🍃 "What is this place!? Is this Spirited Away!?" Honest and funny YouTube videos 🌸

"It's just like the world of Spirited Away"—that's what everyone who visits says in unison 😆

I'd like to introduce some honest and funny YouTube videos from a third-party perspective 🌸

When you hear the word "Tenri," what comes to mind?

"Tenri High School, Tenri University, they're strong in baseball, judo, rugby, and hockey. Their brass band seems amazing too."
"Tenri ramen seems to be delicious."
"It's like... a unique city, isn't it? It seems like it's all Tenrikyo..."

I think that's the level of awareness most people in the world have. And honestly...

I understand the feeling of wanting to keep a little distance the moment the word "religion" is attached.

As a church head, the more I raise my voice to say "This is what Tenrikyo is like!," the more I feel like it comes across as "promotional," which can be frustrating.

But recently, something very happy has been happening.

There has been a significant increase in videos where ordinary people, who are neither believers nor affiliated with us, visit Tenri City and the Tenrikyo headquarters and share their experiences on YouTube.🌸

The titles are things like "Infiltration!" or "The crazy reality", which are quite punchy... (laughs)
When you actually watch them, their honest impressions of surprise, confusion, and "it was different from what I expected" come across very warmly.

There is a real Tenrikyo seen through the eyes of a third party that is different from the desire of believers to "convey the good points."

Today, I'd like to introduce those videos along with my own comments. If you read the intro before watching, I think you'll enjoy them twice as much 😊

🌸① A traveler's record of "touring Tenri City with all his might" for a full 40 minutes

"1 in 4 people are believers! I tried touring Tenri City, Japan's largest religious city, with all my might"
Channel: Hiroki / World Travel / Views: Approx. 250,000 (Published May 2025)

This is a record of Hiroki, a YouTuber who travels the world, seriously visiting Tenri City as a "tourist destination."

The title "1 in 4 people are believers" conveys just how much Tenrikyo has blended into the city. It is a long video of over 40 minutes, and it is delightful to see him taking so much time to carefully observe Tenri.

The honest impression from a traveler's perspective is likely that "when I came here, it wasn't scary, and I was actually welcomed." Footage of enjoying Tenri as travel content is something that could never be created with missionary materials. Please try watching it with the feeling of walking through Tenri together🍃

🌸② Can you stay for 1,000 yen a night!? A shocking lodging experience that became a hot topic on X

"[1,000 yen per night] I tried staying at Japan's largest religion, 'Tenrikyo'." Channel: Takeyaki Sho / Views: Approx. 750,000 (Published March 2025)

Over 750,000 views! This is a video that also became a hot topic on X.

While "1,000 yen per night" is a catchy angle, this is a true story. There are cases where the general public can also stay at the "tsumesho" (lodging houses) where yoboku return to the Jiba from all over the country. (You can stay if you are with a believer.)

The highlight is seeing an entertainment YouTuber jump in with pure curiosity. They were probably nervous at first, thinking, "I've come to a strange place..." (laughs). But please check out what their final impressions were.

People who thought "Tenrikyo is somehow hard to enter" might find this video the best way to break down that wall🍀

🌸③ The latest lodging experience vlog published just two weeks ago

"[Japan's largest religious city] I tried staying overnight at a religious facility in Tenri City."
Channel: Sanpo suru Android / Views: Approx. 260,000 (Published May 2026 - Super latest!)

Wow! This is a hot video that was just published about two weeks ago.

It is on a channel by a woman called "Sanpo suru Android," who makes vlogs with a calm tone. The description box includes a guide to a headquarters tour by Naruhito (a Tenrikyo YouTuber), and it is clear that she is experiencing it while receiving proper guidance.

