restored the Soh-choh system. Under the new Soh-choh system, the Soh-choh acquired much more power than the Hombu-choh, was exempted from taking responsibility for any of his actions or errors, and virtually reigned supreme. In other words, the new Soh-choh seized almost full control like a dictator. President Kyotaro Deguchi launched nationwide speaking engagements, and a total of 40,000 people showed up at 30 different venues. However, to make Kyotaro's speaking tour successful, Omoto's local chapters had to sacrifice a lot of human and financial resources. Kyotaro made unreasonal demands like the advance procurement of six young and strong bodyguards skilled in martial arts. For all these irrational demands, Kyotaro's speech at a hall was so boring that hundreds of people left the place halfway through his speech. At the same time, President Kyotaro Deguchi increased suppression of free speech within Omoto. For example, he withheld the publication of an article on the oneness of all good faiths, allegedly on the grounds that its coverage of Kyotaro was smaller than that of his archrival Eiji.
Showa 53 (1978), Sep.	The Kyotaro-led Omoto Headquarters cancelled the publication of Volume 2 of "The Stars of Orion," a Japanese manga based on the novelistic biography of Onisaburo Deguchi titled "Mother Earth." The Omoto Headquarters, which had initially permitted the publication of Volume 1 of the manga, decided against issuing Volume 2 without explaining why, despite the manga's growing popularity among Omoto believers. One of the reasons for the sudden cancellation was probably associated with the manga's content, notably the portions describing Onisaburo as a love child of Imperial Prince Taruhito of the Arisugawa House. "Mother Earth," on which "The Stars of Orion" was based, was a true story about Onisaburo. It was authored by Yasuaki Deguchi under the supervision of the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi after he had interviewed many people concerned. In fact, the Third Spiritual Leader verified Onisaburo's illegitimate child theory and even provided Yasuaki Deguchi with some new truths. Another reason was the clout wielded by two influential members: Chairperson Hirose of Omoto's Aizen-kai and Director-General Okuda of Omoto's Secretariat. Hirose and Okuda were believed to be members of the Eiji group, but they had already joined the Kyotaro-led top management before anyone knew it. They would eventually betray Eiji. This is a good example of the Kyotaro group's unilateral suppression of free speech within Omoto.
Showa 55 (1980), Mar. 9	A company named "Izu to Mizu no Kai" was incorporated. The founding of this company was to disseminate Onisaburo's teachings based on his Reikai Monogatari while leverating its legal status to protect itself from any possible interference or threat from the Omoto Headquarters. The fall of Showa 54 (1979) witnessed the completion of the four-volume selected works by Eiji Deguchi. The Omoto Headquarters tried every means to block the publication of this omnibus edition. Disgusted by the way the Kyotaro-led top management played dirty, Yasuaki Deguchi and other like-minded Omoto members volunteered to hold a party for Eiji to commemorate the publication of his selected works at a luxurious Japanese-style restaurant in Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture on October 8, Showa 54 (1979). Kameoka is the seat of the Ten'on-kyo, a holy sanctuary of Omoto. Therefore, while influential locals of the city showed up for Eiji's party, no local Omoto members (some of whom ran their own businesses) came for fear of angering the Omoto Headquarters or negatively impacting their business ties with the religious organization. In fact, some members were warned that Omoto would no longer do business with them if they attended the commemorative gathering for Eiji. Neither Chairperson Hirose of Omoto's Aizen-kai nor Director-General Okuda of Omoto's Secretariat showed up even though they were both members of the Eiji group. This shows how vulnerable Hirose and Okuda were to the central authority and power. At that time they may have already been bought by the Kyotaro group. After Eiji's party was over, Yasuaki and some attendees went to a diner named "Tambaji" to have a second party for themselves. They expressed their pent-up anger and frustration about the Omoto Headquarters' obstruction and corruption. Yasuaki said at the party, "Nothing will be born out of our sorrow at the corruption of Omoto's leadership. The Holy Master (Onisaburo Deguchi)'s teachings have been totally disregarded, but at the moment we're not strong enough to reform the leadership head-on under the current regime. We may take a detour, but why don't we and other like-minded people publish a magazine focusing on the Master's teachings based on his Reikai Monogatari?" Yasuaki's proposal energized all the other companions there. Since this moment they got together almost every night to discuss what to do to publish their own magazine. They decided to set up a company as a last resort to protect themselves from possible attack or repression by the Omoto Headquarters. They hoped that Japan's Companies Act would serve as a bulkwark against the Kyotaro group's dictatorship. They selected Saburo Sakata, a retired senior Omoto member living on a state pension, on the grounds that he was willing to make sacrifices in the face of possible confrontation with Omoto (via, for example, brute force, litigation or dismissal/liquidation attempts). Sakata was a man of few words but a hard worker. He was treated like a member of the Deguchi family. Onisaburo, Sumi and Naohi called him "Kintoki-san." People around him knew that he had a quiet personality but felt indignant about Omoto's corrupt leadership. He was in his 70s when he was pleased to accept the offer to become president of the new company. He was determined to give all his remaining years to this mission. On March 10, Showa 55 (1980), a company named "Izu to Mizu no Kai" was officially incorporated with a capitalization of 2.5 million yen from 130 shareholders including Yasuaki and Shin'ei Deguchi (both of whom were top aides to the Third Spiritual Leader), Akihiro Deguchi (Shin'ei's son-in-law), awakened believers, and local members in Kameoka. Izu to Mizu no Kai launched its first issue of the Izu to Mizu magazine on April, Showa 55 (1980) and distributed its free copies to Omoto missionaries across Japan.
