The Oomoto sect puts an emphasis on aesthetics and universalism
The 12th Oomoto Workshop will be held from April 27th to May 6th, 2015. For a report of a previous workshop, please see this account by Australian, Jann Williams.
Program: Come and join us!
April 27 Arriving
April 28
07:30 Moving to Ayabe city 09:00 Climbing up to the Mt. Misen in Ayabe
April 29
06:00-06:30 Morning service at the shrine 09:00 Tour of the Oomoto ground in Ayabe 09:45 Attending the anniversary service for the Fourth Spiritual Leader 14:00 Tour to Amano-Hashidate, a famous touring spot in North Kyoto 21:00 Coming back to Kameoka
April 30
06:00-06:30 Morning service at the shrine 10:00-11:30 Chin-kon (Meditation) 13:30-14:30 Tour of the Oomoto ground in Kameoka 15:00-16:30 Lecture (History of Oomoto) 17:10-17:40 Evening service
May 1
06:00-06:30 Morning service at the shrine 08:30-09:00 Morning meeting for Oomoto staff (Introducing yourself) Oomoto Spring Grand Festival in Ayabe 10:00-11:30 Lecture (Teaching of Oomoto)
13:30-15:00 Lecture (Esperanto Movement of Oomoto) 17:10-17:40 Evening service 19:30-21:00 Esperanto Lesson May 2
06:00-06:30 Morning service at the shrine 10:00-11:30 Lecture (Activity of Oomoto) 13:30-15:00 Lecture (Activity of Oomoto Part 2) 17:10-17:40 Evening service at the shrine 19:00-20:00 Ro-ei (chanting a poem)
May 3
06:00-06:30 Morning service at the shrine 09:00-11:30 Visiting Mount Takakuma in Kameoka 13:00-17:00 Watching Noh dance
May 4
06:00-06:30 Morning service at the shrine 10:00-12:00 Attending Ceremony in Kameoka 15:00-20:00 Visiting Kyoto-city
May 5
Oomoto Spring Grand Festival in Ayabe
May 6 Leaving Oomoto
The Oomoto workshops in English were started in 2011 by the International Department of Oomoto. The aim of the workshops is to provide an overview of Oomoto to the international community. They are run four times a year over an intensive period of one week. The workshops are based at the Oomoto Headquarters in Kameoka, around 20 kilometers west of Kyoto, Japan. Time is also spent at the spiritual centre of Oomoto in Ayabe during the workshops.
Oomoto priests at their grand spring festival
The workshops are held in association with the Oomoto Grand Festivals in Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. This provides the opportunity to experience traditional Japanese arts and crafts such as poetry, music, dancing and tea making. Joining in the Japanese folk dancing is encouraged! The broad timetable for the workshops and festivals follows: •Winter workshop and Grand Festival: Early February •Spring workshop and Grand Festival: Early May •Summer workshop and Grand Festival: Early August •Autumn workshop and Grand Festival: Early November
In addition to learning about traditional Japanese arts and the role they play in spiritual life, the workshops provide an overview of the history and practice of Oomoto including the role of Esperanto, the work of Oomoto in places such as the Middle East and Mongolia and their approach to meditation. Workshop participants also take part in services at the local shrine at least once a day.
Accommodation and meals are provided by Oomoto. A donation to cover some of these costs is welcome.
Workshop participants will spend a night in Ayabe, the spiritual centre of Oomoto, for three of the four Grand Festivals. Only in summer, when the Grand Festival is held in Kameoka, will participants spend all nights of the workshop in Kameoka. The Summer Festival also celebrates the birth of Onisaburo Deguchi, the Co-Founder of Oomoto. The winter workshop coincides with the Setsubun Grand Festival in Ayabe. For further information about the workshops contact Katsuya Kimura at: k-kimura@oomoto.or.jp
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