Nakayama Shà Âzen (ä¸Âå±± æ£åÂÂ, April 23, 1905 â November 14, 1967) was the second Shinbashira of Tenrikyo. He was the first son of Nakayama Shinnosuke, the first Shinbashira, and the great-grandson of Nakayama Miki, the foundress of Tenrikyo. He was Shinbashira from 1915 to 1967.
Nakayama Shà Âzen was born on April 23, 1905, in what is now Tenri, Nara, Japan. He was born to parents Nakayama Shinnosuke and Tamae.
On January 21, 1915, at the age of ten, Shà Âzen was installed as the Shinbashira. However, due to Nakayama's young age, the duties of the office were conducted by Yamazawa Tamenobu. In 1923, Shà Âzen entered Osaka High School. In 1925, he founded the Tenri Foreign Language School, the predecessor to Tenri University, and became its principal. Later in the same year, he assumed all of the responsibilities of the Shinbashira office.
In 1926, Shà Âzen graduated from Osaka High School () and entered the religious studies department at University of Tokyo. The department chair at the time was Prof. Anesaki Masaharu, who today is considered the father of religious studies in Japan. Shà Âzen's graduation thesis, titled "On Missionary Work" (ä¼ÂéÂÂã«ã¤ãÂÂ㦠Dendà  ni tsuite), was an analysis of questionnaire results that were solicited from Tenrikyo church head ministers and missionaries regarding the state of Tenrikyo's missionary activities at the time. His thesis was later edited and published by Tenrikyo Doyusha as Tenrikyà  dendà Âsha ni kansuru chà Âsa () in 1930. He graduated from University of Tokyo in 1929.
Nakayama Shà Âzen died on November 14, 1967. His grave is located at the Tenrikyo Toyota-san Cemetery (天çÂÂæÂÂè±Âç°山å¢Âå°), where Nakayama Miki's mausoleum is also located.