View source for Oomoto

{{Short description|Religion founded in 1892 in Japan}}
{{Other uses|Omoto (disambiguation){{!}}Omoto}}
{{Infobox religion
| icon                = 
| icon_width          = 
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| name                = Oomoto
| native_name         = 大本 (おおもと/おほもと)
| native_name_lang    = ja
| image               = おほもと.png
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| abbreviation        = 
| type                = Universal spiritual organization
| main_classification = [[Sect Shinto|Sectarian Shinto sect]]
| orientation         = 
| scripture           = {{hlist|''[[Oomoto Shin'yu]]'' (大本神諭)|''[[Reikai Monogatari]]'' (霊界物語)|''[[Michi no Shiori]]'' (道の栞)|''Michi no Hikari'' (道の光)}}
| theology            = 
| polity              = 
| governance          = 
| structure           = 
| leader_title        = Spiritual leader
| leader_name         = Kurenai Deguchi (出口 紅)
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| area                = 
| language            = {{hlist|Japanese|[[Esperanto]]|English|Portuguese}}
| liturgy             = 
| headquarters        = {{hlist|[[Kameoka, Kyoto]] (administrative)|[[Ayabe, Kyoto]] (spiritual)}}
| territory           = 
| possessions         = 
| founder             = [[Nao Deguchi]] and [[Onisaburo Deguchi]]
| founded_date        = 1892
| founded_place       = [[Ayabe, Kyoto]]
| independence        = 
| reunion             = 
| recognition         = 
| separated_from      = [[Konkokyo]]
| branched_from       = 
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| separations         = {{hlist|[[Seicho-No-Ie]]|[[Church of World Messianity]]|[[Ananaikyo]]|[[Shintō Tenkōkyo]]}}
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| members             = <!-- or | number_of_followers = -->
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| other_names         = Ōmoto-kyō
| publications        = 
| website             = {{URL|https://www.oomoto.or.jp/}}
| website_title1      = Official website
| slogan              = Unu Dio, Unu Mondo, Unu Interlingvo{{efn|Originally in Esperanto rather than Japanese. In English and Japanese: {{nihongo|One God, One World, One Language|一つの神、一つの世界、一つの言葉|Hitotsu no Kami, Hitotsu no Sekai, Hitotsu no Kotoba}}.}}
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}}
[[File:Nao_Deguchi.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Nao Deguchi]], the foundress of Oomoto]]
[[File:Onisaburo Deguchi 2.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Deguchi Onisaburo]], the co-founder of Oomoto]]
[[file:Chouseiden.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Chōseiden'' (長生殿) in [[Ayabe, Kyoto|Ayabe]]]]
{{nihongo|'''Oomoto'''|大本|Ōmoto|{{lit}} "Great Source" or "Great Origin"}},<ref name="Omoto faq">{{cite web| url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enFaq/indexfaq.html| title= Frequently Asked Questions About Oomoto| publisher= Ōmoto| date = 2010}}</ref> also known as {{nihongo|'''Oomoto-kyo'''|大本教|Ōmoto-kyō}}, is a religion founded in the 1890s by [[Nao Deguchi|Deguchi Nao]] (1836–1918) and [[Onisaburo Deguchi|Deguchi Onisaburō]] (1871–1948). Oomoto is typically categorized as a [[Shinto]]-based [[Japanese new religions|Japanese new religion]]. The spiritual leaders of the movement have always been women within the Deguchi family,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tamura |first=Yoshirō |title=Japanese Buddhism: a cultural history |date=2000 |publisher=Kosei Pub. Co |translator=Jeffrey Hunter |isbn=4-333-01684-3 |edition=1st English |location=Tokyo |oclc=45384117}}</ref> along with Onisaburō as its founding ''[[seishi]]'' (spiritual teacher). Since 2001, the movement has been guided by its fifth leader, Kurenai Deguchi.<ref name="Portrait">{{cite book|title=A Portrait of Oomoto: The Way of Art, Spirit and Peace in the 21st Century|first=Bill|last=Roberts|publisher=Oomoto Foundation|date=2006|isbn=9784887560697}}</ref>

Oomoto's administrative headquarters is in [[Kameoka, Kyoto]] (Onisaburo Deguchi's hometown), and its spiritual headquarters is in [[Ayabe, Kyoto]] (Nao Deguchi's hometown). Uniquely among Japanese religions, Oomoto makes extensive use of the constructed language [[Esperanto]] to promote itself as a [[world religion]]. Oomoto has historically engaged in extensive [[interfaith dialogue]] with religions such as the [[Baháʼí Faith]], Christianity, and Islam, since a key tenet of Oomoto is that all religions come from the same source (in Japanese: {{nihongo|''bankyō dōkon''|万教同根}}).<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

Oomoto was brutally suppressed by the Japanese government in 1921 and again in 1935, since the government perceived it to be a threat to its authority. After World War II, Oomoto was fully legalized as a registered religious organization. Various other religions have also been founded by former followers of Oomoto, most notably [[Seicho-No-Ie]] and the [[Church of World Messianity]].<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

==History==
In 1892, [[Nao Deguchi|Deguchi Nao]], a housewife from the town of [[Ayabe, Kyoto|Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture]], declared that she had a "spirit dream" during the [[Japanese New Year]]. She became possessed (''kamigakari'') by [[Ushitora no Konjin]] (艮の金神) and started to transmit the [[kami]]'s words. According to the official Oomoto biography of Deguchi, she came from a family which had long been in poverty, and had pawned nearly all of her possessions to feed her children and invalid husband. After 1895, and with a growing number of followers, Deguchi Nao briefly affiliated herself with the [[Konkokyo|Konkōkyō religion]] until 1897, since she did not yet have government approval for her religious movement.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

In 1898, Deguchi Nao met [[Ueda Kisaburō]], who had previous studies in ''kamigakari'' (spirit possession). In 1899, they established the ''Kinmeikai'' together, which became the ''Kinmei Reigakkai'' later in the same year. In 1900, Kisaburō married Nao's fifth daughter Sumiko and adopted the name [[Deguchi Onisaburō]]. Oomoto was thus established based on Nao's automatic writings (''[[ofudesaki (Oomoto)|Ofudesaki]]'') and Onisaburō's spiritual techniques.<ref name="ProphetMotive">{{cite book|last1=Stalker|first1=Nancy K.|title=Prophet motive : Deguchi Onisaburō, Oomoto, and the rise of new religions in Imperial Japan|url=https://archive.org/details/prophetmotivedeg00stal|url-access=limited|date=2008|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=9780824831721}}</ref>

Since 1908, the group has taken diverse names — ''Dai Nihon Shūseikai'' (大日本修齋會), ''Taihonkyō'' (1913), and ''Kōdō Ōmoto'' (皇道大本) (1916). Later, the movement changed from ''Kōdō Ōmoto'' ("great origin of the imperial way") to just Ōmoto (大本, "great origin") and formed the ''Shōwa Seinenkai'' in 1929 and the ''Shōwa Shinseikai'' (昭和神聖会) in 1934.

