Nakayama Miki

Quick Facts: Who was Nakayama Miki?

Subject:

Nakayama Miki

Known for:

Founder of Tenrikyo, a Japanese new religion whose teachings center on divine revelation.

Born:

1798-06-02

Died:

1887-02-18

Century / Era:

1798s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Nakayama Miki (中山 みき; 18 April 1798 – 26 January 1887 by the Japanese calendar) was a nineteenth-century Japanese farmer and religious leader. She is the primary figure of the Japanese new religion Tenrikyo. Tenrikyo followers, who refer to her as Oyasama (おやさま or 親様), believe that she was settled in the Shrine of Tsukihi from the moment she experienced a divine revelation in 1838 until her death in 1887. In Tenrikyo, she is also referred to as the Foundress of Tenrikyo (天理教教祖). Upon her divine revelation, she gave away most of her family's possessions and dismantled the family's house, thereby entering a state of poverty.

Career & Major Achievements

She began to attract followers, who believed that she was a living goddess who could heal people and bless expectant mothers with safe childbirth. To leave a record of her teachings, she composed the Ofudesaki and taught the lyrics, choreography and music of the Service, which have become Tenrikyo's scripture and liturgy respectively. She identified what she claimed to be the place where God created human beings and instructed her followers to mark the place with a pillar and perform the liturgy around it, which she believed would advance humankind toward the salvific state of the Joyous Life. In the last several years of her life, she and her followers were arrested and detained a number of times by the Japanese authorities for forming a religious group without official authorization. A year after her death, Tenrikyo Church Headquarters received official authorization to be a church under the Shinto Main Bureau.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Tenrikyo doctrine maintains that Nakayama Miki was the fulfillment of God's promise to humankind at creation, which was that after a certain number of years had elapsed, God would be revealed through the soul of the mother of humankind at the place of creation and inform humankind of its origins, purpose, and means of salvation. Doctrine also maintains that as the Shrine of God, Nakayama's words and actions were in complete accordance with the divine will and that upon her death, her soul withdrew from physical existence and became everliving. Nakayama Miki, née Maegawa (前川), was born on 18 April 1798 (2 June) at dawn, around five o'clock in the morning. She was born in Sanmaiden Village (三昧田村), Yamabe County (山辺郡), Yamato Province (大和国), or present day Tenri, Nara, to a family of the farming class. Her father Maegawa Hanshichi was a member of the Tōdō clan and held the title of musokunin (無足人), a samurai-like status which entitled him to have a surname and carry a sword, though without stipend.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1798 (1798-06-02): Birth of Nakayama Miki — Founder of Tenrikyo, a Japanese new religion whose teachings center on divine revelation.
2. 1838: 1838 Milestone — Tenrikyo followers, who refer to her as Oyasama (おやさま or 親様), believe that she was settled in the Shrine of Tsukihi from the moment she experienced a divine revelation in 1838 until her death in 1887.
3. 1887 (1887-02-18): Passing & Historical Legacy — Nakayama Miki passed away on 1887-02-18, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Nakayama Miki

True or False: “Nakayama Miki's initial religious inclination was to become a nun, which conflicted with her arranged marriage.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The text states that Miki initially hesitated to agree to the request for marriage due to her desire to become a nun.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Nakayama Miki