FABC
Paper No. 86
Japanese
Christian Identity
Personal Portraits Of Faith |
|
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CONTENTS
Introduction by Charles McJilton
.
1. Interview with
Professor Hideo Yuki
2. Interview with
Sister Elko Abe
3. Identity in Sharing
One's Faith, Dr. Toshi Arai
4. Interview with
Yoko Nobira
5. Living among Non-Christians
in Response to Jesus, Chiemi Ishii
6. No Matter What,
Life Is Worth Living, Shizuko Higuchi
7. My Second Baptism
Was My Real Conversion, Hiro Fukumoto
8. A New Identity
from an Old System, Dr. Hisako Kinukawa
9. Journey with Christ
to the Marginalized, Father Tetsuro Honda
10. Blazing New Trails
Both Inwardly and Outwardly, Rev. Maki Fushii
11. East and West
Identity, Rev. Anri Morimoto
12. An Identity Shaped
by Action, Rev. Tsutomu Shoji
13. Interview with
Rev. Shigeko Yamano
14. A Call to be
Greater Than One's Own Vision, Rev. Tazu Sasamori
15. Identity and
Buraku Discrimination, Rev. Heiichi Sumihi
16. Finding One's
Eastern Identity in the West, Rev. lzuru Aratani
17. A Minority Within
a Minority, Motoi Koizumi
18. A Universal Christianity,
Dr. Yasuo Furaya
19. Meeting Harue
Watanabe
20. A New Outlook,
Akiko Nakahara |
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|
This collection of interviews
first appeared in the Japan Christian Activity
News (JCAN) (Summer issue, 1999, numbers
723 and 724), the newsletter of the National Christian Council in Japan.
It is reprinted with permission.
|
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Introduction, by
Charles McJilton*
.
| * Charles
McJilton is Roman Catholic and a missionary in Japan. He has been involved
with the homeless, visiting detainees, and building a Christian community. |
For
some, the term "Japanese Christianity" may conjure up exotic images of
an "Eastern Christianity" replete with wafting incense, green tea and rice
crackers used in the communion service, and melodic chanting during services.
Others would say that the term "Japanese Christianity" is inconsistent,
because Christianity is a Western religion. However, lest we forget our
geography, Jesus was from Asia; Christianity did not start in the West.
Here we let the Japanese tell their story and what this term means to them.
*
* *
2200-4/27/99
Osaka
to Tokyo on the Shinkansen
.
I
reread my notes I wrote while coming down to Osaka on the Shinkansen (Bullet
Train) and I feel foolish at what I wrote. I focused so much on the minority
aspect and foreignness of Christianity that I completely missed the point.
However, if I were to print what I wrote this morning, quite a few people
would probably regard it as "Gospel." It sounds plausible and logical:
Because Christians are a minority in Japan and because Christianity is
a foreign religion, becoming a Christian means giving up a part of one's
Japanese identity and becoming a minority. How wrong. How very wrong.
None
of the people I interviewed felt, or even began to consider themselves,
to be a minority. None. In fact in my very first interview, I was blown
completely away by this statement: "To become Christian is to become more
Japanese." Wow. I would have never, never in my wildest dreams come up
with that statement. And yet this came from a person who has been a Christian
for a long time. Who is a thinker. Who is well-educated.
Or
how about the Catholic Sister who saw Christianity as wearing a new pair
of lenses to see reality better? Or how about the Franciscan priest who
lived among the day-Iaborers in Osaka? He rewrote the Gospels to reflect
the stance of the poor and the language they use, when he realized they
could not relate to his sermons. He certainly was not aping the West.
What
I saw in Osaka were people whose identity had become clearer through their
Christian experience. All of them saw their experience as adding to their
life rather than taking away from it. And this could be seen in the flame
that seemed to glow faintly from their faces.
True
enough, they had demographically entered a minority group. However, unlike
in western countries where this term carries a pejorative meaning, they
in no way entertained that thought. Their "minority status" had far from
constricted their power base or standing in society. It had changed them
internally in a way that is not often seen in the West.
"Lest
I use this word too strongly, let me say we must 'resist' to be Christians.
In the West you just accept." And there lies the crux; to be Christian
in a non-Christian country demands so much more. However, we should not
necessarily confuse this demand with external circumstances, such as political
pressure. And while it does not necessarily mean the demand to completely
reconcile one's own Japaneseness and one's faith, it does ask them to clarify
what is Christian and what is not Christian when it comes to customs, beliefs,
values, and faith. In other words, the demand is internal.
