Deguchi Nao (Foundress of Oomoto & Shinto Prophetess)

Deguchi Nao lived fifty-five years in crushing poverty and tragedy: her husband was paralyzed and died bankrupt, two daughters suffered severe mental breakdowns, and two sons ran away or perished. Despite surviving by gathering scrap rags in Ayabe, her personal integrity was absolute.

The Thunderous Visitation of 1892

On Lunar New Year 1892, a powerful divine voice possessed her, identifying itself as Ushitora no Konjin (the primordial creator deity marginalized by corrupt society). Shouting prophecies of impending world wars, modern industrial catastrophe, and moral collapse, she was initially imprisoned in a room by frightened neighbors.

The Fudesaki: Calligraphy of the Unlettered

Unable to read or write beyond basic phonetic syllables, she took up a carpenter's nail to scratch words into walls, and later brushes on paper. In an astonishing flow of automatic sacred writing spanning twenty-six years, she produced the monumental Ofudesaki (over ten thousand volumes). Partnering with the brilliant charismatic organizer Deguchi Onisaburo, she founded Oomoto, which championed global pacifism, Esperanto, and interfaith fellowship.