In 1935, the leader of the new Shinto religion Oomoto, Onisaburō Deguchi (1871-1948), was detained by the imperial Japanese regime. During his confinement, he arrived at the idea of making tea bowls: after he was released at the end of 1944, he handmade over 3,000 such pieces in just fifteen months.
The silent film Shōwa no Shichifukujin—in which the seven lucky gods of the title are played by Onisaburō in elaborate costumes—exemplifies Onisaburō’s pioneering use of new media to spread its word. The calligraphic title cards were handwritten in classical meter by Onisaburō, who also composed the accompanying poems. Most copies of the film were destroyed by the Japanese authorities during its campaign to suppress Oomoto. Yet the movement continues to this day, with art at the heart of its spiritual program.