For
too long I have believed, and said, that to become Christian is to lose
a part of one's Japanese identity, because one has to take on a foreign
religion. However, according to the people I interviewed, I was very much
wrong. It was a pleasant shift, a paradigm shift.
So
then, what does Japanese Christian identity mean? Read ahead and make your
own decision...
1. Interview:
Professor Hideo Yuki*
.
| *
Director of NCC Center for the Study of Japanese Religions, Professor Emeritus
of Doshisha University, Kyoto |
JCAN:
I understand you were born in 1926 and became a Christian during the
war.
Rev.
Yuki: Yes, that is correct.
How
did you become a Christian?
A
missionary visited my mother and she became interested in Christianity.
However, it wasn't until a small church was built nearby that I started
attending Sunday school. I was in elementary school then, and I was finally
baptized in middle school.
That
must have been right in the middle of the war. What was it like?
It
was terrible. There were very few parishioners and fewer pastors. Sometimes
pastors had to work in other places just to support themselves.
How
did this shape your faith?
During
the war, with the atmosphere being filled with ultra-nationalistic talk,
reading the Bible and listening to teaching from the church leaders gave
me a clear sense of being a Christian. That is being Christian.
But
didn't you feel you were a minority?
I have
two things to say. The first is what a lay leader told us. "There is much
talk from the government about what it means to be patriotic. However,
that is not patriotism. Patriotism is believing in the true God and praying
for Japan." At that moment I felt I was in a minority group, but also felt
I was truly loving Japan. The second point is that I was against Japanese
actions and ideology, but I never lost my Japaneseness. I did not become
western when I became Christian.
But
weren't you accused of becoming western?
Yes,
but that is a matter of style. American style. English style. German style.
But we still felt we were Japanese. 1942 was the worst of the ultra - nationalism,
particularly the Christmas of that year. Therefore, the Christian boom
after the war was something that I hated.
Hated?
You
have to understand. We persevered during the worst period. Of course, at
any time in history each person's choice of baptism is an individual struggle.
However, in general, in the post-war period society accommodated many of
these new Christians. It was almost a fad, a way to show you were democratic,
modern. That might be considered "style." Society never accommodated us
during the war. We had to struggle to change Japan; however, we were not
opposed to Japan.
Of
course in the post-war period the number of Christians was rising. However,
the real meaning of becoming Christian is to change. Not to become American.
Not to become western. But to make Japan more Japanese.
Is
that the meaning of Christianity?
Yes.
To me, it is for each person and each group to become more of what God
has made them to be. So for Koreans, it is not throwing off their national
identity, but to become more Korean.
However,
there is a criteron. It cannot mean for Japan to glorify and deify the
emperor out of ultra-nationalism. When we recognize God, then good things
will come about. Again, this does not mean throwing everything Japanese
out. We must also ask, "What are the social implications?" "What is my
new identity?"
God,
as Creator, made many different varieties. And it is not meant for those
varieties to be simplified into a set type. Previous missionaries asked
us to become one type: modern. But now we see the value of variety and
the efficacy of our profession, "We believe in one God, Creator of heaven
and earth..."
What
is the difference between Japanese and Western Christianity?
Westerners
are born into a Christian society and, therefore, they are raised in a
culture that has Christianity and Christendom together. However, for countries,
like Japan, that have had Christianity brought to them, they have both
the religion and the culture to contend with.
The
good point is that Japanese Christians must clarify what Christian religion
means to them, while western Christians do not necessarily need to do this,
because their religion is a part of the culture. In a sense, if Japanese
Christians do not clarify their faith, they will not become Christian.
The person must search for his/her faith. Therefore, in a non-Christian
world one's identity as a Christian becomes clearer. Whereas, in the West
a church member may be considered to be enrolled, even if they do not attend
the church.
The
good point for westerners in Christendom is that, even if they themselves
do not struggle, they can still take in the teachings of Christianity.
They can have a Christian way of life. However, if Japanese Christian do
not struggle to be Christian, they will not have that "Christian way of
life." Their identity will suffer. Westerners do not face this problem
of losing
their
Christian identity, because Christianity permeates throughout society;
at home, among
friends,
and at holiday celebrations.
But
for Japanese to become Christian does not mean giving up their Japaneseness.