Showa 55 (1980)	The Third Omoto Incident broke out. Grave issues about the Santan Council surfaced. The Santan Council was a major administrative organ within Omoto that governed the three areas centering around Ayabe, i.e. Tamba, Tango, and Tajima. These Santan areas had traditionally been pro-Eiji and acted in defiance of the Kyotaro-led Administration. Kyotaro was a native of the Santan areas and often found it difficult to achieve his ambitions. It is against this backdrop that the Kyotaro group plotted to undermine the Santan Council. Actually, the Kyotaro group had slowly but surely attempted to separate the pro-Kyotaro Toyooka Chapter (in Hyogo Prefecture) and several other chapters from the Santan Council "for reasons that could not be revealed." However, the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi had rebuffed the separatist attempt by quoting Onisaburo's words to the effect that the Santan areas centering around Ayabe are crucially important to Omoto and thus need to protect its holy land together as one. Vexed at the slow progress, those separatists directly pleaded with Naohi to permit their separation from the Santan Council. Naohi gave in to their demand and allowed them to form a new council centering around Takeda in Hyogo Prefecture. She even granted them the new council name: the Miyagaki Council. The pro-Kyotaro separatists were emboldened by Naohi's permission, but they were met with legal challenges. Their separation required approval from the head of the Santan Council, related Omoto chapters and others, but time went by without any consent obtained. Finally, the Kyotaro-led Administration unilaterally prepared a written consent and demanded that the head of the Santan Council sign it, adding as an ultimatum that he must sign it or the Administration would revise Omoto's legal provisions. Should those legal provisions be revised in favor the Kyotaro group, Omoto's democracy would be engulfed by authoritarianism, allowing the Soh-choh (Kyotaro) to do anything to his heart's content. Issues about the Santan Council spread nationwide like wildfire. The situation was aggravated by the rumor that the Kyotaro group would stage a last-minute complete turnaround in the female line of Omoto's successive Spiritual Leaders. In fact, Baisho Church members and pro-Kyotaro missionaries often spread the false rumor that the traditional female line of the Spiritual Leaders was actually wrong, and that Kyotaro (male) would become the next Spiritual Leader to redress the situation and turn things around completely for the religious organization. Another disquieting rumor was flying around that Kyotaro would assume the name of Onisaburo Deguchi to rule Omoto as a Maitreya kami on May 5, Showa 55 (1980). Both numbers "3" and "5" are closely associated with Omoto doctrine. Onisaburo is Henjo Nyoshi ("a woman's spirit in a man's body"), whereas Foundress Nao is Henjo Nanshi ("a man's spirit in a woman's body"). March 3 celebrates the annual Girls' Festival in Japan, whereas May 5 the Boys' Festival. On March (3rd month) 3, Showa 3 - three 3's as an auspicious sign - Onisaburo declared that he manifested himself as a Maitreya kami to start remodeling the material world. It was rumored that on May (5th month) 5, Showa 55 - four 5's as an auspicious sign - Kyotaro would follow in Onisaburo's footsteps to declare himself a Maitreya kami manifested. The Third Omoto Incident broke out when the Kyotaro-led Administration attempted to build a separatist council named the "Miyagaki Council," which Onisaburo had foretold in his later years. When the Second Omoto Incident was finally settled in his favor, Onisaburo said as follows: "This is not the end of the Omoto Incident. There are supposed to be three Omoto Incidents. They constitute the pine-bamboo-plum incidents. The Third Incident is take-da, take-da (bamboo, bamboo)." The part take-da is Onisaburo's pun on the words take-da (It's bamboo) and Takeda (place name). Onisaburo let us know the type and site of the Third Omoto Incident as follows: Type: Something that happens within Omoto. Note: Bamboo is uchi wa kara (hollow inside). Uchi wa kara can also mean "from within" or "from among members of the same family." Site: Takeda. Note: Literally "bamboo rice field," Takeda is a common Japanese place name. The name "Miyagaki" as in the Miyagaki Council is ironic. It literally means "fences surrounding a Shinto shrine." Onisaburo worked hard to remove fences of any kind that might have existed between people, races, religions, nations or the like, just as Susanowo (His Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness ) strove to eliminate the eight-fold fence. (See SECT. XIX. - THE PALACE OF SUGA of the Kojiki by Basil Hall Chamberlain) Izu to Mizu no Kai, a company founded by reformist Omoto members to disseminate Onisaburo's teachings based on his Reikai Monogatari while leverating its legal