Though, after becoming a religious figure, she would claim that she was adopted by the Ōsawas, and her true lineage could be traced to the Okayama Ikeda clan and further to the Kuni-no-miya branch of the imperial family.

[12] In the meantime, also developing in Tokyo was Red Swastika Society,[4][9] a China-based organization operating clandestinely in Japan, as the Japanese government rejected the introduction of a Chinese religion in the country.

[14] The publication, along with Minemura's own mining business, attracted the attention of the police, who conducted a raid on Jiu lodgings (where Nagaoka and a number of her followers lived) on 8 February 1945.

[23] In July 1945,[22] after their landlord reported the group to the police, Nagaoka was arrested under charges of lèse-majesté and released after ten days.

[23] On 12 July, Nagaoka declared herself to be the representative of Amaterasu, believing that she was sent to help the Emperor through the "holy war" (the bombing of Tokyo and Yokohama).

[24] They began attempting to contact the imperial family to inform them of their role in world renewal, while enduring the occupation of Japan as divine punishment from the kami.

[25] The group was constantly under threats of police arrests and eviction, leading to a series of "oracles" that dictated them to move their headquarters ("palaces").

[27] A series of oracles in May 1946 declared Nagaoka as the true imperial leader of Japan, who would rule in the new Reiju (霊寿, lit.

[28][29] The group's public rituals included eating donated rice gruel, which attracted both followers (malnutrition was a major problem during early occupation) along with police and media attention.

[36] The group moved to Kanazawa next month, though the travels had weakened Nagaoka, which was viewed by her followers to represent dangers facing the nation.

[34][35] The sight of Go Seigen and Futabayama Sadaji, two celebrities in the town of Kanazawa,[37] along with seemingly-fulfilled prophecies of earthquakes attracted more media attention.

[38] Their activities also attracted an Asahi Shimbun journalist who, hoping to see his acquaintance Futabayama return to the sumo wrestling world, investigated the group and reported his information to the local police.

[40] On 21 January, after learning that Nagaoka and her followers were planning to escape the town at night,[35] the police raided the headquarters a second time, arresting Nagaoka along with Futabayama (who attempted to fight off the police) in front of groups of journalists and cameramen,[40] who would later term the raid "Kanazawa incident (金沢事件, Kanazawajiken)" or the "Jikōson incident (璽光尊事件, Jikōsonjiken)".

Some, such as Heibonsha founder Yasaburō Shimonaka [ja], novelist Yasunari Kawabata and actor Musei Tokugawa did end up visiting Nagaoka after receiving her invitations.