My
previous image was that for Japanese to become Christian they must lose
some of their Japaneseness. However, you are saying that is not so. You
have stated, "For Japanese, being Christian is making Japan more Japanese."
Yes,
that is true. However, previous missionaries made the mistake of thinking
that to become Christian was to be modern. Among other things, they would
advocate throwing away everything. And those who could throw away their
Japanese identity were most welcomed by these missionaries. That is a western
way of life. Coffee in the morning. No public baths. Sleeping in beds.
There
is a presumption behind your question of identity. If there were none,
then there would be no problem with Japanese Christian identity and Japanese
identity. I am sure you are thinking that there are aspects of Japaneseness
that are incompatible with Christianity. The biggest example is the deification
of the Emperor and the present emperor system.
A
better example for westerners to understand would be the custom of honoring
the dead. It is difficult to say where culture ends and religion begins
when people fold their hands together and worship the dead. Westerners
have never had this custom, and therefore there is no problem for them
to confront. Of course, Christians must never worship the dead, but some
will say that if you do not worship, then you are not Japanese. Therefore,
the problem becomes what to do at a Buddhist funeral.
This
takes us back to the problem of the conflict between Japanese Christian
identity and Japanese identity. I think one way to begin to work through
these problems is to ask, "What are the criteria here?" "What is the intent?"
"What is the meaning behind the actions?" It may mean to honor the memory
of the dead. To show respect. Recall good times spent together.
From
a standardized western Christian perspective the actions of the Japanese
Christian may appear to be worshipping. However, these Christians have
analyzed what they are doing, and the implications of their actions, and
have come to the conclusion that "what they are doing is not necessarily
worshipping."
However,
some churches say that following standardized Christian teaching means
that you must not worship when you go to a Buddhist funeral. And while
we must not worship, we must take the time to analyze our own actions and
make our own decision as to what they mean.
If
Japanese only look to the west to take their cues for behavior, then they
will never be able to hue out their own Christian identity.
The
image many have of Japanese becoming Christian is what Paul says, "Throwing
off the old self and putting on the new self." How is this carried out
in Japan?
I
believe Paul was referring to a spiritual point.
OK.
But some conservative western missionaries would say that all family shrines
need to be thrown out as they are symbols of the devil.
When
Protestant missionaries came here more than 100 years ago, that was the
first stage of evangelism. They did not understand the culture and simply
sought to throw out everything Japanese. However, we need to have some
criteria for keeping what is Japanese, based on the gospels. Again, funerals
are a good example of this. What are the criteria for attending a Buddhist
funeral? What is my intent? What do my actions mean?
I
think I have similar experience. My mission is interdenominational, but
I am not the only Roman Catholic in Japan. I often hear criticism that
we worship Mary. However, for us nothing could be further from the truth.
It may appear to be worshipping, but for us it is clearly not.
Yes,
that is a good example for us Christians. We need to ask what are the criteria
and intent of my actions instead of just throwing out the baby with the
bath water.
How
have missionaries missed this point in the past?
Previously,
missionaries came not only to spread the Good News but to "ask the Japanese
to change their old-fashioned and uncivilized ways."
These
missionaries could not notice the different lifestyles because they lived
in western-style housing, huge houses compared to Japanese. For example,
shortly after the war there was a young couple who wanted to live as the
Japanese did, but their mission board refused to grant them permission.
" You cannot sleep on the floor. You can not use the same bath for the
whole family. These things are unhealthy." These days there would be no
problem, but it does illustrate the misunderstanding of what mission means.
by
CEM
.
.2.
Interview: Sister Elko Abe*
Society of Helpers, Osaka
.
| *
"I ran into Sister Abe while visiting Kibo no le (House of Hope) located
in Kamagaseki, Osaka. The facility works with recovering alcoholics, the
homeless and other people in need. It is located in the biggest concentration
of day-laborers in Japan. Her easy attitude and warm smile spoke volumes." |
JCAN:
When were you baptized?
Sister
Abe: That would have been my second year of high school. I was 17.
How
did you get interested in Christianity?
I
was studying opera and a group was formed to sing at a church. The priest
there asked if I wanted to know what the Latin meant. That was the beginning
point.
Was
there an experience that shifted your thinking?
In
talking with this priest I could see there was a different world out there,
a world of faith. When the priest said faith was viewing the world through
different lenses, well, that really clicked inside.
How
did you parents react?
