is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese shinshūkyō

Shinshukyo

is a Japanese term used to describe domestic new religious movements. They are also known as in Japanese, and are most often called simply Japanese new religions in English. Japanese theologians classify all religious organizations founded since the middle of the 19th century as Shinshūkyō. Thus,...

, or new religious movement. As of 1998, the organization had more than 300,000 adherents.

Beliefs

Shumei believes in the pursuit of beauty through art, appreciation of nature and "natural agriculture", a method of food cultivation. They also practice johrei

Johrei

Johrei , sometimes spelled "Jyorei", is a healing ritual that claims to use "divine light" to dissolve the spiritual impurities that are the source of all physical, emotional, and personal problems...

, a type of spiritual healing. Adherents of Shumei believe that, in building architectural masterpieces in remote locations, they are restoring the Earth's balance.

History

Shinji Shūmeikai was founded by Mihoko Koyama in 1970. She founded the organization to spread the teachings of Mokichi Okada

Mokichi Okada

Mokichi Okada was the founder of the Church of World Messianity, in which he is known by the honorific title Meishū-sama...

.

The head organization is currently based near Shigaraki

Shigaraki, Shiga

was a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan.On October 1, 2004 Shigaraki was merged with the towns of Kōka, Kōnan, Minakuchi and Tsuchiyama, all from Kōka District, to form the new city of Kōka....

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...

, Japan.

Influence and architecture

The Miho Museum

Miho Museum

The Miho Museum is located southeast of Kyoto, Japan, near the town of Shigaraki, in Shiga Prefecture. The museum was the dream of Mihoko Koyama , the heiress to the Toyobo textile business, and one of the wealthiest women in Japan. In 1970 Koyama founded the Shinji Shumeikai spiritual movement...

 was commissioned by Mihoko Koyama, who was an adherent of Okada. The architect I. M. Pei

I. M. Pei

Ieoh Ming Pei , commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese American architect, often called a master of modern architecture. Born in Canton, China and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the gardens at Suzhou...

had earlier designed the bell tower at Misono, the international headquarters and spiritual center of the Shumei organisation. Mihoko Koyama and her daughter, Hiroko Koyama, again commissioned Pei to design the Miho Museum. The bell tower can be seen from the windows of the museum.