Konno Shrine, the oldest wooden building in Shibuya (photo by hector BC)
There was a feature on the television two days ago about foreigners who are more Japanese than the Japanese, and one of the items focussed on a non-Japanese priest appointed by Jinja Honcho (Association of Shinto Shrines).
This ground-breaking development concerns Florian Wiltschko, about whom Green Shinto has written before. It seems the young Austrian has been appointed to a post at the Konno Shrine in Shibuya, central Tokyo. It’s not a shrine with which Green Shinto is familiar so we look forward to reports about it and about how the new priest fares there. (Florian himself apparently wishes to keep a low profile.)
There have been non-Japanese priests before (both in terms of having non-Japanese blood and having non-Japanese nationality). However, this is the first time for Jinja Honcho to make an official appointment in this way. As such it’s a major breakthrough in terms of ‘internationalising’ Shinto. It’s a remarkable achievement by the young Austrian, who has had to sit through all the exams required of Japanese in the licensing process.
Green Shinto welcomes and celebrates the development.
Florian Wiltschko at Ueno Tenmangu Shrine in Nagoya, before his appointment to Konno Shrine in Shibuya (courtesy newsweek.japan)
Konno Hachimangu is just down the road from Kokugakuin University, where Revd. Wiltschko is studying (or was until very recently; he may in fact have graduated in March). It’s quite a major shrine, with a fairly long history. It has a huge concrete torii that crosses the road up to the entrance to the shrine grounds, for example. However, it’s in Shibuya, so it’s completely hemmed in by tall buildings.
There’s an interview with him on a Kokugakuin-associated Facebook page. January 15th and 16th, so you need to scroll back a bit.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/國學院大學学生アドバイザー/
Many thanks for the information. I’ve just tried the link and it doesn’t seem to be working for some reason – either the link is broken or the page may have been removed, it says. I’d like to see the interview with him if it’s still available, though….
Oops, sorry. Overenthusiastic trimming. Try this one. It works for me, but with Facebook that doesn’t guarantee it will work for you.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/國學院大學学生アドバイザー/445423975491249