Michihisa Kitashirakawa
High Priest, The Grand Ise Shrine
Shinto
Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1937, Kitashirakawa succeeded his cousin as Jingu Daiguji (high priest) of the Ise Shrine in 2001. Though there are thousands of Shinto temples in Japan, the Ise Shrine is considered its most holy, in part because it's there that the spirits of the imperial family reside. Before his appointment, Kitashirakawa studied politics and economics at Gkaushuin University in Tokyo and spent many years in business working for Toshiba Corporation. He is a great grandson of the Meiji Emperor.
Photos from In God's Name
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Spiritual Leaders
- Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Orthodox Church
- Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi), a Hindu spiritual leader
- Pope Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church
- The Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists
- Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, a prominent Shi'ite Muslim leader
- Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and President of the Lutheran World Federation
- High Priest Michihisa Kitashirakawa, Daiguji (Shinto Priest) of the Grand Shrine of Ise
- Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ashkenazi
- Dr. Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Imam Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, Sheikh of Al-Azhar and a prominent Sunni Muslim leader
- Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the Sikhs' highest authority
- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England