Mother
was worried that the sisters were going to take me away. My father was
more practical, as he could not see how I would be able to get married
if I became a Christian. You see, he had studied Catholicism before
and was worried that I would not be happy.
Well,
you didn't get married and you seem quite happy.
Entering
the convent was a journey. I went to a Catholic university, so that helped
to strengthen my faith and help me see that I was called to be a Sister.
I
take it your parents were not so happy about your calling.
No,
they were against it. They even said, "Why don't you just kill us and go?"
After college I came home to take care of my ailing father. But for six
months I heard nothing but talk about marriage.
One
day my father came to me and said, "I said earlier you should just kill
us and go. I may not understand your way, but if this is the path that
you think will make you happy, then go. You have our blessings." I cried
when I heard that. In fact, We both cried.
That's
quite a moving story. It seems that your faith was made stronger in each
period: baptism, college, and finally waiting for approval from your parents.
When
I was first baptized, my experience of being with Christ was not so strong.
I had a strong sense of meeting the Father, but much less of Jesus. The
first mass I went to, I really didn't understand Holy Communion. At that
time it was pre-Vatican II, so the priest was facing the altar. However,
the person next to me showed me the Japanese translation of the Latin and
it said, "We give praise to Jesus who was crucified for all humanity."
Those words "all humanity" struck a chord deep within me, as I could imagine
my neighbors in that small countryside town.
It
was after I entered the convent that those words took on a greater meaning,
that Jesus is always with us.
Since
you were baptized, have you ever thought there are contradictions between
Christianity and Japanese traditions, and that maybe choosing a more Japanese
religion, Shinto or Buddhism, would have been better?
Since
I met Christ?
Yes.
We
don't need religion.
Don't
need? Just believe in God?
Yes,
that's right.
Did
you ever feel that you were losing part of your Japanese identity as a
Christian because it is considered a foreign religion?
Hmm.
No, I never felt that way, because through Christ there are many ways of
living, changing (conversion) and growing.
But
many of your fellow sisters are foreigners.
Yes,
that is true. However, there was a time when Japan threw everything Christian
out and closed the country. When Japan reopened, we had these people coming
here to give us the Good News. They gave up their former lives, and in
some cases put their lives on the line for their faith. That impressed
me. So if you insist on calling it a foreign religion, I have to consider
that their actions were a powerful testament to me.
What
do you think of the present Japanese Christian identity? Specifically,
I am thinking about the emperor system.
For
me I feel that the emperor system gets in my way. I don't feel free. We
have no need for such a system.
Does
Shintoism or Buddhism have any influence on your faith?
Yes.
I have many good friends of these faiths who have taught me much, especially
Shinto.
When
I was five I was very sick, and so my mother went to the Shinto shrine
in our small village and prayed that I would recover. It was common then
for mothers to sacrifice something, like eating food, to show their seriousness.
When it was apparent that I was going to recover, my mother put me on her
back and went to the shrine. 100 times she entered the gate of the shrine,
climbed the stairs, bowed and offered a single flower at the shirne. 100
times, with me on her back! That taught me a lot about faith and prayer.
Final
thoughts?
Many
young people are separated from the church. However, there are many who
want to meet Christ, who have a spiritual hunger inside. Christ has yet
to be introduced to them.
by
CEM
.
.3.
Identity in Sharing One's Faith, Dr. Toshi
Arai*
.
| *
Rev. Dr. Toshi Arai, Director of Christian Academy (Tokyo office). Before
that, he worked at the World council of Churches in Geneva and at the Christian
Conference of Asia in Singapore and Hong Kong. |
I
first met Dr. Arai in Singapore in 1978 while he was working at the Christian
Conference of Asia (CCA). I remember how enthusiastic he was about his
work at CCA. His work involved visiting other churches in Asia. In his
travels he often apologized for what Japan had done during the war. "We
not only invaded Asian countries but we glorify these war criminals at
the Yasukuni Shrine," Dr. Arai said. "I have told the Japanese churches
that saying 'sorry' is not enough; we must show evidence of our apology."
He
also believes it is important to collect hymns from all around the world
and use them in hymnals in Japan. Some of these hymns can be found in the
new hymnals for the Kyodan (United Church of Christ in Japan) and
the Seikokai (Anglican/Episcopal) churches. While preaching three
years ago at West Tokyo Union Church, he began singing a hymn in the middle
of his sermon. And today we were serenaded during our interview with him.
