THE CULT OF THE WEASELS
A curious sect which set up weasels, i snails, bedbugs, and _ other insects as | objects of adoration Has been suppressled by the Japanee police, who have arrested its founder, Aisei Akatsu, and j his wife and an associate named Masayitxki Takayama on the charge of obtaining money under false pretences, says the "News Chronicle."
Akatsu converted his home into a p place of worship in 1934 and gave his Isect the imposing name, Great Nippon | Imperial Buddhist Chancel Praying Worshippers' Society. Pieces of paper, ion which were written the names of ( Various bugs' and animals, were placed 'on the altar to represent the deities.
■•< One man paid thirty yen for a quanjtity ot these papers, .which, according jtb. Akatsu, would drive out the evil of the 550 reptiles living in his house. ! There was apparently some mystical significance about the number 550, for ithe founder of the cult came to grief over a "talisman" which he' sold to' a | woman with the promise that it would ! drive out the spirits of 550 whales that [were preventing her from finding a 'husband.
While it lasted the cult was a reasonably profitable enterprise' for its exponents, as it realised 4500 yen (about
£250). Sixty followers were paying 20 sen (about 3d) monthly dues.
Men like Akatsu find'a ready audience among the poorer and more ignorant classes because of the Buddhist tendency to endow with some element of spirituality not only animals, but inanimate objects. which serve human uses:1 '....' ..,.." . :
Quite recently 5000 worshippers attended a service in the Asakusa Kwannon Temple, celebrated by forty priests in honour of the spirits of silkworms and cotton plants. The priests burned incense and offered prayers before heaps of old string and thread.
"This function is an: expression of appreciation for services and sacrifices," declared.. Tatsugoro Kishima, sponsor of the-ceremony. "The Japanese people have become too deeply engrossed in the material things of life and have become selfish."
Buddhist services are regularly held not only for' 4ead ;pets, such as dogs and cats, but also for broken and irreparably damaged' dolls and toys, for broken needles and other inanimate objects. Schoolgirls sometimes thrust their needles into beancurd paste so that the points can find rest after a year's hard work.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19370911.2.208.3
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 63, 11 September 1937, Page 27
Word Count
378THE CULT OF THE WEASELS Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 63, 11 September 1937, Page 27
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.