is a

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

- Ryukyuan-derived religion founded by

Takayasu Ryūsen Takayasu is both a Japanese surname and a masculine Japanese given name. Surname *, Japanese ophthalmologist *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, founder of the Okinawan Ijun religion *, Japanese footballer Given name *, Japanese professional wrestler. *, ...

(1934-) in

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

. This modern religion started in 1972 and in 1980 became registered under the Religious Corporations Law (''Shūkyō Hōjinhō''). In the same year, the movement joined the ''Shinshūren'' (Federation of Japanese New Religions) and started its overseas activities. Ijun is based in traditional Okinawan

animist Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...

and

shamanistic Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...

beliefs related to ''noro'' (i.e. ''nuru'', an Okinawan term for female diviners/priestesses) and ''yuta'' (an Okinawan term for shamans). This movement, emphasizes the worship of the deity Kinmanmon, an Okinawan god and cosmic deity and describes the mysterious life force of the universe as an "internal power" (''uchinaa'' power) comparable to Japanese Universal '' Ki'' and teaches that people must awaken to this power. Ijun has most of its followers in Okinawa (Uchinaa), but it also has a temple in Yokohama and overseas temples in Taiwan and Hawaii.

References

* SHIMAMURA Takanori. "Okinawano shinshukyo ni okeru kyoso hosa no raifu hisutorii to reino-- 'Ijun' no jirei" he life history and spiritual power of an assistant to the founder of a new religion in Okinawa: an example from the religion of 'Ijun' Jinrui bunka 8 (Tsukuba Daigaku Rekishi Jinruigaku-kei Jinrui Bunka Kenkyukai). * SHIMAMURA Takanori."'Ryukyu shinwa' no saisei: shinshukyo 'Ijun' no shinwa o megutte" (The rebirth of Okinawan myth: the mythos of the new religion of Ijun) (in Japanese), Kagoshima Tanki Daigaku Matsubara KenkyuShitsu, Amami Okinawa minkan bun gei kenkya 15 (July, 1992). * Reichl, Christopher A. The Okinawan New Religion Ijun. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1993 20/4

External links

Ijun
Animism in Asia Japanese new religions Okinawa Prefecture Shamanism in Japan {{shamanism-stub