He
has a wide background of ecumenical experiences. He studied at Aoyama
Gakuen (a Methodist-related university in Tokyo). He later went to
the U.S.A. for seminary, where he majored in American church history and
minored in ecumenism. Returning to Japan, he became one of the pastors
at the International Christian University Church. He was also the chairperson
of NCC's Youth Committee. Dr. Arai said, "This was in the 60s and I encouraged
young people to go to Asia. Finally, I thought I should practice what I
preach, and I joined the CCA."
Besides
his deep commitment to ecumenism, the Reverend Arai is a strong advocate
of interfaith dialogue. "I am a Christian pastor but feel the ecumenical
movement should go into the area of interfaith cooperation and dialogue.
Because Christians are only 1% of the population in Japan and 3% in Asia,
if we want to do anything for peace and justice, we must cooperate with
people of other faiths."
He
went on to explain that interfaith dialogue was not "just smiling at one
another" but contributing out of our honest Christian identity. The ecumenical
movement is not just limited to church cooperation. In Greek oikumene
means "the whole inhabited world." God is working and spreading the
Good News, healing and caring for people of other faiths and people without
faith." When asked about evangelism the Reverend Arai responded, "Instead
of evangelism, we should do more assimilation of non-Christians to churches
and Christian institutions. The skirt of the church should be extended
wider as we become friends with others."
by
Claudia Gemury-Yamamoto (CGY) and CEM
.
4. Interview:
Yoko Nobira*
Kagoshima, Japan
.
| *
Yoko Nobira is a young adult active in the Catholic Church. |
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JCAN:
Yoko, were you always a Christian? If not, at what age did you convert,
and why?
Yoko:
I was baptized at Christmas, 1996. 1 was 22 at the time. It would take
too long to explain all the reasons why, but I feel my whole life was one
continuous journey towards baptism. I had always yearned for "the light,"
and for help from somewhere outside myself. As a child, I was afraid of
death and darkness, and often couldn't sleep the whole night. I felt the
constant passage of time, and it seemed to me that all things were short-lived
and quickly faded away. I desired some sort of permanence, something that
would last beyond death.
While
attending Kagoshima University, I met Father Frank Sottocomola, an Italian
priest, who taught religion at my university. Before taking his course,
I never thought about religion or about its role in our lives. He said
that "religion is the way our lives pursue the truth. Thus, religion is
life." These words were exactly what I had been longing to hear since my
childhood. During the course, we watched a video on Jesus' life." I was
so moved I began to cry. Finally, it was his warm smile, both mysterious
and peaceful, that captivated me, promising me something of the "infinite,"
and led me to make the choice to become Christian.
Are
your parents religious? How do they feel about your conversion to Catholicism?
My
parents are not particularly interested in religion. You could say we are
a traditional Japanese family who feel connected to the national Shinto
religion. My parents were not too happy about my conversion and warned
me not to get too involved, as it might be dangerous. They were influenced,
I am sure, by the mass media coverage of religious cults, following the
Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack in Tokyo in March, 1995.
How
has your life, thinking, feeling changed since you became Christian?
I
feel I've changed a lot. I am much happier than before. I am no longer
afraid like I was as a child. I've come to know God's love for me and for
others, and believe that Christ is always with each and every one of us.
To love is to hope and to live in the light. I have a desire to love people
as Christ did.
What
do you think of young people today in Japan? Do you have hope for a good
future for Japan? Are you afraid?
I
think we must pay close attention. I have the impression that there is
a tendency today among Japanese youth to ignore the meaning of life, or
not even to reflect upon it. I don't think young people realize what a
gift it is to be alive, and the responsibility it carries. We live in such
a fast-paced world of information and materialism. But we must make good
choices and not accept blindly everything put in front of us. I can't predict
the future, because society changes so rapidly. One thing is certain. It
is the present moment we are living that counts and that requires our full
attention.
by
Patrice Van Hyle
.
5.
Living among Non-Christians in Response to Jesus,
Chiemi
Ishii*
.
| *
Ms. Ishii is a researcher and director of several programs at the Tomisaka
Christian Center. The Center is a place where researchers can come and
look at issues in East Asia. In addition to sponsoring seminars, forums
and other discussion panels, they publish books covering a wide range of
topics from the environment to the emperor system. |
.
JCAN:
When did you become Christian?