{{ill|Asano Wasaburō|ja|浅野和三郎}}, a teacher at {{nihongo|[[Naval War College (Japan)|Naval War College]]|海軍大学校|Kaigun Daigakkō}}, attracted various intellectuals and high-ranking military officials to the movement in 1916. By 1920, the group had their own newspaper, the ''Taishō nichinichi shinbun'' (大正日日新聞), and started to expand overseas. Much of its popularity derived from a method of inducing spirit possession called ''[[chinkon kishin]]'' (鎮魂帰神), which was most widely practiced from 1916 to 1921. Following a police crackdown, Onisaburō banned ''chinkon kishin'' in 1923.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stalker|first1=Nancy K.|title=Prophet motive : Deguchi Onisaburō, Oomoto, and the rise of new religions in Imperial Japan|url=https://archive.org/details/prophetmotivedeg00stal|url-access=limited|date=2008|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=9780824831721|page=[https://archive.org/details/prophetmotivedeg00stal/page/n111 101]|quote=Onisaburō also dealt handily with official disapproval of chinkon kishin, formally abolishing the practice by a declaration on May 25, 1923. Henceforth, limited forms of spirit possession would be allowed strictly for the purposes of meditation and healing.}}</ref> Today, in present-day Oomoto, only the ''chinkon'' (鎮魂) aspect is practiced as a form of meditation, but not the ''kishin'' (帰神) aspect of spirit possession.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Chinkon 鎮魂|magazine=Oomoto Iroha 大本いろは|volume=35|url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iroha035.pdf|access-date=2025-05-10|language=ja}}</ref>

[[File:Oomoto-Kyo 写真通信1921-10月号-60.jpg|thumb|right|200px|News article covering the First Oomoto Incident in 1921]]
[[File:Suppression of Omoto in 1935.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Photograph of site remains during the Second Oomoto Incident in 1935, published in the ''[[Asahi Graph]]'']]
In March 1920, the Ōmoto-affiliated magazine ''Shinrei'' published an edition of ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]'' in Japanese for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shillony |first=Ben-Ami |title=The Russian Protocols of Zion in Japan |url=https://www.iias.asia/the-review/russian-protocols-zion-japan |website=International Institute for Asian Studies}}</ref>

Alarmed by the popularity of Oomoto, the Imperial Japanese government, which promoted ''[[kokutai]]'', [[State Shinto]], and reverence for the emperor, condemned the sect for worshipping [[Kuninotokotachi|Ookunitokotachi]] above [[Amaterasu]], the sun goddess from whom the [[Emperor of Japan]] claimed descent.<ref>James L. McClain, ''Japan: A Modern History'' p 469 {{ISBN|0-393-04156-5}}</ref> This led to two major incidents when Oomoto was persecuted under the ''[[lèse-majesté]]'' law, the {{ill|Newspaper Censorship Law|ja|新聞紙法}}, and the [[Peace Preservation Law#Public Security Preservation Law of 1925|Public Security Preservation Law of 1925]]. In 1921, the first {{nihongo|Oomoto Incident|大本事件|Ōmoto jiken}} resulted in the Oomoto headquarters being destroyed, and Onisaburo and a few of his followers were imprisoned.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

From 1925 until 1933, Oomoto maintained a mission in Paris. From there, missionaries travelled throughout Europe, spreading the word that Onisaburo Deguchi was a [[Messiah]] or [[Maitreya]] who would unify the world.

In 1924, retired naval captain [[Yutaro Yano]] and his associates within the [[Black Dragon Society]] invited Onisaburo to embark on a journey to [[Mongolia]].<ref name="ProphetMotive"/> Onisaburo led a group of Oomoto disciples, including [[Aikido]] founder [[Morihei Ueshiba]]. They were captured by the forces of Chinese warlord [[Zhang Zuolin]], but were released upon realizing they were Japanese nationals. After returning to Japan, Onisaburo established the secular organization ''Jinrui Aizenkai'' (人類愛善会),<ref>{{cite web | title=Jinrui Aizenkai | website=iruh.org | url=https://www.iruh.org/basic-01 | language=ja | access-date=2025-05-08}}</ref> also known as ''Universal Love and Brotherhood'' (ULBA), to promote universal brotherhood and world peace. Religious organizations from around the world, including the [[Baháʼí Faith]], [[Cao Dai]], [[Red Swastika Society]], and [[Universal White Brotherhood]], joined this movement.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

In 1935, the Second Oomoto Incident again left its headquarters in ruins and its leaders in prison. This incident was carried out far more intensively than the previous one in 1921, as the Japanese government sought to completely eradicate all traces of Oomoto shrines and materials.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/> Oomoto was effectively outlawed until the [[surrender of Japan|end of World War II]]. With the Second Oomoto Incident, Oomoto became the first religious organization to be prosecuted under the [[Peace Preservation Law#Public Security Preservation Law of 1925|Public Security Preservation Law of 1925]].

After World War II, Oomoto reappeared as ''Aizen-en'' (愛善苑), a movement dedicated to achieve world peace which was led by Onisaburo Deguchi's eldest grandson Yasuaki Deguchi ([[:ja:出口和明|出口和明]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Yasuaki Deguchi 出口和明|website=Aikido Journal|date=2011-08-27|url=https://aikidojournal.com/2011/08/27/yasuaki-deguchi/|access-date=2025-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=出口王仁三郎聖師提唱の愛善苑|title=Yasuaki Deguchi|url=http://www.aizenen.info/en/mo/yas.html|language=ja|access-date=2025-01-30}}</ref> It was registered in 1946 under the Religious Corporations Ordinance. Yasuaki Deguchi considered Onisaburo rather than Nao to be the main founder of the religion, and thus used Onisaburo's ''Reikai Monogatari'' as its main scripture.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stalker|first1=Nancy K.|title=Prophet motive : Deguchi Onisaburō, Oomoto, and the rise of new religions in Imperial Japan|url=https://archive.org/details/prophetmotivedeg00stal|url-access=limited|date=2008|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=9780824831721}}</ref>

