Yamagishi Miyozo 山岸巳代蔵

Yamagishi Miyozo 山岸巳代蔵 (1901–1961)

Born: August 12, 1901, Gamo District, Shiga Prefecture
Died: May 4, 1961 (subarachnoid hemorrhage, died at a study session)
Known for: Founder of Yamagishism (ヤマギシズム) — a utopian communal movement rooted in farming and a radical philosophy of non-possession

Relevance to Cho Han-Kyu

Cho named Yamagishi as one of his three Japanese teachers. He observed Yamagishi's followers closely and learned from the movement's trajectory — both its idealism and its dangers. Cho's own path diverged from Yamagishi's in a critical way: where Yamagishi's movement institutionalized itself into a communal "ism," Cho moved toward the spiritual and away from ideology. Cho believed natural farming knowledge came directly from God, not from any human movement.

The Chicken House

Yamagishi was a rebellious youth under surveillance by the Imperial secret police (特高警察). While on the run from the authorities, he took refuge in a chicken house, where he spent extended time observing what made chickens happy. This direct, prolonged observation of animal behavior became the foundation for his entire system — both agricultural and philosophical.

The Typhoon That Changed Everything

Yamagishi began farming and raising chickens in 1922 in Shiga Prefecture. In 1950, the Jane Typhoon (ジェーン台風) struck Japan; his fields and farm survived undamaged while neighboring farms were destroyed. This visible proof drew attention, and he began lecturing. In 1952 he founded the Yamagishi Association (山岸会). In 1954 he published his first book: Yamagishi-式 Poultry Method: Farming Poultry Edition.

Core Philosophy: Ittai (一体)

From the official Yamagishi Association philosophy:

"Humans are not to be placed in opposition to nature, but are one body with nature (自然との一体のもの) and should harmonize with it. Since no person can exist alone, each person is a member within the unity (一体の中の一員) with others, and people should harmonize with one another."

The philosophy of mushoyu ittai (無所有一体, non-possession unity):

"Just as the sun and air belong to no one, and no one considers them possessions — all living things use them together and live together by their blessings — so should human life be organized."

Association motto: "われ、ひとと共に繁栄せん" — "I shall prosper together with others." The word hito (ひと) is a deliberate pun: it means both "people" (人) and "sun and soil" (日と土), linking human community to natural elements.

The Yamagishi Poultry Method

Chickens kept in groups of 25 hens with 5 cockerels (5:1 hen-to-rooster ratio)
Deep litter system — birds walk freely and scratch
Precise specifications for pen sizes, feed amounts, and litter depth
Result: doubled egg yield compared to conventional methods

Yamagishi also developed a method of raising chickens in rice fields — a closed-loop integrated agriculture system where straw feeds the animals, manure fertilizes the fields, and nothing is wasted.

His approach started from creating the ideal environment for the animal, not forcing the animal to adapt to human convenience. The doubled egg yield was a consequence of happy chickens, not the goal.

The Tokukō (特講) Sessions

Full name: Yamagishism Special Study Session (ヤマギシズム特別講習研鑽会)
Duration: 7 nights (residential)
You can only attend once in your lifetime
Over 100,000 people have attended since 1956

Participants surrender all possessions on entering — no watches, newspapers, books. Sessions are held in large circles with two coordinators. There is no teaching — participants think for themselves. The guiding question: "Honto wa dou darou ka?" (本当はどうだろうか — "What is really true?")

The goal: setting aside fixed ideas (固定観念). Through group kensan (研鑽, "polishing/reflection"), rigid ideas are transformed into free, unfixed ideas.

The Yamagishi Movement

At its peak in 1998: 39 practice sites in Japan, ~4,400 residents, ~35,000 total members, annual revenue ~¥14 billion (~$170M) — the top-earning agricultural cooperative in Japan. Today the movement operates 26 sites in Japan and 6 internationally (Brazil, Switzerland, South Korea, Australia, USA, Thailand) with ~1,500 residents.

The movement also had serious troubles: in 1959, thirteen members were arrested for illegal confinement during tokukō sessions. In the 1990s, 31 lawsuits from former members, media reports of child labor and financial manipulation, and in 1996 the German government listed Yamagishi as a "Youth Cult and Psycho-Group."

What Cho Took From Him

Spirit over technology — understanding the creature's nature comes first; technique follows
The chicken as teacher — Yamagishi's entire system started from watching chickens; Cho's emphasis on observation echoes this
Integrated agriculture — chickens in rice fields, closed-loop systems
The danger of "isms" — Cho watched Yamagishi's movement calcify into an institution with leaders, secrets, and control. This confirmed Cho's instinct to root KNF in God and nature alone, not in any organization.

The key divergence: where Yamagishi built a human institution to implement his philosophy, Cho built a practice rooted in spiritual authority. Where Yamagishi said "humans can solve this scientifically," Cho said "God gives this knowledge."

Sources

幸福会ヤマギシ会 official website (koufukukai.com)
山岸巳代蔵 — Japanese Wikipedia
"Whatever happened to Yamagishi?" — Japan Times, 2008, John Spiri
Cho Han-Kyu lecture transcripts, 2017–2018 (PKNF archive)
NDL Search catalog records