Directors-in-Chief Sanctioned
On March 26, Honbu-in Tomoo Itakura, 63, received sanction as the Director-in-Chief of Religious Affairs, and Honbu-in Masahiko Iburi, 58, received sanction as the Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs. Director-in-Chief Itakura was newly appointed and Director-in-Chief Iburi was reappointed for the current 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 the head of the Property Management Department before taking over the 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.
On April 1, heads of bureaus and departments as well as chiefs of sections were appointed. In Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, former Director-in Chief of Religious Affairs Yoshikazu Matsumura was appointed as head of the Financial Bureau, and Honbu-in Yoshikazu Yamamoto was appointed as director of Shuyoka, the Spiritual Development Course. Reappointed to their positions were 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 Yasuhito Shinomori, and Security Bureau Head Naohisa Takai.
In Tenrikyo Administrative Headquarters, Administrative Affairs Department Head Yoshihiko Yasuno, Mission Department Head Kazuo Nagao, Doyusha Publishing Company President Yoshitaro Ueda, Pilgrim Reception Department Head Sunao Shimizu, Transportation Department Head Seitaro Yamada, Finance Department Head Tomoharu Itakura, Property Management Department Head Sumiharu Ueda were reappointed to the same positions for the current term. Major personnel changes were as follows: former Church Affairs Department Head Akio Shikao as head of the General Affairs Department; former Tenri Seminary Corporation Chairman Mantaro Yoshikawa as head of the Church Affairs Department; former Overseas Department Vice Head Yoshiaki Mihama as head of the department; and former General Affairs Department Head Hiroyoshi Shimamura as head of the Construction and Maintenance Department.
Personnel Changes in Overseas Department
Following the appointment of Directors-in-Chief Tomoo Itakura and Masahiko Iburi, the personnel changes in the Overseas Department were announced on April 1.
Honbu-in Yoshiaki Mihama, former vice head of the Overseas Department, was appointed as head of the department. Honbu-jun’in Hiroaki Yamazawa, former chief of Translation Section, was appointed as vice head of the department, and he serves as chief of North America and Oceania Section as well.
Other appointments are as follows: Rev. Masao Takabe as chief of General Affairs Section; Rev. Toyohiko Fukuda as chief of Asia I Section; Rev. Tokuo Hamada as chief of Asia II Section; Rev. Michitaro Masuno as chief of Translation Section; Rev. Michio Harima as assistant chief of Translation Section; Rev. Tadami Taniguchi as president of Tenrikyo Language Institute; and Rev. Tomio Watada as supervisor of Tenrikyo Language Institute.
Rev. Yoshikazu Terada, former head of the Overseas Department was appointed as principal of Tenri Seminary. Rev. Toyoo Tsuji, former vice head of the Overseas Department as well as chief of Asia I Section, was appointed as bishop of Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters in America. Rev. Michihito Hamada, former chief of General Affairs Section, was appointed as bishop of Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters of Hawaii. Rev. Kiyoharu Masuda, former chief of Asia II Section, is now serving at Shuyoka as chief of Class Section. Rev. Kuniharu Shimizu, former chief of North America and Oceania Section, was appointed as vice president of Doyusha Publishing Company. Rev. Nobuo Nagao, former president of Tenrikyo Language Institute, was appointed as chairman of Tenrikyo Ichiretsukai Foundation.
Reappointed to the same positions were as follows: Rev. Naotaro Shimizu, chief of Latin America Section; Rev. Toshiyuki Takahashi, chief of Europe and Africa Section; Rev. Takaharu Ichise, chief of Human Resources Development Section; Rev. Hinao Nagao, chief of Education Support Team; and Rev. Yoshinori Ariga, assistant chief of Asia II Section.