In 1949, Oomoto joined the [[World Federalist Movement]] and the World Peace campaign.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} In 1952, the group returned to its older name, becoming the religious corporation Oomoto under the Religious Corporations Law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enFaq/indexfaq.html|title=Frequently Asked Questions About Oomoto}}</ref> Since then, Oomoto has opened various international branches, including Oomoto do Brasil (headquartered in [[Jandira]], São Paulo, Brazil).<ref>{{cite web | title=fale conosco | website=Oomoto do Brasil | url=https://www.oomotodobrasil.org.br/fale-conosco | language=pt | access-date=2025-02-13}}</ref>

==Spiritual leadership==
Oomoto's spiritual leaders, all of whom belong to the Deguchi (出口) family, are:<ref>{{cite web | title=The Foundress and Successive Spiritual Leaders – 大本公式日本語サイト | website=大本公式日本語サイト – | date=2021-02-24 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/english/the-foundress-and-successive-spiritual-leaders/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref>

*Main Founder (active 1892–1918): [[Nao Deguchi]] (出口なお; 1837–1918); also referred to as the {{nihongo|Foundress|開祖|Kaiso}}
*Co-Founder (active 1898–1948): [[Onisaburo Deguchi]] (出口王仁三郎; 1871–1948); also referred to as the {{nihongo|Holy Teacher|聖師|Seishi}}
*Second Spiritual Leader: [[Sumi Deguchi]] ([[:ja:出口すみ子|出口すみ子]]; 1883–1952), Onisaburo's wife
*Third Spiritual Leader: Naohi Deguchi ([[:ja:出口直日|出口直日]]; 1902–1990), Onisaburo's eldest daughter
**Alternate Spiritual Leader: Hidemaru Deguchi ([[:ja:出口日出麿|出口日出麿]]) (1897–1991), husband of Naohi Deguchi
*Fourth Spiritual Leader: Kiyoko Deguchi ([[:ja:出口聖子|出口聖子]]; 1935–2001), Naohi's third daughter
*Fifth Spiritual Leader: Kurenai Deguchi (出口紅; 1956–present), Kiyoko's niece, who has served as Fifth Spiritual Leader of Oomoto since 29 April 2001

Oomoto's spiritual headquarters, called Baishō-en (梅松苑), is in [[Ayabe, Kyoto]], due to its association with Nao Deguchi's founding of the religion in Ayabe. However, its administrative headquarters, called Ten'on-kyō (天恩郷), is in [[Kameoka, Kyoto]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Spiritual Centers – 大本公式日本語サイト | website=大本公式日本語サイト | date=2021-02-24 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/english/spiritual-centers/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref> Oomoto also has a mission center, called Tōkō-en (東光苑), in [[Taitō]], Tokyo.

==Scriptures==
{{See also|Onisaburo Deguchi#Selected works}}
The two main scriptures (basic ''kyōten'' 根本教典) used in Oomoto are:
*''[[Oomoto Shin'yu]]'' (大本神諭, 277 sections), composed during 1892–1918 (originally dictated by Nao Deguchi as the ''Ofudesaki''; reinterpreted and edited by Onisaburo Deguchi to become the ''Oomoto Shin'yu'')
*''[[Reikai Monogatari]]'' (霊界物語, 81 sections), composed during 1921–1934 (dictated by Onisaburo Deguchi)

Of the two, the ''Reikai Monogatari'' is by far the most commonly consulted and used scripture in present-day Oomoto.

Next in importance are two scriptures (''kyōten'' 教典) composed by Onisaburo Deguchi during the first decade of the 20th century, namely {{nihongo|''[[Michi no Shiori]]''|道の栞|}} ({{lit|Guide to the Way}})<ref>{{cite book |last=Deguchi |first=Onisaburo |date=1997 |translator-last1=Rowe |translator-first1=Charles |title=Divine Signposts |location=Kameoka |publisher=Oomoto Foundation |language=en |url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/english/books/the-international-edition-of-divine-signposts/}}</ref> and {{nihongo|''Michi no Hikari''|道の光|}} ({{lit|Light on the Way}}).<ref>{{cite web | title=大本の教典・教説書 – 大本公式日本語サイト | website=大本公式日本語サイト – | date=2017-05-11 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/kyoutenn/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-05-08}}</ref>

There are also various other less commonly used texts, such as ''Izunome Shin'yu'' (伊都能売神諭, 37 volumes, composed during 1918–1919), and the ''Three Mirrors'' or ''San Kagami'' (三鏡, 844 chapters total) by Onisaburo Deguchi, which consists of the ''Water Mirror'' (水鏡, 249 chapters), ''Moon Mirror'' (月鏡, 212 chapters), and ''Jade Mirror'' (玉鏡, 383 chapters).<ref>{{cite web | title=三鏡 | website=霊界物語ネット | url=https://reikaimonogatari.net/index.php?obc=kg | language=ja | access-date=2025-02-06}}</ref>

==Sacred sites==
[[File:Mount Hongu, Ayabe - wider view of summit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The summit of Mount Hongu in Ayabe]]
[[File:Onisaburo Deguchi Cave - overview.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Cave of Onisaburo Deguchi on [[Mount Takakuma]]]]
Oomoto has numerous sacred sites, some of which are:<ref>{{cite web | title=霊場（霊山・霊地） – 大本公式日本語サイト | website=大本公式日本語サイト – | date=2020-08-17 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/reizannreiti/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=霊場 | website=大本 - 身魂の立替え立直し | date=2022-09-11 | url=https://www.omt.gr.jp/o69 | language=ja | access-date=2025-02-06}}</ref>

