Rev. Lawrence K. Barrish has devoted more than five decades to the daily study and practice of Shintō and Aikidō. From childhood, he was deeply fascinated by the circulation of life force/ Ki — the sense that every blade of grass and every leaf perfectly and appropriately fulfills its role within a greater Divine order. This awareness of harmony and purposeful vitality shaped his lifelong inquiry into the nature and movement of life's energies.

As a teenager, that fascination led him to the ocean. Surfing became an early mentor in understanding rhythm, the rising and falling of nature. This embodied study of natural flow would later find disciplined expression in the activity of Aikidō and, ultimately, in esoteric Shintō practices.

Inheriting a martial lineage in 1977 he relocated his dojo from Southern California to Washington State. In 1992, he realized a life dream by constructing and operating the Kannagara Jinja, which he gifted to an NPO in 2001. He continued to develop his personal practice and guide the shrine community until his retirement from that organization in 2023.

Through decades of engaged, dedicated service, Rev. Barrish became the first American to receive formal licensing as a Kannushi (Shintō priest) and later received the license of Guji (Shinto Chief Priest). Over the years, his shrine became an established and respected public center of Shintō practice in the Pacific Northwest, serving both Japanese and non-Japanese communities.

In 2023, he established Kannagara Inari/ Kannagara Chikyū (Earth) Jinja in Kissimmee, Florida — a private more intimate shrine-dojo devoted to his deepening exploration and transmission of Inari Shintō.

Rev. Barrish continues a daily rhythm of morning and night prayer, purification, and spiritual discipline, maintaining the path he has walked since youth.

E-mail: sensei@kannagarainari.org

Chika Barrish has devoted decades of dedicated service to shrine life and operations. As Shrine Manager of WA State Jinja she worked tirelessly — seven days a week — to establish and oversee proper shrine functioning while helping introduce Shintō practice respectfully and accurately within the large Japanese and non-japanese communities of the Pacific Northwest.

Her seriousness, steady commitment, organizational care, and cultural grounding formed a quiet but essential pillar of shrine life. Her dedication and focus were drivers of decades of positive activity and growth.

Today, she serves as Shrine Manager of Kannagara Inari, where her experience and devotion continue to guide daily operations and support the integrity of the shrine’s ongoing activities.

E-mail: chika@kannagarainari.org