Church Headquarters Announces New Personnel

Both Directors-in-Chief Reappointed

Honbu-in Tomoo Itakura, 66, and Honbu-in Masahiko Iburi, 61, received sanction on March 26 as the Director-in-Chief of Religious Affairs and the Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs, respectively. Rev. Itakura is serving his second term, and Rev. Iburi his third term.

Director-in-Chief Itakura was born in 1938 and received the Truth of the Sazuke in 1956. He was appointed as Honbu-seinen in 1961, Honbu-jun’in in 1976, Besseki Lecturer in 1982, and Honbu-in in 1986. He served as head of the Property Management Department before taking up his current position. Born in 1942, Director-in-Chief Iburi received the Truth of the Sazuke in 1961. He was appointed as Honbu-seinen in 1968, Honbu-jun’in in 1979, Besseki Lecturer in 1980, and Honbu-in in 1986. He was head of the Overseas Department for six years prior to taking up his current position.

Heads of Bureaus and Departments

Heads of bureaus and departments and chiefs of sections were appointed on April 1. Most were reappointed. Those reappointed within Religious Headquarters are: Office of the Shinbashira Head Tadao Tosa, Department of Doctrine and Historical Materials Head Hidenobu Yamazawa, Religious Affairs Bureau Head Zentaro Tanaka, Ritual Affairs Bureau Head Matsutaro Komatsu, Divine Gifts and Sanctions Bureau Head Yoshio Nakano, Oyasato-yakata Management Bureau Head Matsusaburo Nakata, Director of Shuyoka Takanori Nagao, and Finance Bureau Head Yaichi Nishiura. Former Pilgrim Reception Department Head Sunao Shimizu was appointed as head of the Security Bureau.

In Administrative Headquarters, those reappointed are: General Affairs Department Head Akio Shikao, Church Affairs Department Head Mantaro Yoshikawa, Education and Nurture Department Head Motoyoshi Tomimatsu, Mission Department Head Kazuo Nagao, Overseas Department Head Yoshiaki Mihama, Doyusha Publishing Company President Yoshitaro Ueda, Transportation Department Head Seitaro Yamada, Finance Department Head Tomoharu Itakura, Property Management Department Head Sumiharu Ueda, and Construction and Maintenance Department Head Hiroyoshi Shimamura. Newly appointed as head of the Administrative Affairs Department is former General Affairs Department Vice Head Yoshiaki Uno.

Overseas Department

Rev. Yoshiaki Mihama is serving his second term as head of the department, but former Vice Head Hiroaki Yamazawa, who also headed North America and Oceania Section, has been appointed vice head of the Religious Affairs Bureau and chief of Training Section of that bureau. The department’s new vice head is Rev. Yoichiro Miyamori, who also serves as chief of Human Resources Development Section. The other new appointments are: Rev. Tadayoshi Moroi as chief of General Affairs Section; Rev. Takaharu Ichise, who formerly headed Human Resources Development Section, as chief of North America and Oceania Section; and Rev. Hinao Nagao, who formerly headed Education Support Team, as assistant chief of Human Resources Development Section. Former General Affairs Section Chief Masao Takabe is now serving as chief of Furnishings and Supplies Section in the Property Management Department.

Those remaining in their positions are as follows: Asia I Section Chief Michio Harima, Asia II Section Chief Tokuo Hamada, Latin America Section Chief Naotaro Shimizu, Europe and Africa Section Chief Toshiyuki Takahashi, Translation Section Chief Michitaro Masuno, Tenrikyo Language Institute Principal Hideharu Nakajima, and Asia II Section Assistant Chief Yoshinori Ariga.

The functions of the former Education Support Team were incorporated into the Human Resources Development Section as of April 16.

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