Oyasama 120th Anniversary Hinokishin Day

The Oyasama 120th Anniversary Hinokishin Day was observed at a large number of locations throughout Japan on April 29 as well as at scores of locations in overseas countries mostly on weekends and holidays before or after that day under the theme,”Get all Yoboku and their families involved.” This year being the year of the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama, Tenrikyo aimed at drawing 500,000 participants with each directly supervised church and each diocese and district making a special effort to call for participation. On Hinokishin Day, people of all ages and from all walks of life participated in hinokishin, expressing a sense of gratitude amid growing momentum coming from the anniversary-related activities. At the Home of the Parent, some 4,000 people gathered in Church Headquarters’ Inner Courtyard to commence the event. They included staff members of Church Headquarters and their family, students of the Spiritual Development Course and of Tenrikyo schools, and members of the Young Men’s Association Hinokishin Corps. After a moment of prayer and a speech by Director-in-Chief of Religious Affairs Zentaro Tanaka, the participants broke up into 54 groups and headed for their respective sites all over the city. In other parts of the world, too, Hinokishin Day drew many people to a number of locations including the following venues. In Brazil, Hinokishin Day was observed in 15 districts on April 30 and May 1, a national holiday, with a turnout of 1,261 altogether. In the São Paulo district, the event was held on May 1 in Ipiranga Independence Memorial Park, located in the center of the city, drawing 710 participants. With fanfare provided by a 70-member fife-and-drum band, the opening ceremony began at 9:00 A.M., and a message from Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs Masahiko Iburi was read aloud to the participants in Portuguese. The participants then spread out through the extensive park to clean up. In Hawaii, 101 followers engaged in cleanup activities at Honolulu Zoo on May 6, and six members of the Young Men’s Association cleaned Sandy Beach on the east side of Oahu Island, which was damaged by rain in March. In New York, 65 followers cleaned the vicinity of Tenrikyo Mission New York Center, and 15 of them donated blood at a nearby hospital on May 7.

In East Asia and South Asia, Hinokishin Day was observed at numerous sites such as the following. In Taiwan, 281 people participated at six locations between April 30 and May 7. In South Korea, 80 followers engaged in hinokishin at two sites on May 7. In India, 40 people participated in cleanup activities on the premises of Calcutta Church on May 7. In Hong Kong, 35 followers pulled weeds at Ma On Shan Country Park on April 23.

As for other parts of the world, in Colombia, some 50 participants cleaned a nursing home for the elderly in Jamundi on April 23. In Coacalco, Mexico, 13 people cleaned an apartment building which houses Coacalco Mission Station on April 29, whereas in Mexico City, 23 people took part in the event at Mission Center in Mexico on April 30. In Yguazú, Paraguay, 32 followers picked up litter at a nearby baseball field after the monthly service was conducted at Taiten Yguazúu Church on April 16. In Lyon, France, three people donated blood at a local blood donation center on April 29. In Leeds, U.K., six participants cleaned the area around Tenrikyo Leeds Mission Station on April 30.

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