KONKO-KYO

Japanese religious movement founded in the 19th century, a prototype of the new religions that proliferated in post-World War II Japan. The movement was founded in 1859 by Kawate Bunjiro, a farmer who lived in present-day Okayama Prefecture. He believed that he was appointed by the deity Konko (Bright Metal; new name for the formerly malevolent deity Konjin) to act as a mediator (toritsugi) between god and mankind. The mediator takes on the pain and sufferings of his followers and transmits them to god. Succession to the mediatorship is reserved for descendants of the founder in the male line. Konko-kyo emphasizes the interdependence of god and man, which is likened to the relationship of parent and son. The group continues to be recognized as a denomination of Sect Shinto and in 1978 claimed about 480,000 followers.