status to protect itself from any possible interference or threat from the Omoto Headquarters, protested the planned establishment of the Miyagaki Council by launching the first issue of its journal Izu to Mizu on April 1, Showa 55 (1980). Izu to Mizu no Kai had no intention whatsoever to rebel against Omoto; it just felt the need to reform the top leadership. But the Kyotaro group instilled into the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi the misconception that Izu to Mizu no Kai was a secret society to oust Kyotaro. Naohi is said to have been outraged by the reformist company's activities, shouting, "I will live to be 100 years old to protect my son Kyotaro." (Note: Protect Kyotaro, not Omoto) Thus, the Kyotaro-led Administration successfully put the Third Spiritual Leader at the forefront of confrontation with Izu to Mizu no Kai.
Showa 55 (1980), Aug.	The Miyagaki Council was officially established. The Kyotaro-led Administration successfully steamrolled the founding of the Miyagaki Council through the standing committee of regional representatives. In response to this emergency, Izu to Mizu no Kai held a rally to reform Omoto in Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture and adopted the following resolutions calling for: Protection of the two holy sanctuaries in Ayabe and Kameoka Protection of the legitimate heir to the Spiritual Leader lineage, and Protection of the two major sacred texts: the Omoto Shin'yu and the Reikai Monogatari The news about Izu to Miu no Kai's reform movement attracted incessant donations, words/letters of encouragement and other kinds of support from like-minded Omoto chapters across the nation including the Main Yamaguchi Chapter, the Marugame Chapter, the Zentsuji Chapter, the Main Tokai Chapter, the Shizuoka Council and the Santan Council. This showed that the corrupt Omoto still had some degree of self-cleansing mechanism.
Showa 55 (1980), Sep. - Dec.	The Kyotaro-led Administration struck back by making retaliatory personnel decisions. For example, Yasuaki Deguchi was dismissed from his post as member of the Omoto Study Council. Eiji Deguchi was ordered to serve disciplinary confinement at home. Other members supporting Izu to Miu no Kai's reform movement were also dismissed, demoted, discriminated against or forced into a similar plight. The Kyotaro-led Administration forced Omoto members to abide by the virtue of shu itsu mu teki ("dedicating their whole faith") in the Spiritual Leader. While this shu itsu mu teki is a great guiding principle, the Administration had taken advantage of it to force Omoto believers into complete submission. In fact, the Daily Mainichi quoted a college professor as saying that the idea of shu itsu mu teki was abused in Omoto to absolutize or deify the Spiritual Leader. In this respect, Omoto's top leadership had been acting like a dictator, an authoritarian government. Incidentally, Onisaburo's Reikai Monogatari refers to shu itsu mu teki as devotion of your whole faith in the Creator of the Universe, the Saviour Deity and the like.
Showa 56 (1981), Jan.	The Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi released the New Year's message to Omoto believers, pledging to purge the religious organization of its critics (= Izu to Mizu no Kai members) from early February onward. Naohi was briefed on the wrong or misleading information by the Kyotaro group. That is why she was led to believe that Izu to Mizu no Kai was all to blame. The Third Spiritual Leader's decision to get rid of Izu to Mizu no Kai members made the Kyotaro-led Administration extremely happy. That was because they believed that Omoto members in general were liable to show blind loyalty to the Spiritual Leader. Their calculations proved wrong, however. The Kyotaro faction was unaware that an increasing number of Omoto believers had grown out of the absolute faith in the living god as scales fell from their eyes through their violent conflict with the authoritarin leadership over the last year.
Showa 56 (1981), Feb.	Representatives from the Kyotaro-led Omoto leadership and those from Izu to Mizu no Kai signed a memorandum of understanding to resolve their differences amicably. Shortly afterwards, they set up a liaison committee. This liaison committee soon reached an impasse because the Omoto Administration failed to act in good faith, propagated disinformation and violated the spirit of the bilateral MOU. In the end, both sides agreed to disband the liaison committee in January, Showa 57 (1982).
Showa 56 (1981), Apr.	The Kyotaro-led Omoto Administration released new provisions of the Omoto Review Board. Strangely, more than half of the provisions had to do with disciplinary actions. Given the timing of the release, it was pretty obvious that those disciplinary provisions would be used to banish pro-Eiji supporters and Izu to Mizu no Kai members.
Showa 56 (1981), Sep.	Applying the new provisions of the Omoto Review Board, the Kyotaro-led Omoto Administration succeeded in dismissing Eiji Deguchi from all his posts at Omoto, thereby effectively expelling him from the religious group. Eiji's dismissal and its grounds were announced in the standing committee of regional representatives on September 13 of this year, when Director General Morimoto, a pro-Kyotaro board member, said, "Mr. Eiji Deguchi will have no chance of becoming the Deputy Spiritual Leader. The Omoto Administration plans to make new provisions for the selection of the Spiritual Leader and the Degupty Spiritual Leader, and the future Deputy Spiritual Leader will be selected based on these provisions." Morimoto's statement reveals the Kyotaro faction's key long-term ambition: dashing Eiji's hopes to assume the post of Deputy Spiritual Leader. The news about the expulsion of Eiji triggered protest rallies across Japan.
