IN THE NEWS/ Former teacher starts new life as Shinto priest
Hideya Okada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
NARA--About two months ago, Hirotada Kasannoin shaved his stubbly beard, swapped his business suit for a white kimono, and became the chief priest of Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara.
"I'm learning about Shinto ritual services one by one, as there are many special facets of decorum peculiar to Kasuga Taisha. I feel a powerful sense of history handed down from our predecessors," he said.
Kasannoin, 45, spent 21 years teaching geography and history at a Nara prefectural high school.
As a teacher, he frequently visited the homes of delinquent students to offer guidance. Nicknamed "Kassan" by his pupils, Kasannoin was a very popular figure who derived great satisfaction from his work.
When the former chief priest became sick at the end of last year, the shrine asked him--out of the blue--to assume the vacant post. Kasannoin thought long and hard about his choices.
The Kasannoins are descendants of the Fujiwara clan, who are said to have founded Kasuga Taisha during the Nara period (710-784).
Kasannoin's late father, Chikatada, also worked as a teacher before serving as the chief priest for more than 20 years. Chikatada was very diligent and would study history and other subjects late into the night, even though he was more than 70 years old. However, he never pressured his son into becoming a Shinto priest.
When the shrine eagerly urged Kasannoin to assume the post, his wife said, "This is your destiny," which prompted him to follow in his father's footsteps.
(Jun. 12, 2008)
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