Ishii: My mother
was Christian, and so she took me to church when I was young. Later, when
I was 16, I was baptized.
I
guess your mother must have been happy.
Well, she was not going
to church at that time, so I am not sure she had much reaction.
And
your father?
He's Buddhist, so he thought
it would be best if I gave it up. He was not against it but he was not
for it either.
What
influenced you to become Christian?
When I was in my first year
at high school, my senior, who was an atheist, said that Christians are
cowards, and that those who do not rely on God are the truly free and happy
people. She had been influenced by Jean Paul Sartre. I was shocked because
I thought that Christians had the right answers to life.
I was also influenced by the Japanese author Dasai. Some of his writings
are close to Christianity, even though he was not a believer. He talked
about living a sincere and true life as much as possible, even though in
his real life he was a womanizer.
For six months I worried and thought about what I should do. I could either
become like my friend and not believe in God, or I could become a Christian.
I then saw the movie about Saint Francis called, "Brother Sun Sister Moon,"
and realized that that was what God's love was all about. I became baptized.
Well,
you should have become Catholic.
You're probably right, but
I was going to a Protestant church at that time.
What
did your senior say when you became baptized?
Hmm, I may have told her,
but I don't remember.
Did
your friends know?
Most knew I was a Christian.
What
did they think?
Most thought it was strange
that I was getting involved in a religion that usually only senior citizens
get involved in.
That
is an interesting take.
At that time most of my
friends were non-Christians. And this is true even today. I cannot agree
with limiting my friends to only Christians, or those in my own church.
I feel that God calls us to be among the people.
Do
you belong to a church?
Yes.
When
you became a Christian, did you feel that you might be becoming a minority?
Hmm, at 16 I don't think
I gave it much thought.
Then
when did you feel that you were indeed different?
I was a part of a fundamentalist
Baptist church started by an American. They said that we definitely could
not go to a Buddhist temple and pray. And even for my grandfather's funeral,
they said I should not go and offer my prayers for them.
You
were in high school?
Yes.
As
a Christian what were you thinking?
As a relative, I felt obligated
to go. But I also wanted to do something. And so I really worried about
it. I was lucky that the Buddhist priest was really open. In fact, his
son had become a Christian after attending a Christian university.
What
did the priest say?
He said that the heart of
Christianity and Buddhism were the same, so there was no problem. He also
said that the Buddhist prayers could be interpreted in Christianity as
the Lord's Prayer.
So
did you tell the pastor this revelation.
No, I passed on that. But
I did talk to the son, and he said that this was not exactly true. However,
he did say that on a deep level they did have many things in common. I
was really happy to hear this.
At
that time did you believe in the doctrine of that fundamentalist church?
Yes, but I gradually began
having my doubts. I realized that that kind of thinking was very narrow-minded.
So,
in a sense it was that funeral that led you to reconsider your beliefs.
Yes. But even before that
I had a shocking experience. When the Jewish athletes were killed a the
1972 Munich Olympics, the pastor's wife said that she felt sorry for the
"Jews," because even in this age, they are still paying for the sin of
killing Jesus.
I just couldn't understand how present-day people could still carry the
sin of killing Jesus, or how that could be a justification for killing
those people. That is when I started to realize my beliefs were different
from the doctrines they held.
When
else did you have a significant experience of clarifying your Christian
identity?
When I was in theology school,
I was exposed to reading the Bible in a different light. The Baptist read
the Bible literally, word for word.
Who
influenced you to seriously consider interacting with other religions and
learning from them?
I went to a rural community
started by a Dominican priest, Father Oshida.
He often would say, "I am Buddhist. A Buddhist who has met Christ." It
was a revelation to hear that. Everything in that community represented
the heart of Japan, the chapel, and the house. Everything had Japaneseness
to it. I also could feel that people of other religions would have been
welcome there.
I
see. However, the path you have chosen is a Christian one. Why? Why not
be Buddhist? Muslim? Shinto?
That is a good question;
but for me I feel that God has called me to be Christian. But I can get
a lot out of Buddhist ways of meditating.
Some
people say that once you become Christian, you lose part of your Japanese
identity. What do you think?
Unfortunately, there are
a lot people who think that way. And there was a time I thought the same
way. It was very hard for me. However, when I saw the way Fr. Oshida was
living, I realized there was something different; that is the way to really
live, with one's identity and faith intact. There was freedom there. For
some reason many Protestants try to take the Japaneseness out of Japanese
Christianity.
by
CEM
.