Showa 56 (1981), Dec.	On the morning of December 8, which marked the 46th anniversary of the Second Omoto Incident in Showa 10 (1935), Eiji Deguchi sued the religious corporation Omoto and its five board members including Director General Morimoto for unfair treatment at the Kyoto District Court. This turned out to be the first legal case associated with the Third Omoto Incident. On the afternoon of December 8, pro-Eiji members gathered in Kyoto to launch the Society for Protecting Eiji Deguchi, an organization to protest against the Kyotaro-led Administration. On December 9, the day after the launch of the Society for Protecting Eiji Deguchi, the Kyotaro-led Administration had a meeting where they openly plotted to expel Naomi Deguchi, the wife of Eiji Deguchi and also the Fourth Spiritual Leader to-be, adding that Naomi must be held accountable for organizing the Society for Protecting Eiji Deguchi.
Showa 56 (1981), Dec.	Now that the Kyotaro-led Administration successfully removed Eiji Deguchi, they started targeting Izu to Mizu no Kai members. The Omoto Review Board unilaterally branded Izu to Mizu no Kai as an anti-Omoto cabal. (Their claim was totally groundless, however) As such, the Omoto Review Board slapped Yasuaki Deguchi, Akihiro Deguchi and Saburo Sakata, all of whom were members of Izu to Mizu no Kai, with a summons. Yasuaki Deguchi and the two other members sent the Review Board a written explanation denouncing the Omoto Administration's dictatorship and claiming that Izu to Mizu no Kai was a group of like-minded adherents who shared the urgent need to reform Omoto's top management, and who had no intention to subvert or seize the religious organization. It was a foregone conclusion that the Reivew Board would find the Izu to Mizu no Kai members guilty because it was like a kangaroo court, a farce to punish anyone who stood in their way.
Showa 57 (1982), Feb.	Kyotaro Deguchi was dismissed from his post as Soh-choh (President) of Omoto, resulting in the collapse of the Kyotaro regime. Soh-choh was the administrative leader of the religious organization, going in tandem with the Spiritul Leader. Ryudoh Usami, a communist-turned Omoto believer, replaced Kyotaro to be sworn in as new Soh-choh. The Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi and other executive members agreed that the Kyotaro regime fell short of the ability to expel Izu to Mizu no Kai and the Society for Protecting Eiji Deguchi from Omoto. They selected Usami behind closed doors while keeping Kyotaro in the dark. Usami was shrouded in mystery. He was a communist before the end of WWII, but he changed his tune after he was arrested by the police. In Show 28 (1953), he published the first issue of the monthly magazine titled "Modern People," where he launched an anti-Omoto campaign. Despite his shady background, Usami gradually deepened ties with Yoshihiro Hyuga, Torao Deguchi and other Omoto believers in the Showa 30's. One of Omoto's journals titled the Enshi carried a photo in its September 1976 issue that showed Saburo Chiba (a Japanese lawmaker who demanded the dismissal of Eiji Deguchi) and Kyotaro Deguchi in the center, flanked by Torao Deguchi, Director General Morimoto and surrounded in the back by the head of the Main Osaka Chapter and Usami. This photo tells a lot about Usami's relationship to the Kyotaro-led Administration.
Showa 57 (1982), Feb. -	As new President and Director General of Omoto, Ryudo Usami exercised his absolute authority and took decisive actions including: Abolition of traditional Omoto institutions Dissolution of the Omoto Study Council and other commissions Dismissal of Saburo Sakata, Yasuaki Deguchi and Akihiro Deguchi (all of whom were members of Izu to Mizu no Kai) as Omoto missionaries, and Expulsion of Naomi Deguchi and the ensuing appointment of Kiyoko Mimoro as the Fourth Spiritual Leader No one but only Usami could have done these cruel and painful things, especially the fourth one above, because of his intrinsic anti-Omoto blood running through his veins. Omoto's Kami had long designated Naomi Deguchi (whose previous incarnation was Foundress Nao Deguchi) as the Fourth Spiritual Leader. This was something even the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi maintained despite his son Kyotaro's repeated demand to replace her by himself. Onisaburo says Foundress Nao is reincarnated as Ms. Naomi Deguchi, the oldest daughter of Omoto's Third Spiritual Leader, Naohi Deguchi. The Usami regime, alas, succeeded in nullifying the Kami's commandment about the lineage of the Spiritual Leaders and installing someone other than Naomi Deguchi. For this reason, the current Oomoto is NOT a religious group as envisaged by Foundress Nao or Onisaburo Deguchi. If the Third Omoto Incident were a model of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, Kyotaro could be a model of Russian President Putin, and Usami could be a model of Putin's successor(s), in which case Putin's successor(s) could be even more brutal than Putin, just as Usami was more brutal than Kyotaro.
