The September Monthly Service was held in Nara, the land of Yamato (a historic name for Nara). The expectation and joy of nearly 700 members were concentrated in the worship seats before the service began. Before the beginning of the service, 14 reijin (musicians trained specifically to play sacred music) performed “Isuzugawa” on the Yakumo-koto. The melody purified the hearts of all who listened, and its solemn and pure tones resonated throughout every corner of the worship hall. Masaaki-sama entered the venue. In the silence as the members in attendance bowed their heads, when the master of ceremonies called out and everyone raised their faces in unison, there stood Masaaki-sama in Japanese traditional clothing, which they were seeing for the first time. Wordless murmurs of amazement spread throughout the venue. The refined colors of his kimono, similar to what you would see in ink paintings, became one with the room which was mostly white in color, and his graceful appearance wearing the kimono without a hakama was reminiscent of Meishu-sama. His attire was completely vegan, using no animal materials whatsoever. The Okada family crest, an ivy within a circle, was embroidered on the back. Mami-okusama, who was in attendance, also wore beautiful Japanese traditional clothing. Her kimono also had the same Okada family crest on the back. Thus, both Masaaki-sama and Mami-okusama were dressed in vegan attire that day. [continued in comments] [continuation]