The Heart-Clean Campaign’s Action Day was observed at local venues throughout Japan on July 3. As a core activity of the Young Men’s Association organized at a local diocese level, this campaign centers around clean-up hinokishin conducted in each district on the first Sunday of every month under the slogan, “Let’s come together in thankfulness for the blessings and engage in hinokishin with fellow members.” The purpose of this activity is to let participants share the joy of being kept alive as well as sharing faith through hinokishin with fellow members who live in the same community.
On the Action Day, which is set for the first Sunday of July, the Shinbashira, who is also the president of Tenrikyo Young Men’s Association, paid a visit to three districts of Mie diocese.
Shortly after 9:00 A.M., he arrived at Prefectural Ichishi Hospital in Hakusan-cho, Ichishi-gun, Mie Prefecture, where Ichishi district was conducting its Action Day activities. He walked around the venue and exchanged friendly words with participants who were pulling weeds and pruning trees in the parking lot and the courtyard.
Ichishi district, which assembled 180 participants on that day, has been conducting clean-up hinokishin once a month at the hospital since 1986, the year when the “Heart-Clean Campaign” started. Because of that, the district enjoys the confidence of the hospital and its staff.
At the end of hinokishin on that day, the Shinbashira gave an address to the participants. He said: “Hinokishin is one of the most important things in our life of faith and is an expression of our gratitude for being able to use the body. If we have this sense of gratitude, we can do hinokishin every day no matter where we are. Such is the nature of hinokishin.” He went on to say, “By taking opportunities to do hinokishin together with fellow members, we can make one another spirited and develop personal ties with others, who share the same faith and live in the same district. Therefore, I would like to encourage you to actively use these opportunities to get together and participate in hinokishin activities in high spirits.”
Seen off by the participants, the Shinbashira left the venue and went on to visit Matsuzaka and Ise districts. He walked throughout the venues and personally thanked participants for their efforts.