Showa 57 (1982), May 26	Naomi Deguchi was divested of her qualifications to become the Fourth Spiritual Leader. This has gone down in Omoto's history as an unprecedented tragedy because it constitues a violation of the Omoto Kami's orders. After all, it was decided long ago - and the majority of Omoto believers took it for granted - that Naomi Deguchi would succeed the Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi as the Fourth Spiritual Leader. This holy decision was overturned on this day in Osaka City when Omoto's regular meeting of regional representatives was held in an area other than its holy sanctuaries - a very first in the religious group's history. The whole event was scripted by the Kyotaro group including new President and Director General Ryudo Usami. The Kyotaro group picked out Kiyoko Mimoro (maiden name: Kiyoko Deguchi), the third daughter of Naohi. She had no children. The Kyotaro group chose the person least desirable as the Spiritual Leader, but that was perfectly fine with them because they plotted to have Kyotaro's daughter succeed Kiyoko Mimoro as the Fifth Spiritual Leader in the future.
Showa 57 (1982), May	The Society for Protecting Eiji Deguchi was changed to the Society for Protecting Naomi Deguchi with a view to redressing the breach of the succession rule as stipulated by Omoto's Kami.
Showa 57 (1982), Jun.	A trial (three members of Izu to Mizu no Kai v. Omoto) began at the Kyoto District Court. Saburo Sakata, Akihiro Deguchi and Yasuaki Deguchi had filed a lawsuit earlier against Omoto for its unlawful dismissal of the three plaintiffs.
Showa 57 (1982), Nov. 17	Kiyoko Mimoro changed her name on the family register to Kiyoko Deguchi. Her husband Itsuki Mimoro also changed his name on the family register to Itsuki Deguchi. They were ready to asume the posts of the Fourth Spiritual Leader and the Deputy Fourth Spiritual Leader, respectively, at any time.
Showa 58 (1983), Feb. 3	This year marked the first Setsubun Festival held under the new Fourth Spiritual Leader Kiyoko Deguchi. Once the festival began, however, Kiyoko goofed off on her responsibilities and went shopping and dining even though everyone else was passionately committed to this annual purification ceremony.
Showa 59 (1984), Feb.	The Omoto Headquarters released the list of the 309 members to whom it had issued withdrawal recommendations before. Withdrawal Recommendations Date of Issue No. of Members Targeted 1st Time Showa 57 (1982), May 21 2nd Time Showa 57 (1982), Nov. 83 3rd Time Showa 58 (1983), Nov. 205 In addition to the above, the Omoto Headquarters issued its 4th withdrawal recommendations to 1,250 members in December, Showa 58 (1983).
Showa 60 (1985), Jun.	President and Director General Ryudo Usami was appointed as Chairperson of the Universal Love and Brotherhood Association (ULBA), one of Omoto's secular philanthropic arms. Usami successfully brought the religious organization under his full control.
Showa 61 (1986), Jan.	Kyotaro Deguchi was appointed as Top Aide to the aging Third Deputy Spiritual Leader Hidemaru Deguchi. This put him in a perfect position to succeed his father as Deputy Spiritual Leader in the future. The Omoto Headquarters was characterized by three major forces that were each utilizing one another yet biding their time to outsmart the others: Kyotaro Deguchi, who aimed to assume the name of Onisaburo Deguchi, Itsuki Deguchi, the husband of the Fourth Spiritual Leader Kiyoko Deguchi, and Ryudo Usami, the de facto administrative dictator of the Omoto Headquarters They were all up to their ears in tightening their grip on Omoto members and sustaining Omoto's life by abandoning the religious group's mission to tatekae (demolish) and tatenaoshi (reconstruct) the world.
Showa 61 (1986), Apr.	The Omoto Headquarters continued to make it intentionally difficult for believers to obtain copies of the Reikai Monogatari. While the religious group's top management encouraged members to read the Monogatari, it tactfully continued suspending the publication of many volumes of the holy text. As of April, Showa 61 (1986), only 16 out of the total 83 volumes were available to Omoto believers. As prophesied by Onisaburo, evil spirits had infiltrated into Omoto after his death, mislead the Second Spiritual Leader (Sumi Deguchi) and the Third Spiritual Leader (Naohi Deguchi), and blocked the availability of the Monogatari to deprive Omoto believers of any opportunity to benefit from the sacred text and divine words. Incidentally, Volume 15 of the Reikai Monogatari, which Onisaburo says is a great book of prophecies, foretells the deterioration of Omoto. This volume describes the Uranai faith. It is a religion that incorporates the teachings of Foundress Nao but underrates or eliminates those of Onisaburo. The nameplate on the front gate of the Uranai faith headquarters says the "Oomoto of the Uranai Faith." Here the term Oomoto has two meanings: The religious group named Omoto (or Oomoto). Please note that they call themselves 'Oomoto' or 'Omoto,' and The origin of the Uranai faith as the word literally means "great origin." Probably alarmed by the above, the Omoto Headquarters arbitrarily changed the ruby text (kana syllabary) alongside the Chinese characters that represented 'Oomoto' as follows: "Oomoto" Excerpts: Omoto Shinto Rengoh-kai's version "Hombu" Excerpts: Oomoto's version The left is the correct version while the right is the falsified version, where the Omoto Headquarters changed the ruby text from 'Oomoto' to 'Hombu.' The Omoto Headquarters also modified the wording of the Reikai Monogatari here and there - this constitues disregard of Onisaburo and also a violation of the Kami's will.