It leaves a good impression by not being overly sensational and capturing Tenri's daily life with careful camerawork. It has more of an atmosphere of "staying" rather than "infiltrating," and it is a video that leaves a quiet lingering feeling after watching it🌸

🌸④ A "liberal arts" blockbuster video with over 2 million views

"Infiltrating Tenrikyo Headquarters! Japan's largest religious city! What is the crazy reality of Tenri City?"
Channel: Otona no Kyoyo TV / Views: Approx. 2.05 million (Published December 2021)

The title says "crazy reality," but... the reality wasn't crazy at all (laughs).

This video, carefully researched by the educational channel "Otona no Kyoyo TV," cites books from Doyusha as reference materials, and it is clear that it was made after proper research.

The chapter structure, which covers almost the entire scope of Tenri City—from shopping streets, religious goods stores, happi coat shops, and temples to guard stations, dining areas, rooms, hospitals, and fire stations—is a masterpiece. For those who want to understand Tenrikyo systematically, this video might be the easiest entry point. The fact that over 2 million people have watched it means there are that many people who "want to know." I am genuinely happy about that.🍀

🌸⑤ An explanatory video where the word "harmless" actually touched my heart

【Slow-paced explanation】 Explaining the "harmless" new religion, Tenrikyo.
Channel: Walmart / Views: Approx. 610,000 (Published October 2021)

The title, "The Harmless New Religion."

When I first heard it, I had mixed feelings. But when I think about it, this is a sincere evaluation for this era, isn't it? With so many people feeling wary of religion, they are saying it's "not scary" and "harmless."

The description box says, "Tenri City, Tenri ramen, Tenri High School... none of these have a bad image." Since it's a slow-paced explanation format, it's a video where you can grasp the outline of Tenrikyo's teachings while listening casually. I recommend it as an introductory piece for those who are wondering, "What even is Tenrikyo in the first place?"🌸

🌸⑥ The moment someone who came thinking it was "scary" changes to "amazing"

【Japan's Largest Religion】 Infiltrating the Tenrikyo Headquarters to expose the reality
Channel: Joe Blog 【CRAZY CHALLENGER】 / Views: Approx. 2.12 million (Published September 2022)

True to the name "CRAZY CHALLENGER," Joe is a super popular YouTuber with 2.44 million subscribers who dives headfirst into all sorts of places around the world.

The video where Joe visited Tenri has reached an incredible 2.12 million views.

The millions of viewers who were drawn in by titles like "Infiltration" and "Exposing the Reality" saw something in Tenri that they hadn't expected—a peaceful atmosphere, welcoming people, and a temple of a scale they had never seen before.

The moment someone who came thinking it was "scary" changes to "amazing" is packed into this video. Things that I could never convey no matter how much I spoke from the perspective of a believer are communicated through the eyes of a challenger. That makes me happy, and also a little ticklish (laughs).

🌸⑦ A video I definitely want you to watch as a next step if you're interested

【First Time Tenrikyo】 #2 The "Jiba," the hometown of humanity you must visit | What makes it so special?
Channel: Tenri no Oshie 【Thorough explanation with animation】 / Views: Approx. 57,000 (Published June 2023)

This is a video from an animation explanation channel carefully created by a believer. It has a slightly different tone from the "third-party perspective" series this time, but it is one I especially want to introduce.

"What is the Jiba?" "Why is it so important?"—these are questions I often get asked by non-believers. Honestly, when I try to answer them, I sometimes find myself at a loss for words.

This video answers those questions very sincerely with gentle animation and narration. It's a small channel, but its care and sincerity are second to none, even compared to major channels.

It is a video I definitely want you to watch as a next step if you are interested.

There is something I felt after watching these videos.

That the words "Welcome, welcome home" are truly being conveyed.

In Tenrikyo, it is taught that all humanity are brothers and sisters in one family, and that the 'Jiba' is the home of all human beings.
If non-believers feel that 'it wasn't scary,' 'I was welcomed,' or 'I want to go again,' then I think that means those words are truly alive.

🌸 Impressions of returning to the Jiba 🌸

And—an image song based on the experience story ♬

If you read this article and became even a little interested, please watch the video first. And if you think, 'I want to know more,' please feel free to reach out to us anytime 😊

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