Zenrinkyō (善隣教) is a Shinto-based Shinshūkyō (Japanese new religion) founded in 1947. It was founded by Rikihisa Tatsusai as Tenchi Kōdō Zenrinkai, and is headquartered in Fukuoka Prefecture. Zenrinkyō was registered as a legal religious corporation under the Shūkyō Hōjinrei ordinance in 1948. In 1994, the group had a claimed nominal membership of 450,000 under the leader Rikihisa Ryūseki.

History

Initially, Rikihisa Tatsusai proselytized the faith of the Jikkōkyō-affiliated Rikihisa Kyōkai (力久教会), the religious organization of his father, Rikihisa Tatsusaburo (力久辰三郎), who worked as a religious figure and a spiritual medium for police and government works, however passed away on 20 October 1926.

Rikihisa Tatsusai

Like in many shinshūkyō, the position of head of a religion organization passes on from a parent to his or her child who is related by blood. He settled in Seoul from September 1929 to April 1938, for the purpose of proselytization such as running the aforementioned religious facility of his father's legacy in Asahi-machi (旭町), working as a spiritual medium for police and government works like his father, and especially his striving for personal spiritual improvement that became his most important experience, the four-year training in a cave situated deep in Bukhansan. Any landmarks for pilgrimage and religious holy grounds are called oyukiba (御行場) in the religious tradition. The cave in question is in the southwestern part of today's Bukhansan National Park and is called the Cave of Bats by today's Zenrinkyō followers. The other two oyukiba are Elephant Rock (象の岩) and Dragon Rock (龍の岩) that are also located in the South Korean national park in question.

Spreading to South Korea

The religion that is now Zenrinkyō began proselytizing in South Korea after Rikihisa Tatsusai's visit to Seoul on 20 May 1971. The current address is 6, Segeomjeong-ro 4-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Hongje-dong) on the third floor.

List of religious scriptures

Most of the scriptures are listed in Japan's Religious Information Resource Center.