Showa 61 (1986), Feb.	The Omoto Headquarters unveiled plans to construct the Chohsei-den Hall at the foot of Mount Hongu within the Baishoh-en Sanctuary at an estimated total cost of tens of billions of yen. Omoto said that building this hall would fulfill the will of the Kami. But which Kami? Onisaburo said the contrary. In fact, when the Aizen-en was established, he said something to the effect that going forward, there would be no need to construct divine shrines, and that a divine shrine should be built in each person's soul so he/she could live, have fun and work with the Kami. Yasuaki Deguchi, the author of the book titled "The Truth about the Third Omoto Incident," feared that the construction of the Chohsei-den Hall would demand a huge amount of capital from adherents in the form of monetary offerings, which he thought would be quite a financial burden on those adherents for the sake of the white elephant, and that the whole event might plant a negative seed that would grow to be a bad model for Japan. The assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by an ex-member of the Unification Church has exposed the long-time collusion between some ruling Liberal Democratic Party politicians and the Moonies. The Chohsei-den Hall was completed in Heisei 4 (1992) under the leadership of the (intrinsically unqualified) Fourth Spiritual Leader Kiyoko Deguchi. Her husband, Itsuki Deguchi, was originally a Korean resident in Japan. He was a staunch advocate of Hidemaru Deguchi as the living saviour, which was simply his misconception, but he instilled this misleading notion into many young and innocent Omoto believers. As shown above, the financial exploitation of Omoto believers and the implantation of wrong teachings in their minds under the reign of Kiyoko and Itsuki Deguchi may have served as a model of the Moonies' penetration into the core of the Japanese political circle.
Showa 61 (1986), Nov. 7	The revival of the Aizen-en at the Kumano Yakata (Onisaburo's residence on the Nakayada Farm in Kameoka, Kyoto) Izu to Mizu no Kai was an incorporated group of reformers who worked hard to redress the wrongs committed by the corrupt leadership of Omoto, but who were expelled from the religious organization because of their activities. Yasuaki Deguchi, a grandson of Onisaburo, was a key member of Izu to Mizu no Kai. With its many members aging and passing away, Izu to Mizu no Kai decided to revive the Aizen-en, the first and last organization created and advocated by Onisaburo following Japan's defeat in WWII, by establishing an entity separate from Omoto. A ceremony marking the (re-)founding of the Aizen-en was performed at the Kumano Yakata (formerly Onisaburo's residence on the Nakayada Farm but at that time Yasuaki Deguchi's residence). On August 7, Showa 17 (1942), Onisaburo returned to the Kumano Yakata after he was released on bail in connection with the Second Omoto Incident of Showa 10 (1935). Onisaburo had been in jail for 2435 days, or 6 years and 8 months. Onisaburo's imprisonment served as a model of the revival of the Aizen-en. As it turned out, the period from the incorporation of Izu to Mizu no Kai on March 9, Showa 55 (1980) to the (re-)founding of the Aizen-en on this day spanned exactly the same 2435 days, or 6 years and 8 months. In other words, the members of the reborn Aizen-en had been in the jail named "Omoto" and had been struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel for 2435 days. The rebirth of the Aizen-en also marked the transition of the kata-based divine workings (where the Kami aims to remodel the world by planting smaller seeds [models] in the divine theatrical troupe named "Omoto" so that they will grow up to effect intended changes on a larger global scale) to the Aizen-en. That is because Omoto has become the "Uranai faith," a religion that incorporates the teachings of Foundress Nao but underrates or eliminates those of Onisaburo. In this respect, Omoto today is in name only and loses is role as a divine theatrical troupe. In fact, Onisaburo had already appointed his legitimate successor in one of his essays titled Towadako no Shimpi (Mysteries of Lake Towada). And his successor was Yasuaki Deguchi, a key founding member of the Aizen-en: Onisaburo's appointment of Nansobo as his successor Onisaburo says Nansobo is reincarnated as Mr. Yasuaki Deguchi.
Heisei 2 (1990), Sep. 23	The Third Spiritual Leader Naohi Deguchi passed away. This proves that Naohi, as manipulated and intentionally deified by her close aides including the Kyotaro group, was NOT a living goddess.
Heisei 3 (1991), Dec. 25	The Third Deputy Spiritual Leader Hidemaru Deguchi passed away. This proves that Hidemaru, as manipulated and intentionally deified by her close aides including the Kyotaro group, was NOT a living god.
Heisei 14 (2002), Jun. 18	Yasuaki Deguchi passed away. Mr. Yasuaki Deguchi He was a grandson of Onisaburo, but spiritually, he was Onisaburo's beloved son and his only legitimate successor to his Divine Plan for the creation of a Maitreyan utopia. This Onisaburo declares in one of his essays titled Towadako no Shimpi (Mysteries of Lake Towada).
Heisei 18 (2006), Dec. 22	Eiji Deguchi, the ill-fated husband of Naomi Deguchi, passed away. Onisaburo gave his consent to the marriage between Eiji Deguchi (former name: Eiji Yaguchi) and Naomi Deguchi because Eiji's mother, Iku Yaguchi, was an officially recognized illegitimate child of Prince Taruhito of the Imperial House of Arisugawa. Onisaburo himself was an illegitimate child of Prince Taruhito of the Imperial House of Arisugawa - but, not officially recognized. That is partly because the authoritarian Japanese government created his image as a traitor, which has lingered on even today, and also because if the government had officially endormsed his imperial status, it would have been convicted of mistreating an Imperial Family member, hence lese-majeste instead.
Reiwa 4 (2022)	The strife between Oomoto, the Omoto Shinto Rengokai (formerly the Society for Protecting Naomi Deguchi), and the Aizen-en has continued to this date. Some major players in the Third Omoto Incident including Kyotaro Deguchi and Naomi Deguchi are still alive today.

