Tenrikyo

What Tenrikyo does

Tenrikyo (天理教) is a Japanese religious organization founded in 1838, headquartered at the Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in Tenri City, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The religion was established when Foundress Nakayama Miki (Oyasama), born April 18, 1798, was designated as the Tsukihi Shrine and began transmitting the divine intention of God the Parent (Oyagamisama) to save all humanity through a 'Joyous Life' (tanoshii jinsei). The organization serves two core constituencies: members of the general public exploring its teachings, and committed lay followers known as yoboku, who have taken the Seimi baptism, conduct services, and practice hinokishin (voluntary service and donation of labor and resources).

The organization's service offering centers on regular worship services, spiritual-development courses (the three-month Shuyoka held at the Home of the Parent, plus shorter Basic Courses), children's pilgrimage programs to Jiba (the sacred origin in Tenri), and community activities delivered through sub-organizations including the Women's Association, the Youth Association, and the Tenrikyo Language School. Digital infrastructure includes the multilingual official website (tenrikyo.or.jp) in 15+ languages, the Tenrikyo Online news portal, live camera streaming of the Main Sanctuary, and the Doyusha (道友社) publishing arm and Web Store. Global reach extends across 17 mission headquarters and church congregations in 21+ countries spanning the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa.

Tenrikyo operates as a religious non-profit with no public listing, no parent entity, and no venture or equity funding. Revenue is generated primarily through voluntary donations and offerings from followers worldwide, with nominal fees for educational courses (e.g., 500 yen for the Basic Course; 'Path to a Joyous Life' textbook provided free of charge) and modest sales of religious publications via the Doyusha Web Store. Governance is led by the Successor-Designate (currently Daisuke Nakayama) and the Church Headquarters in Tenri City, with regional directors heading overseas mission headquarters such as the 16th Director of the South Korea Mission Headquarters appointed in October 2024.

Name

Tenrikyo

Legal name

Tenrikyo

Website

https://tenrikyo.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1798

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tenrikyo (天理教) is a Japanese religious organization founded in 1838 and headquartered in Tenri, Nara, serving the general public and committed lay followers (yoboku) through worship services, spiritual-development courses, pilgrimages to Jiba, and community programs delivered across 17 mission headquarters in 21+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious organization
• Spiritual development
• Religious services
• Pilgrimage programs
• Religious publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tenri

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and offerings: Tenrikyo as a religious organization relies on donations and offerings from its followers (yoboku) worldwide. Followers practice 'hinokishin' (voluntary service and donation of labor/resources) as a core spiritual practice.
2. Educational course fees: The organization offers Shuyoka (Spiritual Development Course) and basic courses with a stated fee of 500 yen for the introductory course. Materials are provided free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tenrikyo is a religious organization that delivers spiritual teachings, religious services, and community programs to followers worldwide through a network of mission headquarters and local churches. The organization conducts regular monthly services at the Main Sanctuary, operates spiritual development courses (Shuyoka and Basic Course), distributes religious publications via Doyusha, and coordinates pilgrimages to Jiba (the sacred origin in Tenri, Japan). Membership and participation are acquired through introduction by existing followers and engagement with the foundational teachings of God the Parent and the Foundress Nakayama Miki.

Product overview

Tenrikyo is a Japanese religious organization founded in 1838, not a technology product company. Its primary digital offerings include Tenrikyo Online (an informational news and article platform) and the DOYUSHA Web Store (an e-commerce site for religious publications). The organization operates church headquarters in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, Japan, with numerous overseas mission centers across approximately 21 countries and regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tenrikyo Online: Online news portal providing the latest Tenrikyo news, articles on teachings, and publications.
• Tenrikyo Church Headquarters (天理教教会本部)
• Doyusha (道友社)
• Tenrikyo Language School (天理教어학원)
• Tenrikyo Women's Association (天理教부인회)
• Tenrikyo Youth Association (천리교청년회)
• Tenrikyo Shuyoka

Products and services

• Basic Course (Kiso Koza) Introductory foundational teachings course for prospective Tenrikyo followers, covering the basics of the faith with the textbook 'Path to a Joyous Life' provided free of charge. Available in Japanese, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Indonesian, German, Italian, Filipino, and Thai.
• Shuyoka (Spiritual Development Course) Three-month residential spiritual development course held at the Home of the Parent in Tenri, Japan, designed for committed followers (yoboku) seeking deeper training in Tenrikyo teachings and lay missionary practice.
• Tenrikyo Online Web-based platform operated by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters providing access to news, articles on teachings, sermons, publications, and service prayers related to Tenrikyo for global followers and seekers.
• DOYUSHA Web Store (道友社Webストア) Online bookstore operated by Doyusha (the publishing arm of Tenrikyo) that sells Tenrikyo-related books, videos, and other religious publications to followers and the general public.
• Tenrikyo Language School (天理教語学院) Language school operated under Tenrikyo offering Japanese and other language courses, primarily serving followers of the faith interested in studying at the Home of the Parent in Tenri, Japan.
• Students' Pilgrimage to Jiba Organized pilgrimage program bringing students and followers to Jiba (the sacred origin in Tenri, Japan) for spiritual training and connection with the origin of the faith, with the 2026 Oyasama 140th Anniversary Students' Pilgrimage drawing over 3,700 participants.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Seicho-no-Ie: Japanese new religious movement with international propagation in dozens of countries, comparable to Tenrikyo in publishing-led outreach, lay training programs, and global missionary structure.
• Perfect Liberty Kyodan (PL Kyodan): Japanese new religious movement with a centralized headquarters and overseas mission centers, structurally similar to Tenrikyo's church headquarters plus regional mission model.
• Mahikari (Sukyo Mahikari / Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan): Japanese new religious movement with overseas branches and a lay-member-driven training and missionary structure analogous to Tenrikyo's yoboku system.
• Soka Gakkai International: Japanese new religious movement with global presence and lay-member-driven organizational structure, comparable to Tenrikyo's worldwide mission headquarters network and community-led growth model.
• Sekai Kyusei Kyo (Church of World Messianity): Japanese new religious movement founded in the early 20th century with global mission centers, directly comparable to Tenrikyo in organizational model, doctrinal structure, and international footprint.
• Omoto (Oomoto): Japanese Shinshu-kyo new religion with international missionary history and a similar home-based, lay-member-driven community structure to Tenrikyo.
• Konko-Kyo: Another Japanese Shinshu-kyo new religion founded in the 19th century, sharing Tenrikyo's lineage of new religious movements originating from rural Japan during the same era.
• Rissho Kosei-kai: Japanese new Buddhist-based religious movement founded in the 20th century, comparable lay-member structure, home practice emphasis, and global missionary expansion similar to Tenrikyo's network.

Regional players

• Cao Dai: Vietnamese new religious movement with syncretic teachings, global missionary centers, and a hierarchical spiritual leadership structure reminiscent of Tenrikyo's church-headquartered model.

Emerging players

• Happy Science (Kofuku no Kagaku): Japanese new religious movement founded in 1986, comparable to Tenrikyo in operating international mission centers, publishing, and educational programs, though younger and more digitally focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tenrikyoonline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYlI4mC3_F1e1EqTNRfRjMA
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/tenrikyoonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iglesia-tenrikyo-de-colombia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tenrikyo