History and Organization
Johrei activities were started in Japan in 1935 by founder Mokichi Okada as a spiritual healing activity movement. In 1953, Okada sent Rev. Kiyoko Higuchi and Reverend Haruhiko Ajiki as her trusted assistant to Hawaii to spread the Light of Johrei. The movement eventually spread to Los Angeles and over time to other areas in the United States.
Johrei Fellowship was incorporated in 1963 in the state of California as an independent non-profit, religious corporation. Johrei Fellowship follows set by-laws and is governed by a Board of Directors. We have established Johrei centers in several locations on both coasts of the United States and in the Southwest. Johrei centers are local chapters or branches of Johrei Fellowship. They may be located in any city or area with sufficient membership to support the activities of that c enter.
The international movement has spread to at least seventy countries. The main headquarters in Atami, Japan, coordinates the majority of international activities and events. Johrei Fellowship is affiliated with an international community of similar organizations that follow the teachings of Mokichi Okada ( also known as Meishu-sama, or Revered Teacher).
The purpose of a Johrei Center is to provide spiritual support and healing through three main pillars--the practice of Johrei itself, the expression of art and beauty and flower arranging, and the teaching and practice of natural farming. Johrei purifies the spiritual body, art and beauty uplift the soul and the mind and natural farming produces food that heals the body as well as the earth. A Johrei center is intended as a prototype, or model expression, of an ideal world.