In July 1942, a barn on the Kitamura property burned down. Blaming herself for the incident, Kitamura began visiting a
shaman. On May 4, 1944, Kitamura was possessed by a spirit, which was later said to be
Tensho Kotaijin. She had her first sermon on July 22, 1945, during which she preached she had been sent to save the world, because it was about to end. She said that people should become "true human beings" in order to create a peaceful "land of god", and that
Japan's defeat in
World War II was just the prelude to a battle between good and evil. As the religion became more established, she became more critical of politicians, the
emperor, and other people in power, calling them "maggots". In 1952, Kitamura went on a mission trip to
Hawaii. Her first overseas branch was in
Kalihi, Hawaii. Soon, more branches were formed throughout the world, including in
Europe,
Africa, and
South America. She eventually had over 300,000 followers. Kitamura died in her home on December 28, 1967. In 1968, her granddaughter, Kitamura Kiyokazu, became head of the religion. == Family ==