*[[Kutsujima, Kyoto|Kutsujima]] (沓島), and nearby Kanmurijima (冠島) and Meshima (女島), considered sacred to [[Ushitora no Konjin]] (艮の金神)<ref name="FAQ">{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Bill | title=Frequently Asked Questions About Oomoto | website=大本公式サイト/ Oomoto Official Site | date=2010-05-20 | url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enFaq/indexfaq.html | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref>
*[[Takakuma-yama]] (高熊山) (354.9 metres) in Anao (穴太), [[Kameoka, Kyoto]]; Onisaburo Deguchi performed spiritual training for one week in a cave<!--Q131950658--> on the mountain during March 1–7, 1898<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Takakumayama 高熊山|magazine=Oomoto Iroha 大本いろは|volume=45|url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iroha045.pdf|access-date=2025-01-30|language=ja}}</ref>
*[[Mount Hongū (Ayabe)|Mount Hongū]] (本宮山) (92 metres) (also known as Tsuruyama 鶴山 or Maruyama 丸山<ref>{{cite web | title=綾部・梅松苑 | website=大本 - 身魂の立替え立直し | date=2022-09-11 | url=https://www.omt.gr.jp/o67 | language=ja | access-date=2025-04-27}}</ref>) in Ayabe, located on the grounds of Baishō-en (梅松苑)
*[[Mount Misen (Ayabe)|Misen-zan]] (弥仙山) (664 metres) in Ayabe,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Misenzan 弥仙山|magazine=Oomoto Iroha 大本いろは|volume=46|url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iroha046.pdf|access-date=2025-01-30|language=ja}}</ref> where Nao Deguchi secluded herself in 1901<ref name="mountains">{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Bill | title=A Letter from Oomoto: Of mountains and myths | website=大本公式サイト / Oomoto Official Site | date=1903-04-28 | url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enVisitor/enBill35.html | access-date=2025-02-04}}</ref>
*Hachibuse-yama ([[:ja:鉢伏山 (香美町)|鉢伏山]]) (1,221 metres) in [[Kami, Hyōgo (Mikata)|Kami]], [[Mikata District, Hyōgo]],<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hachibuseyama 鉢伏山|magazine=Oomoto Iroha 大本いろは|volume=47|url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iroha047.pdf|access-date=2025-01-30|language=ja}}</ref> climbed by Onisaburo Deguchi just after World War II<ref name="mountains"/>
*Ashiwake-yama (芦別山) (1,727 metres) in the [[Yūbari Mountains]] in Hokkaido, where the kami [[Kuni-no-Tokotachi]]-no-Mikoto (国常立尊) resides.
*Miyabaru-yama (宮原山), a mountain on [[Kikaijima]] (or Kikaigashima) in [[Kagoshima Prefecture]], where the kami Toyokumonu-no-Mikoto (豊雲野尊) resides.
*The [[Kumayama ruins]] on Kumayama (熊山) (508 metres), a mountain in eastern [[Okayama]]

==Festivals==
Four major {{nihongo|festivals|大祭|taisai}} are held for each of the four seasons.<ref>{{cite web | title=Organization and Activities – 大本公式日本語サイト | website=大本公式日本語サイト – | date=2021-02-24 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/english/organization-and-activities/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref>

*{{nihongo|[[Setsubun]] Grand Festival|節分大祭|Setsubun taisai}}, February 3, Ayabe
*{{nihongo|Spring Grand Festival|みろく大祭|[[Maitreya|Miroku]] taisai}}, May 5, Ayabe
*{{nihongo|Summer Grand Festival|瑞生大祭|Zuisei taisai}}, August 7 (traditionally the 12th day of 7th lunar month), Kameoka<ref name="Handbook"/>
*{{nihongo|Autumn Grand Festival|開祖大祭|Kaiso taisai}}, or the Foundress' Festival, November 6, Ayabe

==Art==
Oomoto and its adherents promote Japanese arts and culture, such as [[Noh]] theater, calligraphy, ceramics, and the [[Japanese tea ceremony|tea ceremony]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Visual Reference Guides: Religions|last=Wilkinson|first=Philip|publisher=Metro Books|year=2016|isbn=978-1-4351-2132-4|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/religions0000wilk/page/276 276]|quote=The group encourages the Japanese arts, such as Noh theater and the tea ceremony, and sponsors a volunteer organization that does aid work, campaigns for peace...|url=https://archive.org/details/religions0000wilk/page/276}}</ref> According to Onisaburo Deguchi, {{nihongo|"Art is the mother of religion"|芸術は宗教の母|geijutsu wa shūkyō no haha}}.<ref name="Handbook"/> This perspective was also shared by Oomoto follower [[Mokichi Okada]], who founded both the [[Church of World Messianity]] and the [[MOA Museum of Art]] in [[Atami]].<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

==Use of Esperanto==
[[File:Oomoto Kameoka - Esperanta Monumento stone closeup.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An inscribed stone in Kameoka with the official motto of Oomoto in Esperanto: ''Unu Dio, Unu Mondo, Unu Interlingvo'' ("One God, One World, One Language")]]
{{See also|Esperanto in Japan}}
The artificial language [[Esperanto]] plays a major role in the Oomoto religion. Starting from the early 1920s, the religion has published a large amount of literature in Esperanto. Onisaburo Deguchi reportedly introduced Esperanto back when he had interfaith dialogues with the [[Baháʼí Faith]] in 1921. Many Oomoto facilities in [[Kameoka, Kyoto]] have multilingual signs in Japanese and Esperanto. Today, Oomoto continues to publish numerous books, periodicals, pamphlets, and websites in Esperanto; some materials (translation of Japanese texts, etc.) are actually more extensive in Esperanto than in English.<ref>{{cite web | title=ĉef paĝo | website=Oomoto (Esperanto) | url=https://www.oomoto.or.jp/Esperanto/index-es.html | language=eo | access-date=2025-05-02}}</ref>

The creator of Esperanto, [[L. L. Zamenhof]], is revered in Oomoto as a [[kami]]. The Oomoto affirmation of Zamenhof's enshrinement as a kami is stated, in Esperanto, as follows:

<blockquote>
{{lang|eo|...[L]a spirito de Zamenhof eĉ nun daŭre agadas kiel misiisto de la anĝela regno; do, lia spirito estis [[wikt:apoteozo|apoteozita]] en la kapeleto Senrej-ŝa.}}<ref name="Oomoto-eo">{{cite web| url=  http://www.oomoto.or.jp/Esperanto/esDokt/demres.html| title=  Demandoj kaj Respondoj| publisher=  Ōmoto| access-date = 19 July 2014}}</ref>
</blockquote>

The text above as translated into English is:

<blockquote>
...[T]he spirit of Zamenhof even now continues to act as a missionary of the angelic kingdom; therefore, his spirit was [[Apotheosis|deified]] in the Senrei-sha shrine.
</blockquote>

==Doctrine==
The {{nihongo|Oomoto basic doctrine|大本教旨|Ōmoto kyōshi}}, also known as the ''shinjin itchi'' ({{lang|ja|神人一致}}), states that:<ref>{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Bill | title=Frequently Asked Questions About Oomoto | website=大本公式サイト/ Oomoto Official Site | date=2010-05-20 | url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enFaq/indexfaq.html | access-date=2025-02-06}}</ref>
{{poem quote|God is the Spirit which pervades the entire universe,
and man is the focus of the workings of heaven and earth.
When God and man become one,
infinite power will become manifest.<ref>{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Bill | title=Teachings and Scriptures | website=大本公式サイト/ Oomoto Official Site | date=2010-05-20 | url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enDokt/dokt-en.html | access-date=2025-02-06}}</ref>}}

