Hayashi Tōji Arimichi (林 藤次 有通, 1797–1870) was a Japanese nationalist, priest, scholar of kokugaku, and Shinto fundamentalist.
A deeply religious man, Ōen placed substantial emphasis on the use of the ukehi ritual in divination, calling it, "the most wondrous of all Shinto rites".
He became increasingly single-minded in the carrying out of rites and began instructing his students in methods to defend the country from the Americans, who he believed harbored a desire to eventually conquer or subjugate Japan.
However, he advocated that such destruction was preferable to military or cultural surrender on the grounds that it was necessary to remain loyal to Japan's native way of life at all costs, even if the nation's population should expire.
[7][8] A great deal of information about Ōen's life and activities was preserved by the Sakurayama Compatriots' Society (桜山同志会), established in 1886 for the bereaved family members of former Shinpūren warriors.