Image source: Kyodo via The Japan Times Online

News from the Tenrikyo Japanese website:

On May 6, the last day of the Golden Week holiday, tornadoes struck three areas in Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures.

A tornado striking Tsukuba City in Ibaraki caused great damage, closing roads, cutting off electricity and water, killing one person, injuring 40, and damaging over 1,300 buildings.

In response to a request from the Osuna District of Tsukuba City, the Ibaraki Diocese Disaster Relief Hinokishin Corps (DRHC) immediately contacted DRHC HQ in Tenri. DRHC HQ Director Yuichi Tanaka went to the scene, set up camp, and made the decision to dispatch a unit comprised of members from nearby dioceses.

On May 14, a unit comprised of members of DRHC HQ, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, and Tochigi dioceses was dispatched to the scene. A total of 191 members assisted in the recovery work underway in rice fields and orchards over three days.

• Japanese article: 災救隊 竜巻被害の地へ出動(5月16日記)
• Other links: The Japan Times Online: “Tornado wreaks havoc in Ibaraki, Tochigi”; Japan Probe: “Amateur Videos of the Deadly Tornado That Hit Tsukuba City”

The Japan Times Online on May 6 posted a summary of recent articles from weekly newsletters, which included one on Japanese religious organizations’ Tohoku disaster relief efforts.

From the online summary:

The most generous donor by far, which mustered some 20,000 volunteers over 130 days — approaching the Self-Defense Forces in equipment and speed — was the 40-year-old “Hinokishin Brigade” of the Tenrikyo Sect, which also donated some ¥920 million.

“Hinokishin Brigade” would likely be referring to the Disaster Relief Hinokishin Corps (DRHC).

Based on the what was reported in the article, this is how the organizations would rank:

1. Tenrikyo (¥920 million + 20,000 volunteers over 130 days)
2. (tied) Rissho Kosei-kai (over ¥500 million); Soka Gakkai (over ¥500 million) *
3. Seicho no Ie (¥250 million)
4. “various Buddhist charities” (¥340 million)
5. Unification Church (¥160 million)
6. Science of Happiness (¥61 million)

* The article only gives rounded numbers; it is unclear which organization raised more money for disaster relief.
* Volunteers from other religions were not included in the article.

While it’s great to hear that Tenrikyo is on top, we should appreciate that, overall, the religions of Japan have been very generous and, indeed, deserve just as much praise and recognition.

The article later goes on to explain how religion is currently viewed in politics and other political news.

It is has been noted how the media tended to neglect covering disaster relief efforts organized by religious organizations. So it is great to hear that a weekly newsletter like “Flash” helped shed positive light on religions in Japan especially on the relief efforts in the Tohoku region.

via Weeklies take a look at faiths, (misplaced) hopes and charities | The Japan Times Online.

It’s only May but I already miss the cherry blossoms that bloomed so spectacularly in Tenri just a few weeks ago. I tried to come up with an excuse to post pictures of them even though they are no longer newsworthy anymore. So I came up with this idea of an “Identify that Cherry Blossom” Contest.

Correctly identify the location of the cherry blossoms — by multiple choice, to give people who have never even set foot in Tenri a fair shot — in the ten pictures below and you might win a prize! Winners (and there will be three) will receive a copy of the Ofudesaki (English, Japanese, and Romanization) and a “surprise”!

Simply send an e-mail with your name/alias, country/region, and answers to roy@tenrikyology.com. Please put “Cherry Blossom ID Contest” in the subject heading. Your e-mail should look like this:

To: roy@tenrikyology.com

Subject: Cherry Blossom ID Contest

Body:

James / New York, United States

1. a

2. b

3. c

4. a

etc.

Winners will be later contacted for snail mail information so we can mail you your prizes.

Submissions will be accepted until May 15 20, 2012.

Good luck to everyone! (Click to see the pictures.) Read the rest of this entry »

Christians have Christmas, Judaism has Hanukkah, but what do we have? Read the rest of this entry »

Image source: http://en-nichi.seesaa.net/article/49407371.html

While walking in the Tenri Hondori earlier this month, I noticed a banner announcing the launch of a webpage named “Tenri Nigiwai Sanpo,” which loosely translates as “Tenri Lively Stroll” (a lively stroll in Tenri?).

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Wow, it’s been some time since I’ve contributed to TR! I apologize for my absence.

Some weeks ago, I stumbled upon a page entitled “Popular Questions & Answers for Tenrikyo” on FindTheData.org. Although it provides a handy list of Q&A, I found it to contain some information I would qualify as misconceptions at best.

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Rev. Colin Saito presenting at the Tenrikyo Hawaii Convention 2011.

Rev. Colin Saito had stopped by the other day and passionately explained his understanding of the Yorozuyo to myself and a few others, and described the true love of Oyasama for everyone in this world in teaching us the Service. Indeed he was very inspired to spread his words to others. So I asked if he could allow me to put his speech that he did for the Tenrikyo Hawaii Convention 2011 in the “Study of the Service” section. He had kindly allowed me to do so. Just as I remembered at the Convention, I felt like I could feel the importance of the Service through his voice and action. It was definitely inspiring and appropriate to be put on to this website.

His lecture is titled: “The Importance of the Service”
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ESL class at the Tenri Cultural Institute

The Tenri Cultural Institute (TCI) started teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) because we have been looking for ways to expand our programs. Up until now, our Japanese language classes for adults have been our most popular program averaging about 100 students a session. However, over the years, we have seen a slow decline in the amount of students taking our classes. (Currently there are about 70 adult students.) Several years ago, we started Japanese classes for children and that has become quite popular. We now have more children than adults taking Japanese classes.

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A haiga by Rev. Kuniharu Shimizu.

This morning again I uploaded a haiga (artwork inspired by haiku poem) on my blog. This has become my daily habit since about two years ago. My blog is about haiku, haiga, and haibun (prose with haiku). I write my own haiku poems and make haiga for them. But, mostly I make haiga for someone else’s haiku, for those written by haiku poets throughout the world. And I call this endeavor “art hinokishin.” Read the rest of this entry »