On March 26, Honbu-in Yoichiro Miyamori, 67, and Honbu-in Zensuke Nakata, 62, received sanction as the Director-in-Chief of Religious Affairs and the Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs, respectively. Rev. Miyamori is serving his third term, and Rev. Nakata is in his fourth term.
Director-in-Chief Miyamori was born on July 31, 1956. He served as the vice chairman of Tenrikyo Young Men’s Association in 1989 and became the head minister of Meihai Branch Church in 1994. In 1996, he was appointed as Besseki Lecturer. He was then appointed Honbu-in (HQ executive official), a member of Church Headquarters’ Executive Board, and head of the Overseas Department in 2006. He became responsible officer of Religious Corporation Tenrikyo in 2009. He was also appointed as responsible officer of Religious Corporation Tenrikyo Church Headquarters and head of the Religious Affairs Bureau in 2016. Since 2018, he has been serving as the Director-in-Chief of Religious Affairs and as representative officer of Religious Corporation Tenrikyo Church Headquarters.
Director-in-Chief Nakata was born on March 5, 1962. He was appointed as chairman of Tenrikyo Young Men’s Association in 1995 and as Besseki Lecturer in 2000. He became the head minister of Senkyo Branch Church in 2001. In 2006, he was appointed as Honbu-in, responsible officer of Religious Corporation Tenrikyo, a member of Church Headquarters’ Executive Board, and head of the Education and Nurture Department. In 2009, he became the chairperson of the Oyasato Committee, and in 2012, he was appointed as head of the Mission Department. Since 2015, he has been serving as the Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs and as representative officer of Religious Corporation Tenrikyo.
Heads of Bureaus and Departments
Heads of bureaus and departments and chiefs of sections were appointed on March 27. Office of the Shinbashira Head Harunobu Nakayama, Department of Doctrine and Historical Materials Head Zenpei Kubo, and Security Bureau Head Umeo Izutsu were reappointed whereas Ritual Affairs Bureau Head Haruo Maegawa, Divine Gifts and Sanction Bureau Head Koji Masui, Oyasato-Yakata Management Bureau Head Isafumi Tanaka, Education and Nurture Bureau Head Yoshiji Matsumura, Finance Bureau Head Yoshiyuki Nakano were newly appointed in the Religious Headquarters. Department of Doctrine and Historical Materials Head Zenpei Kubo has taken on an additional role as head of the Religious Affairs Bureau.
In the Administrative Headquarters, Church Affairs Department Head Tadaharu Yamamoto, Overseas Department Head Masaharu Matsuda, Finance Department Head Zenkichi Tanaka, and Construction and Maintenance Department Head Eiichi Imamura were reappointed while Administrative Affairs Department Head Michiro Yamamoto, General Affairs Department Head Nozomu Itakura, Mission Department Head Takenao Tosa, Doyusha Publishing Company President Michitaka Moroi, Pilgrim Reception Department Head Chikara Iburi, Transportation Department Head Hiromitsu Hashimoto, and Property Management Department Head Tatsufumi Shikao were newly appointed.
Overseas Department
Rev. Takeo Uemura, former vice principal of Tenrikyo Language Institute, is now the institute’s principal. The overseas department’s head, vice head, and section chiefs were reappointed.