“First Horse Day Festival” at Suekazu Inari Shrine
Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi Serves as Chief Priest
On February 9, the “First Horse Day Festival” was held at the Suekazu Inari Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, served as the Chief Priest. Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, President of White Dove Association, was also present.
The Festival started at 2:00 p.m. It was attended by 91 people, including Rev. Kazuo Isobe, Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie, officers of the Headquarters and affiliated organizations as well as followers from the First Tokyo Missionary Area.
After the purification, Invocation and offerings, Rev. Taniguchi read the “Hatsuuma” (First Horse Day) supplication and offered a sacred branch. This was followed by the offering of a sacred branch by Mrs. Junko Taniguchi. The Head Priest and other priests also offered sacred branches. While the attendees read the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines, sacred branches were offered by Missionary Councilors, Senior Ministers, officers of affiliated organizations and the representative of the attendees from the First Tokyo Missionary Area.
After the removal of the offerings and the Affirmation of Perfect Peace and Harmony the Festival ended at 2:46 p.m. The attendees pledged, before the Lord Inari, the growth of the Humanity Enlightenment Movement/International Peace by Faith Movement by spreading the teachings and expanding all the associations and business undertakings.
Seicho-No-Ie is deeply connected to the Suekazu Inari Shrine in its movement of propagation through publications. Its relationship with the Suekazu Inari Shrine goes back to the time when Seicho-No-Ie was first founded. Mrs. Teruko Taniguchi visited the Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine in Kyoto City to request help in expanding the distribution of the Seicho-No-Ie magazines and then made a branch shrine at her home.
With the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters’ move to the “Office in the Forest, the Shrine is scheduled to be transferred to the premises of the Seicho-No-Ie Media Center, the office of the Publishing and Public Affairs Department being built near the “Office.”
The “First Horse Day Festival” was also held at the Suekazu Inari Shrine at the Uji Temple in Uji City, Kyoto from 11:00 a.m. It was attended by 800 people.