The original Japanese text of the ''Ōmoto kyōshi'' is:
{{poem quote|神は万物普遍の霊にして (''kami wa banbutsu fuhen no rei ni shite'')
人は天地経綸の主体なり、 (''hito wa tenchi keirin no shutai nari'')
神人合一して (''shinjin gōitsu shite'')
茲に無限の権力を発揮す。 (''koko ni mugen no kenryoku o hakki su'')<ref>{{cite web | title=教旨・学則・綱領・主義 | website=大本 - 身魂の立替え立直し | date=2022-09-05 | url=https://www.omt.gr.jp/o82 | language=ja | access-date=2025-02-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=大本教旨・三大学則 – 大本公式日本語サイト | website=大本公式日本語サイト – | date=2017-05-11 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/oomotokyoushi/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-02-06}}</ref>}}

The fundamental ways to reach God are the called the {{nihongo|Three Great Rules of Learning|三大学則|sandai gakusoku}}:<ref name="Handbook">{{cite book | last=Stalker | first=Nancy K. | title=Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements | chapter=Ōmoto | publisher=Brill | date=2018 | isbn=978-90-04-36297-0 | doi=10.1163/9789004362970_005 | pages=52–67}}</ref>
*{{nihongo|Body of God should be known through observation of the truth of the universe.|天地の真象を観察して、真神の体を思考すべし|tenchi no shinshō o kansatsu shite, shinkami no karada o shikō subeshi}}
*{{nihongo|Force of God should be known through the preciseness of motions of everything.|万有の運化の毫差なきを視て、真神の力を思考すべし|ban'yu no unka no naki o mite, shinkami no chikara o shikō subeshi}}
*{{nihongo|Spirit of God should be known through recognition of souls of lives.|活物の心性を覚悟して真神の霊魂を思考すべし|katsumono no shinsei o kakugo shite shinkami no reikon o shikō subeshi}}

{{nihongo|The Four Teachings|四大綱領|shidai kōryō}} are:<ref name="Handbook"/>
*{{nihongo|Rites and governance following the Way of the kami|祭：惟神の大道|[[matsuri]] – kannagara no daidō}}
*{{nihongo|Doctrine teaching the truth of heaven|教：天授の真理|oshie – tenju no shinri}}. ''Oshie'' (doctrine) is summarized in the 2018 book ''Oomoto no oshie'' (大本のおしえ).<ref>{{cite book |author=Oomoto Doctrinal Institute 大本教学研鑽所 |title=Oomoto no oshie 大本のおしえ |date=2018 |url=https://onipedia.info/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%AE%E3%81%8A%E3%81%97%E3%81%88_(%E5%A4%A9%E5%A3%B0%E7%A4%BE) |location=Kameoka |publisher=Tenseisha 天声社 |isbn=9784887560956 |language=ja}}</ref>
*{{nihongo|Traditional norms, following the Way of God and man|慣：天人道の常|narawashi – tenjindō no tsune}}
*{{nihongo|Appropriate work|造：適宜の事務|nariwai – tekigi no jimu}}

{{nihongo|The Four Principles|四大主義|shidai shugi}} are:<ref name="Handbook"/>
*{{nihongo|Purity – purification of mind and body|清潔主義：心身修祓の大道|seiketsu shugi – shinshin shūbatsu no daidō}}
*{{nihongo|Optimism – faith in the goodness of the Way of the Gods|楽天主義：天地惟神の大道|rakuten shugi – tenchi kannagara no taidō}}
*{{nihongo|Progressivism – way of social improvement|進展主義：社会改善の大道|shinten shugi – shakai kaizen no daidō}}
*{{nihongo|Unification – the reconciliation of all dichotomies|統一主義：上下一致の大道|tōitsu shugi – jōge itchi no daidō}}

A core Oomoto teaching is:<ref name="Handbook"/>
*{{nihongo|All religions spring from the same root|万教同根|bankyō dōkon}} – This was first mentioned as {{nihongo|諸教同根|shōkeu dōkon}} in Chapter 6, Volume 23 of the ''[[Reikai Monogatari]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title=第23章 諸教同根｜第6巻｜霊主体従｜霊界物語｜霊界物語ネット | website=ホーム｜霊界物語ネット | url=https://reikaimonogatari.net/index.php?obc=rm0623 | language=ja | access-date=2025-05-11}}</ref> This phrase encapsulates Onisaburo Deguchi's view of Shinto as a universalist religion, rather than as an isolationist religious tradition indigenous to Japan.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Miura | first=Takashi | title=Shintō is the Indigenous Religion of the World | journal=Journal of Religion in Japan | publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH | volume=7 | issue=1 | date=2018-11-08 | issn=2211-8330 | doi=10.1163/22118349-00701003 | pages=57–81}}</ref> In [[Seicho-No-Ie]], a religion founded by Oomoto follower [[Masaharu Taniguchi]], this is reworded as {{nihongo|"All religions are one"|万教帰一|bankyō kītsu}}.

==Beliefs and theology==
Oomoto is essentially a neo-Shinto religious movement.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}} Oomoto doctrine has also integrated ''[[kokugaku]]'' teachings and modern ideas on world harmony and peace.

===God===
In Oomoto, the one supreme God who created the universe is called '''Oomoto-sume-oomikami''' (Japanese: 大天主太神 or おおもとすめおおみかみ).<ref>{{cite web | title=祭神 | website=大本公式日本語サイト | date=2017-03-01 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/saijin/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-01-30}}</ref> ''Oomoto'' means the "Great Origin", ''sume'' means "govern", and ''Oomikami'' means God. All ''[[kami]]'' are considered to be manifestations of this one God. In an account from the ''[[Reikai Monogatari]]'', the universe began with the sudden advent of "ヽ", which is called "hochi". It then develops into "◉", called "su". This is the [[kotodama]] of "su" and is the great origin of God.

===Kami===
Members of Oomoto believe in several ''[[kami]]'' (minor deities or spirits). The most important are '''[[Ushitora no Konjin]]''' (the kami of Nao Deguchi's initial divine possession in 1892), '''[[Kuninotokotachi|Ookunitokotachi]]''', and '''Hitsujisaru'''. Various religious figures from other religions, or even notable non-religious figures, are recognized as kami – for example, the creator of Esperanto, [[L. L. Zamenhof]].<ref name="Oomoto-eo"/>

===Cosmology===
Oomoto's goal is the realization of the world of [[Maitreya|Miroku]] or {{nihongo|Miroku no yo|みろくの世|}} ("the world to come"), which means heaven in the real world. It is expressed in various ways, such as {{nihongo|"from [[plum blossom]] to [[pine]]"|梅で開いて松で治める|ume de aite matsu de osameru}} (mentioned at the beginning of the ''[[Oomoto Shin'yu]]''), "purification of the world", "the opening of [[Amano-Iwato]] of the world", "the world of [[quartz|clear quartz]]", and so on.