Hisa Fukushima

The Truth about the Third Omoto Incident (1986)
by Yasuaki Deguchi under the pseudonym "Ryu Towada"
Available on Amazon (in Japanese only)

Excerpts from the Nishiki no Miyage
Source: Reikai no Saikoh-kimitsu by Yasuaki Deguchi. KK Longsellers, 1999.

• After Onisaburo passes away, anti-Mizu-Spirit (= anti-Onisaburo) evil spirits will exploit the blood line of Foundress Nao Deguchi to mislead the Second and Third Spiritual Leaders, thereby plunging Omoto adherents into evil cources, and
  
  
• Therefore, under no circumstances must the reading of the Reikai Monogatari be stopped.
  
  

Excerpts from Volume 67 of the Reikai Monogatari
Source: Reikai no Saikoh-kimitsu by Yasuaki Deguchi. KK Longsellers, 1999.

• After the Mizu Spirit (= Onisaburo) passes away, people will gradually stray from the true teachings, compete with one another, lie to one another, and commit wrongdoing. This will breed many misfortunes and sorrows, and they will intensify as time elapses.
  
  
• He cannot disclose everything at the moment, but he would like to leave this message to Omoto members: "Teach one another, admonish one another, and observe the Kami's words and teachings so as not to deviate from the true path."
  
  

• 76 (by western calendar) or
  
  
• 78 (based on the kazoedoshi age-counting method)

At the Ryugu-yakata (Dragon Palace = Omoto), there is a clear distinction between the two major divine lines: the henjo-nanshi (a man's spirit in a woman's body) and the henjo-nyoshi (a woman's spirit in a man's body).

According to Omoto doctrine, it is through the interaction of the complementary opposites Henjo Nanshi and Henjo Nyoshi that the warp and weft are woven together and the divine mission proceeds....

...Nao was yang and Kisaburo (= Onisaburo) yin; Nao firm and Kisaburo plinat. The combination of the solemn, upright Nao and the spirited Kisaburo, full of verve, became the source of Omoto's progress. They had a common goal, and when the gears moved together smoothly things made good headway. Friction did occasionally arise from their great difference in personality, but their common sense of mission prevented any prolonged confrontation. The two could understand each other well, since they had both come through terrible hardships to their enlightenment.

(Excerpts from The Great Onisaburo Deguchi)

The Group of Omoto Spirits

1. Spirit world of Onisaburo Deguchi (henjo-nyoshi)
2. True spirit world (world of Onisaburo's Reikai Monogatari)
3. False spirit world (misuse/abuse of Onisaburo's influence)
4. Spirit world of Nao Deguchi (henjo-nanshi)
5. True spirit world (world of Nao's Ofudesaki divine messages)
6. False spirit world (distortion of Nao's Ofudesaki divine messages)

The time has come for the reign of Ushitora no Konjin to burst into full bloom as plum blossoms in the three major realms of the Spirit World at the same time. Ushitora no Konjin will sit on Mount Sumeru and protect the three major realms of the Spirit World as Kimon no Konjin.

Mt. Hachibuse (green circle) near Takeda

(Front right through left) Onisaburo, Sumi, and Uchimaru offering norito prayers to the Kami atop Mount Hongu in Omoto's holy sanctuary in Ayabe, Kyoto.

Onisaburo avoided using the box-like kanji character
to make his new religious group open to anyone.

1. The spirit of aizen ("love and goodness" or "universal love and brotherhood"), and
   
   
2. The oneness of all good religions (bankyoh dohkon)

Saviour Kami Kamususanowo
(Main character, or true hero, in the Reikai Monogatari)

This Reikai Monogatari (Tales of the Spirit World) summarizes an outline of the explorations into the spirit world as well as the time-immemorial saga of the age of the gods where after the separation of heaven and earth[1] and the subsequent opening of the Ama no Iwato (Door of the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling)[2], the Kami Kamususanowo no Mikoto tore Yamata no Orochi (Eight-forked Serpent)[3] running rampant on earth to pieces, finally obtained the treasured Sword Murakumo and offered it to the Progenitor of Heaven[4], manifested absolute sincerity in heaven and on earth, fulfilled the Divine Reign of the Great 567 Kami[5], built the World of Pines[6] and reinstated the Progenitor of the Earth[7] as the Presiding Kami of the Earth's spirit world.


Footnotes:
[1] ^ For reference, see SECT. I. - THE BEGINNING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH of the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) by Basil Hall Chamberlain.

[2] ^ Opening up of the cave entrance. According to the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), the Sun Goddess Amaterasu o-mikami hid herself in a rock cave and sealed the entrance door, turning the world into total darkness. Various deities collaborated in enticing her out with a strategem. With the cave entrance opened up and Amaterasu out, the divine light was restored to the world. See SECT. XVI. - THE DOOR OF THE HEAVENLY ROCK-DWELLING.

[3] ^ For reference, see SECT. XVIII. - THE EIGHT-FORKED SERPENT.

[4] ^ Another phrase for the Supreme Kami of Heaven.

