Deguchi Onisaburō

Japanese religious leader

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June 25, 2026

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Deguchi Onisaburō was a Japanese religious leader who systematized and organized the teachings of Ōmoto, a religious movement founded by Deguchi Nao. Ōmoto's doctrine is based on divine oracles, with Nao's first revelation in 1892 foretelling world destruction and the advent of a messiah. Onisaburō identified himself as this leader, advocating against war and promoting a new world order. He attracted over two million followers in the 1930s, but faced government opposition, including arrests and the destruction of Ōmoto temples. Despite this, he initiated the movement's revival in 1946. Ōmoto emphasizes the universal nature of religion and has inspired other Japanese "new religions".1

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Ōmoto
…and organized by her son-in-law, Deguchi Onisaburō (1871–1948), who denounced armament and war and identified himself as the leader who would establish the new order. He attracted more than 2,000,000 believers in the 1930s but aroused the hostility of the government, which twice, in 1921 and again in 1935, arrested…
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…and organized by her son-in-law, Deguchi Onisaburō (1871–1948), who denounced armament and war and identified himself as the leader who would establish the new order. He attracted more than 2,000,000 believers in the 1930s but aroused the hostility of the government, which twice, in 1921 and again in 1935, arrested…
Read More