Oomoto recognizes two realms, the physical world and the {{nihongo|spiritual world|霊界|reikai}}, both of which are interconnected. In turn, the spiritual world consists of three parts:<ref name="Handbook"/>
*{{Nihongo|Heaven|高天原|Takama-no-hara}} ({{lit|high plain of heaven}})
*{{Nihongo|Purgatory|天の八衢|Ame-no-yachimata}} ({{lit|eight sections of heaven}})
*{{Nihongo|Underworld|根国|Ne-no-kuni}} ({{lit|root country}})

Nao Deguchi's prophecies stated that events which occur in Ayabe would also occur in Japan or throughout the world.<ref>{{cite web | title=明治31年旧11月30日｜大本神諭 | website=霊界物語ネット | url=https://reikaimonogatari.net/index.php?obc=os073 | language=ja | access-date=2025-05-11 | quote=綾部あやべの大元おおもとに在ありた事ことは皆みな世界せかいに在あるぞよ。}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Fragmento de &quot;Diaj Revelacioj&quot; | website=大本公式サイト / Oomoto Official Site | date=2003-03-26 | url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/Esperanto/esBook/reve/index.html | language=eo | access-date=2025-05-11 | quote=235. La aferoj, okazantaj en Oomoto, Ajabe, la origina loko de Dio, ĉiuj okazos ankaŭ en la mondo. ("The things that happen in Oomoto, Ayabe, the original place of God, will all happen in the world.")}}</ref> The Japanese government's suppression of Oomoto, consisting of the 1921 and 1935 Oomoto incidents, is considered to have been an omen of World War II and the consequent destruction of Japan.

==Meal prayer==
[[File:Oomoto cafeteria Esperanto prayer.jpg|thumb|right|A bilingual [[Esperanto]]-Japanese prayer in appreciation of food at the Oomoto headquarters' cafeteria in [[Kameoka, Kyoto]]]]
In Oomoto, a [[grace (meals)|prayer]] is often recited before meals, after which "''[[itadakimasu]]''" is said. The prayer consists of three ''[[tanka]]'' poems (known in Japanese as the "Three-Poem Song" 三首のお歌) composed by Oomoto's second spiritual leader, [[Sumiko Deguchi]] (1883–1952). In 1976, Oomoto's third spiritual leader Naohi Deguchi adopted the prayer for use before meals. The prayer in Japanese, along with a literal English translation, is as follows.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iroha030.pdf |title=Oomoto Iroha 大本いろは vol. 30 |website=oomoto.or.jp |date=2020 |access-date=2025-05-01}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ 
|-
!scope="col" style="width: 50%;"|Japanese (original text)
!scope="col" style="width: 50%;"|English (literal translation)
|-
|{{poemquote|{{ruby-ja|天|てん}}の{{ruby-ja|恩|おん}}{{ruby-ja|地|ち}}のめぐみに{{ruby-ja|生|うま}}れたる
{{ruby-ja|菜|な}}{{ruby-ja|乃|の}}{{ruby-ja|葉|は}}{{ruby-ja|一|いち}}{{ruby-ja|枚|まい}}むだに{{ruby-ja|捨|す}}てまじ

一つぶの{{ruby-ja|米|こめ}}のなかにも{{ruby-ja|三|さん}}{{ruby-ja|体|たい}}の
{{ruby-ja|神|みず}}いますことを{{ruby-ja|夢|ゆめ}}な{{ruby-ja|忘|わす}}れそ

{{ruby-ja|火|ひ}}のご{{ruby-ja|恩|おん}}{{ruby-ja|水|みず}}のおめぐみ{{ruby-ja|地|ち}}の{{ruby-ja|恩|おん}}
これが{{ruby-ja|天|てん}}{{ruby-ja|地|ち}}の{{ruby-ja|神|かみ}}のみすがた
}}
|{{poemquote|Let not a single leaf, born from the blessings of heaven and earth, be thrown away in vain.

Let us never forget that even in a single grain of rice are the Three Gods.

The blessings of fire, water, and earth: These are the forms of the gods of heaven and earth.
}}
|}

The official Esperanto and Portuguese translations of the prayer, which do not always follow the exact meaning of the Japanese original, are:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oomoto.or.jp/Esperanto/_src/sc7398/oomotointernacia01.pdf |title=Oomoto Internacia |website=oomoto.or.jp |date=2006 |access-date=2025-05-01}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ 
|-
!scope="col" style="width: 50%;"|Esperanto (official translation)
!scope="col" style="width: 50%;"|Portuguese (official translation)
|-
|{{poemquote|Nur senutila ne lasu eĉ peceton
legomfolian naskitan el favoro
de l'ĉielo kaj tero.

Favoron Dian forgesu ni neniam:
eĉ en rizero troviĝas
la Tri Dioj de l'ĉielo kaj tero.

De l'fajro, akvo kaj tero,
la favoroj kiuj nutras nin –
jen Di-figuro vera de l'ĉielo kaj tero.
}}
|{{poemquote|
Não devemos desprezar
nem mesmo uma folha,
pois tudo é criado pela graça de Deus.

Em nenhum momento devemos nos esquecer
que existe a graça de Deus,
mesmo num grão de arroz.

Deus se manifesta no Universo através
das graças concedidas pelo fogo,
pela água, pela terra.
}}
|}

==Notable followers==
One of the more well-known followers of Oomoto was [[Morihei Ueshiba]], a Japanese [[martial art]]ist and the founder of [[Aikido]]. It is commonly thought that Ueshiba's increasing attachment to [[pacifism]] in later years and belief that Aikido should be an "art of peace" were inspired by his involvement with the sect. Oomoto priests oversee a ceremony in Ueshiba's honor every April 29 at the [[Aiki Shrine]] at Iwama.

Onisaburo Deguchi taught a type of meditation and spirit possesssion technique called ''[[chinkon kishin]]'' (鎮魂帰神) to some of his most devoted followers, many of whom went on to establish their own religions. They include:<ref name="Staemmler">{{cite book | last=Staemmler | first=Birgit | title=Chinkon Kishin | publisher=LIT Verlag Münster | publication-place=Berlin | date=2009 | isbn=978-3-8258-6899-4}}</ref>

* [[Masaharu Taniguchi]] (谷口雅春), founder of [[Seicho-No-Ie]], was a follower of Oomoto prior to founding his own religion.
* [[Mokichi Okada]] (岡田茂吉), founder of the [[Church of World Messianity]] ({{aka}} ''Sekai Kyūsei-kyō''), was a follower of Oomoto prior to founding his own religion.
* Wasaburō Asano ([[:ja:浅野和三郎|浅野和三郎]]), a spiritualist who founded the {{nihongo|Psychic Science Research Society|[[:ja:心霊科学研究会|心霊科学研究会]]|Shinrei kagaku kenkyūkai}}
* [[Yonosuke Nakano]] (中野與之助), founder of [[Ananaikyo]], was originally an Oomoto follower before founding his own religion.
* [[Yoshisane Tomokiyo]] ([[:ja:友清歓真|友清歓真]]), founder of [[Shintō Tenkōkyo]], was originally an Oomoto follower before founding his own religion.

