According to a Japanese blog, Daido Nakamoto, the chief priest of Myosetsuji Temple, is being reassigned to Jikaiji Temple, in Kagoshima. Posted on February 11th, the reliability of the blog post was confirmed by Nakamoto’s announcement on February 13th.
All indications are that Rev. Nakamoto’s reassigned is a major demotion. Once the Chief Secretary of the Head Temple’s Overseas Bureau, Nakamoto, 59, is being sent to a small temple, perhaps the most remote temple from the Head Temple. He’s being replaced by Rev. Shinga Takigawa, 43, who has been the chief priest at a temple in Singapore. Ironically, web postings indicate that Rev. Nakamoto once got caught in an indiscretion in Singapore and it was the same Rev. Takigawa who was there to clean things up.
Jikaiji is located in Makurazaki City. Usually new priests, freshly minted at Taisekiji’s seminary, are sent to this temple for their first assignment. He will replace Ryodai Kawase, 32, who will be reassigned to the Head Temple. ”In terms of Japanese culture,” one commentator notes, “this is like a CEO replacing a receptionist with the latter being asked to hang out in the Human Resources office.”
Makurazaki City is an isolated fishing port in Southern Japan. It is nicknamed ”Typhoon Ginza,” the first place the typhoons strike each summer when they reach the main islands of Japan. Located at the last stop of the southern-most JR train line, the city has a population of about 25,000 people, .3% of Nakamoto’s current New York City home. Currently Nakamoto’s territory of Northeastern United States, Southeastern Canada and the Caribbean has a population of 38,000,000. His new city’s population is .06% of this total.
Makurazaki City, founded in 1949, is renowned for its overbearing rotten fish odor. It is the main site for Japanese katsuobushi processing plants, which produce the chief flavoring ingredient—dried fish flakes—found in miso soup. The fish are caught offshore and brought to Makurazaki for skinning and boning. They are hot smoked in factories for up to two weeks and for an additional six weeks the fillets are alternately infected with Aspergillus mold and sun-dried.
Makurazaki is in the same prefecture as Mt. Shinmoedake, the volcano that is erupting and causing concerns about evacuation and air traffic delays.
According to the Japanese blog, the reason for Nakamoto being sent back to Japan is said to be “a woman problem.” In 2004, it came to light that Nakamoto, had an affair with a female Hokkeko member in Singapore during his trip there.
Does being reassigned to a smaller temple
necessarily mean demotion ? Perhaps
Rev. Nakamoto , himself, requested such
a transfer of his own volition.