The Ceremony to Celebrate the Completion of the “Office in the Forest” to Be Held in July of Next Year in the Hall of the “Office”
It has been decided that the ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Seicho-No-Ie “Office in the Forest” currently under construction in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture will be held on July 7 of next year.
The ceremony will last for about an hour from 10:00 to 11:00. The site of the ceremony will be the Hall of the “Office in the Forest.” It will be attended by about 400 people, including: (1) the members of the Delegates Conference (Missionary Councilors, Japan’s Seven Representatives, Bishops of overseas Missionary Headquarters), Auditors, Elders, Managing Directors of the Spiritual Training Centers administered directly by the Headquarters, and the representatives of affiliated organizations; (2) those concerned with the construction work; and (3) the representatives of local residents.
After the Ceremony, there will be an about one-hour tour of the “Office in the Forest” from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. About 500 people will tour the “Office,” including the attendees of the Ceremony and the concerned local residents. It will be followed by a Celebration to Commemorate the Completion of the “Office in the Forest” at the Oizumi Kogen Yatsugatake Royal Hotel in Hokuto City.
The holding of this Ceremony will be to report to God the end of the construction work of the “Office in the Forest” as well as the completion of new Headquarters Office buildings and to pray for their lasting safety and prosperity.
In addition, the Ceremony is a way to express appreciation to leaders/members, those concerned with the construction work and those from the local government and residents in the area and also to help them deepen their understanding of the significance of the “Office in the Forest” through the Ceremony, the tour of the “Office” and the celebration.
There will be a live transmission of the Ceremony on the Internet, so that leaders/members in every part of the world and interested parties can view it. At the Missionary Centers in Japan, the Ceremony will be shown on the projectors for their members to watch.
Also, an edited version of the Ceremony will be made public on the Internet at a later date.
After the Ceremony, a “Pre-open” period is scheduled for the latter part of July to September 30, when the “Office” is open to visitors from each Missionary Area.