More recent Oomoto followers during the late 20th and 21st centuries include:

* [[Alex Kerr (Japanologist)|Alex Kerr]], American writer and Japanologist, worked for the Oomoto Foundation for 20 years starting in 1977.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://alexkerr.net/about-me/| title=About Me| publisher=Alex Kerr| access-date=2022-03-08}}</ref>
* Bill Roberts, American writer active at the Oomoto Foundation
* [[Haruhisa Handa]], founder of the religious organization World Mate
* [[Yamantaka Eye]], visual artist, DJ and member of avant musical group [[Boredoms]]

==Oomoto-inspired religions==
Various religions have been inspired by Oomoto, many of which were founded by Oomoto followers familiar with {{nihongo|''[[chinkon kishin]]''|鎮魂帰神}} ({{lit|calming the soul and returning to the divine}}) as practiced in Oomoto.<ref name="Handbook"/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stalker|first1=Nancy K.|title=Prophet motive : Deguchi Onisaburō, Oomoto, and the rise of new religions in Imperial Japan|url=https://archive.org/details/prophetmotivedeg00stal|url-access=limited|date=2008|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=9780824831721|page=[https://archive.org/details/prophetmotivedeg00stal/page/n113 103]|quote=Oomoto’s new style of healing became the fundamental form used by several later sects descended from it. [[Okada Mokichi]], the founder of [[Sekai Kyūseikyō]], began his spiritual career as a healer for Oomoto. His new sect achieved prominence in the postwar period through the promotion of ''[[jōrei]]'', or spiritual purification, an energy-channeling healing technique whereby a “white light tinged with gold” was channeled through the hand. Sekai Kyūseikyō in turn spawned dozens of other healing-based sects, such as [[Mahikari movement|Mahikari]] and [[Shinji Shūmeikai]]. [[Taniguchi Masaharu]]'s [[Seichō-no-Ie]], established in 1930, employs a meditative procedure called ''shinsōkan'', based on ''chinkon kishin'', to help individuals perceive divine reality.}}</ref> Since Oomoto believes that {{nihongo|"all religions come from the same root"|万教同根|bankyō dōkon}}, these other new religious movements are not seen as heretical, but are in fact even encouraged.

* [[Ananaikyo]]
* [[Shintō Tenkōkyo]]
* [[Seicho-No-Ie]]
* [[Shōroku Shintō Yamatoyama]]
* "Divine light" (''[[johrei]]'' / ''okiyome''-practicing) religions
** [[Church of World Messianity]] and related splinter groups such as [[Shinji Shumeikai]]
** [[Mahikari movement]] religions (including [[Sukyo Mahikari]] and [[World Divine Light]])
* [[:ja:World Mate|World Mate]], founded by [[Haruhisa Handa]] in 1984

Many of these religions have meditation and divine healing practices derived from Oomoto's {{nihongo|''chinkon kishin''|鎮魂帰神}}. They include:<ref>{{cite book | last=Staemmler | first=Birgit | title=Chinkon Kishin | publisher=LIT Verlag Münster | publication-place=Berlin | date=2009 | isbn=978-3-8258-6899-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Chinkon kishin: Mediated Spirit Possession in Japanese New Religions (review) | journal=Monumenta Nipponica | publisher=Project MUSE | volume=65 | issue=2 | year=2010 | issn=1880-1390 | doi=10.1353/mni.2010.0008 | pages=429–433}}</ref>

*{{nihongo|''chinkon kishin''|鎮魂帰神}} in [[Ananaikyō]]
*{{nihongo|''chinkon kishin''|鎮魂帰神}} in [[Shintō Tenkōkyo]]
*{{nihongo|''[[shinsōkan]]''|神想観}} in [[Seicho-No-Ie]]
*{{nihongo|''[[jōrei]]''|浄霊}} in [[Sekai Kyūseikyō]]
*{{nihongo|''okiyome''|お浄め}} in [[Mahikari]]
*''seishin tōitsu'' in Asano Wasaburō ([[:ja:浅野和三郎|浅野和三郎]])'s spiritualist organizations

Various practices and teachings in [[Makoto no Michi]] are inspired by Oomoto, including similar spirit possession practices.<ref>{{cite web | title=神示 | website=宗教法人真の道 - 那須に中心の宮を置く古神道 | date=2018-12-31 | url=https://www.makoto.or.jp/archives/64/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-06-03}}</ref> Makoto no Michi's sacred geography is derived from that of the ''[[Reikai Monogatari]]'', in which Japan is viewed as a {{nihongo|model|雛形|hinagata}} of the world. [[Hokkaido]] is viewed as the equivalent of North America, [[Honshu]] as Eurasia, [[Shikoku]] as Australia, [[Kyushu]] as Africa, Taiwan as South America, and so on; these equivalences stem from their common mythical origins during the creation of the world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hagiwara |first=Shinmei 萩原真明 |date=2000 |title=Makoto no Michi shinji (vol. 2) 真の道神示 第二集 |location=Tokyo |publisher=Makoto no Michi Publishing Department 真の道出版部 |pages=250-1}}</ref> The geographic equivalents of the main Japanese islands and Taiwan with the world's continents are identical in both Oomoto and Makoto no Michi.