[5] ^ Also termed the Age of Maitreya. "567" of the Great 567 Kami represents Mi(5)-ro(6)-ku(7), or Miroku, which is the Japanese transliteration of "Maitreya."

[6] ^ Equal to the Age of Maitreya. In Japan, pine trees symbolize longevity and happiness because they keep their green leaves even in the severest cold of winter.

[7] ^ Another phrase for the Earth's Supreme Kami, Kunitokotachi no Mikoto.

Kunitokotachi no Mikoto, creater of Earth's spirit world

Divine Oath (Vol. 4 of the Monogatari)

Ichirei-shikon and gojoh-no-kairitsu (Excerpts: Reikai no Saikokimitsu by Yasuaki Deguchi. KK Longsellers, 1999.)

Note: He was alive until January 18, Showa 23 by the solar calendear (or December 8, Showa 22 by the lunar calendar).

Onisaburo's obituary in Aizen-en's Aizen Kyoh-hoh journal

Funeral of Onisaburo as head of the Aizen-en in 1948

Funeral cortege from Kameoka to Ayabe
(Little boy in front of Onisaburo's hearse is Kyotaro Deguchi,
a major actor in Third Omoto Incident of Showa 55, or 1980)

The above 31-syllable poem (No. 256) in the Gessho-zan anthology

Sumi (left) as 2nd head of Aizen-en, giving local adherents a pep talk in 1949

• Torao Deguchi: the second husband of Umeno Deguchi (= Onisaburo's second daughter)

• Naohi Deguchi: Onisaburo's first daughter
  
  
• Eiji Deguchi: one of Naohi's sons-in-law
  
  
• Yoshihiro Hyuga: an influential member whom Kyotaro Deguchi, the first son of Naohi, often respectfully called "Big Daddy" because of his guardian role, and
  
  
• Hagie Yamamoto: a secretary to Naohi Deguchi
  
  

Naohi Deguchi making pottery

Naohi (right, front) performing noh drama

Fore reference, see Art and Religion by Onisaburo Deguchi (in Japanese)
(Note: All artworks in this booklet were created by Onisaburo.)

Sumi's calligraphy (left) and ink brush paining (right)

Hidemaru Deguchi in his later life

• The Kami has established the female succession rule for the religious group and has made that clear in Foundress Nao's Ofudesaki.
  
  
• The other day some adherents visited Sumi and told her that the female heirship rule had already been changed, and that Azusa (Kyotaro's childhood name) would succeed Sumi as third head of the Aizen-en.
  
  
• Sumi denounces those believers as evil spirits, spreading false information like that. She thinks that they are simply blaspheming Ushitora no Konjin (= Kunitokotachi)'s Ofudesaki revelations.
  
  
• In the Aizen-en, female sucession is an ironclad rule based on the commandments of heaven and earth.
  
  
• The Kami has allowed Hidemaru to remain mentally insane for a justifiable reason. Something not good will happen if he gets better now.
  (Note: Hidemaru was later deified by some anti-Mizu Spirit believers as a living god.)
  
  
• As expressly written in the Ofudesaki, the Kami's decision stipulates that different women will head up Omoto generation after generation because seven different goddesses are destined to be born to succeed Omoto in seven different generations. This is an immutable rule and cannot be changed.
  
  
• The Ofudesaki has indicated the female succession rule for quite some time because the Kami knows that some believers will one day attempt to nullify this sacred commandment.
  
  
• Naomi Deguchi, the first daughter of Naohi, has already been appointed as heir to the religious organization.
  (Note: At one time in her life, Foundress Nao told Naohi, a granddaughter, that she would be born again as a daughter of Naohi in the future. Onisaburo also identified Naomi as a reincarnation of the Foundress.)
  
  

  Onisaburo says Foundress Nao is reincarnated as Ms. Naomi Deguchi, the oldest daughter of Omoto's Third Spiritual Leader, Naohi Deguchi.

  
  
• The Foundress' words indicate that the Great Kami in heaven and on earth has appointed goddesses as present or future leaders of Omoto for eternity because men are more likely to harbor Machiavellian ambitions and disrupt the Kami's missions. This is what the Foundress stated firmly.
  
  

1. Eiji Deguchi was the husband of Naomi Deguchi, the Fourth Spiritual Leader to-be as decreed by Omoto's Kami, and
   
   
2. For the Wakamatsu-kai to make Kyotaro Deguchi head of Omoto, it would need to deprive Naomi Deguchi of any opportunity to succeed Naohi as Fourth Spiritual Leader.

Eiji (right) talking with Premier Zhou Enlai (left)
Picture by courtesy of the Omoto Shinto Rengokai

Younger Naomi weaving a textile

1. He had the right to inherit the property of the Deguchi family as the eldest son, including the right to succeed his mother as Fourth Spiritual Leader, and
   
   
2. He opposed Eiji's planned appointment as Deputy Spiritual Leader.

The Great Onisaburo Deguchi (English translation) by Aiki News in 1998

Author Yasuaki Deguchi in later years

The Truth about the Third Omoto Incident (1986)
by Yasuaki Deguchi under the pseudonym "Ryu Towada"
Available on Amazon (in Japanese only)