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book | last=Stalker | first=Nancy K. | title=Prophet Motive : Deguchi Onisaburō, Oomoto, and the rise of new religions in Imperial Japan | publisher=University of Hawaii Press | publication-place=Honolulu | date=2008 | isbn=978-0-8248-3172-1}}
* {{cite thesis| last=Amis |first=Joel |date=2015 |title=The Japanese new religion Oomoto : reconciliation of nativist and internationalist trends |publisher=Université du Québec à Montréal |type=Master's thesis |url=https://archipel.uqam.ca/8089/}}
* {{cite book|last=Betihon|first=Jean-Pierre|date=1985|title= Omoto, espérance millénariste d'une nouvelle religion japonaise|location=Paris|publisher=Atelier Alpha Bleue|pages=169|language=fr}}
* {{cite book|last=Ooms|first=Emily Groszos|date=1993|title=Women and Millenarian Protest in Meiji Japan: Deguchi Nao and Omotokyo|location=Ithaca, New York|publisher=East Asia Program, Cornell University|pages=146|isbn=978-0-939657-61-2}}
* ''The Great Onisaburo Deguchi'', by Kyotaro Deguchi, translated by Charles Rowe, {{ISBN|4-900586-54-4}}
* Hino, Iwao (日野巌). ''The Outline of Oomoto''. Kameoka, Japan, 1968.
* Murakami, Shigeyoshi ([[:ja:村上重良|村上重良]]). ''Japanese Religion in the Modern Century''. Translated by [[H. Byron Earhart]]. Tokyo, 1980. Originally published as Kindai hyakunen no shukyo. {{ISBN|978-0-86008-260-6}}
* {{cite book | last1=Staemmler | first1=Birgit | last2=Dehn | first2=Ulrich M. | title=Establishing the Revolutionary: An Introduction to New Religions in Japan | publisher=LIT Verlag | publication-place=Münster | date=2011 | isbn=978-3-643-90152-1 | url=https://lit-verlag.de/isbn/978-3-643-90152-1/}}
* Yasumaru, Yoshio ([[:ja:安丸良夫|安丸良夫]]). ''Deguchi Nao''. Tokyo, 1977.
* Oomoto Overseas Department 海外宣伝課 (ed.) (1933). [[commons:File:NDL1137286 大本トハ何ゾヤ.pdf|''Kio estas Oomoto?'']]. Kameoka: Tenseisha. {{doi|10.11501/1137286}}. {{in lang|eo}}

Publications from the Oomoto Foundation:<ref>{{cite web | title=Books | website=大本公式日本語サイト | date=2021-02-26 | url=https://oomoto.or.jp/wp/english/books/ | language=ja | access-date=2025-01-30}}</ref>
* {{cite book|title=The Great Onisaburo Deguchi|first=Kyotaro|last=Deguchi|translator-first=Charles|translator-last=Rowe|date=1998|isbn=4-900586-54-4|publisher=Kodansha, Ltd.}} (originally published in Japanese as ''Kyojin Deguchi Onisaburo'' in 1967)
* {{cite book|title=Bankyo Dokon: Seventy Years of Inter-Religious Activity at Oomoto (Oomoto International Special Issue)|editor-first=Alex|editor-last=Kerr|publisher=Oomoto Foundation 1997}}
* {{cite book|title=In Search of Meaning: A collection of thoughts on life, pearls of wisdom taken from a young man's diary|first=Hidemaru|last=Deguchi|translator-first=William|translator-last=Gilkey and|translator-first2=Masamichi|translator-last2=Tanaka|publisher=Oomoto Foundation 1994}} (originally published in Japanese as ''Ikigai no Tankyu'' in 1966 by Kodansha, Ltd.)
* {{cite book|title=Nao Deguchi: A Biography of the Foundress of Oomoto|translator-first=Charles|translator-last=Rowe|translator-first2=Yasuko|translator-last2=Matsudaira|publisher=Oomoto Foundation|date=1982}} (based on the Japanese book ''Kaiso-den'' by Sakae Oishi)
* {{cite book|title=A Portrait of Oomoto: The Way of Art, Spirit and Peace in the 21st Century|first=Bill|last=Roberts|publisher=Oomoto Foundation|date=2006|isbn=9784887560697}}
* {{cite book|title=Portraits of Oomoto: Images of the people, shrines, rituals, sacred places and arts of the Oomoto Shinto religion over two decades|first=Bill|last=Roberts|publisher=Oomoto Foundation|date=2020|isbn=978-4-600-00406-4}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Oomoto}}
;Official websites
* [https://www.oomoto.or.jp/ Oomoto official website]
** [http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/index-en.html English site curated by Bill Roberts] (old version)
** [http://www.oomoto.or.jp/Esperanto/esSeic/seicm-es.html Esperanto site]
** [http://www.oomoto.or.jp/Portuguese/index-po.html Portuguese site]
** [http://www.oomoto.or.jp/Romazi/index.html Romaji site]
* [https://www.oomotodobrasil.org.br/ Oomoto Brazil official website] {{in lang|pt}}
* [http://www.omt.gr.jp/ Oomoto Shinto Rengoukai] (大本神道連合会) {{in lang|ja}}

;Online scriptures and encyclopedic materials
* [https://tenseisha.co.jp/publics/index/20/ Books from Tenseisha] (天声社), Oomoto's publishing house
* [https://reikaimonogatari.net/ reikaimonogatari.net] – texts of various Oomoto scriptures edited by [[:ja:飯塚弘明|Hiroaki Iizuka]] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://onipedia.info/ Onipedia] ({{lang|ja|オニペディア}}), a wiki encyclopedia of Oomoto curated by [[:ja:飯塚弘明|Hiroaki Iizuka]] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.onisaburo.net/ The Moon of Onisaburo Deguchi], an English-language website dedicated to Onisaburo Deguchi and his works

;Others
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051109031711/http://www.tryte.com.br/Oomoto/en/index.php Oomoto] (at www.tryte.com.br)
* ''[https://www.oomoto.jp/enDokon/ Bankyo Dokon] – Seventy Years of Inter-Religious Activity at Oomoto'', Oomoto Foundation, 1997
* ''[https://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enKyos/kaisoden/index.html Nao Deguchi] – A Biography of the Foundress of Oomoto'', Based on Kaiso-den by Sakae Ôishi, translated by Charles Rowe and Yasuko Matsudaira, Oomoto Foundation, 1982
* [http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocument?urn_nbn_se_uu_diva-1932-1__fulltext.pdf ''Nordenstorm, L. Ômotos mission på esperanto. En japansk ny religion i förändring från kiliastisk Maitreyaförväntan till religionsdialog. (The Ômoto-Mission in Esperanto. A Japanese new religion changing from chiliastic Ma-itreya-awaiting to religious dialogue.)''] Esperantoförlaget/Eldona Societo Esperanto. Stockholm, 2002. In Swedish with summaries in English and in Esperanto.

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{{Japanese new religions}}
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[[Category:Oomoto| ]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1892]]
[[Category:Japanese new religions]]
[[Category:1892 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Shinto new religious movements]]
[[Category:13 Shinto Sects]]
[[Category:Esperanto history]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Kyoto Prefecture]]
[[Category:Ayabe, Kyoto]]
[[Category:Kameoka, Kyoto]]
[[Category:Esperanto in Japan]]
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 1890s]]