6.
No Matter What, Life Is Worth Living, Shizuko
Higuchi*
.
| *
She is active in the Catholic Church and works as a translator. |
.
Born after the end of World War II in Tokyo, Japan,
Shizuko Higuchi, the youngest child in a family of six was raised in an
environment of hardship and struggle. "I remember having little to eat
and being given treats of chocolate candy from American soldiers and volunteers
who were in Japan during its reconstruction period."
In
spite of growing up in a Buddhist family atmosphere, she admits to not
fully understanding Buddhist rituals and practices. During her college
years, Shizuko attended Sophia Catholic University in Tokyo and was exposed
to Christianity for the first time. Although somewhat intrigued by Christian
beliefs, she didn't feel a desire to probe any further. "I was young and
carefree. My whole life was ahead of me. I was full of self-confidence
and hope for my future. Personally, I didn't find anything lacking."
Yet,
life's seams quickly unraveled for Shizuko when she was about 40 years
of age. "A turning point in many women's lives," she explains. To those
on the outside, tier life seemed perfect. She had a good marriage, faithful
husband and smart young daughter. But now surrounded by elderly parents
and in-laws, Shizuko began to experience an increasing angst and dissatisfaction.
Realizing the harsh fact of human mortality and feebleness that often comes
with old age, she questioned her own life and its meaning.
"How
will it be to get old?" "Has my life until now been all I had imagined
it to be?" "Is life worth living at all?" These were some of the questions
Shizuko asked herself repeatedly. She was in a desperate spiritual state,
with no solution in sight.
A
relative encouraged her to study Buddhism and its tenets more deeply in
an effort to chase away the hopelessness and emptiness inside. "I read
many books on Buddhism during roughly a one-year period. At first, I was
taken in by its philosophical approach, and thought I had perhaps found
what I was searching for." Quickly, however, doubts crept into Shizuko's
mind. "Sadly, I reached the conclusion that I still hadn't found the TRUTH.
My search continued for something concrete to hold on to."
Because
the translation job Shizuko was working on at the time required biblical
knowledge, she enrolled in a beginner's Bible class. "I had no intention
of becoming a Christian, just mild curiosity and interest out of necessity
for my work." Within a few short months, however, Shizuko had agreed to
receive a private catechism from the Bible teacher, American missionary
priest Fr. John McKechney. Soon after, she was baptized by him in a chapel
on the grounds of her alma mater, Sophia University.
"Before
I was a Christian, I was rather of a pessimistic nature, always worrying
about myself and my own concerns. Now, I am freed from self-absorption
and am happy, thanks to God and my faith," says Shizuko. "Moreover, I have
hope that one day my husband will be baptized and join me in attending
Sunday church services."
When
asked about her present view of death and growing old, twelve years after
her conversion to Christianity, Shizuko emphatically responds, "Now, I
am of the opinion that even getting old can be seen as a gift from God
as it helps us to empathize with others and their sufferings. I firmly
believe that no matter what, life is worth living."
by
Patrice Van Hyle
.
7.
My Second Baptism Was My Real Conversion,
Hiro
Fukumoto*
.
| *
Fifty-three year old Hiro Fukumoto, born in Yokohama, recounts his journey
to Christianity. |
.
As
a child, I became familiar with the teachings of Christianity through my
Protestant mother who was a faithful churchgoer. During my teenage years,
I attended services with her on and off, but lacked a personal commitment
to Jesus or real understanding of what it meant to be a Christian. At the
age of twenty, a minister friend of my mother's suggested I be baptized.
Although I wasn't against the idea, the choice to become Christian didn't
come from my own heart. I went through the procedures, received baptism,
to my mother's and the minister's delight, but inside felt no sincere desire
to live a Christian life or explore my faith more deeply. As a consequence,
I soon drifted away from the church, stopped attending services and pursued
a rather worldly lifestyle. I focused on my profession as an acupuncturist,
my interest in painting and photography, made money and enjoyed material
pleasures.
Some
time later, I began to ponder the spiritual dimension of life and undertook
an intensive personal study of Buddhism, Shinto and New Age religions.
I wholeheartedly launched a search for my own life's path. I needed to
find out which direction to go in. This search lasted many years; and although
I did appreciate and put into practice some of the tenets of other religious
traditions, I still harbored a longing for something more.
Then
two years ago, a Catholic friend of mine suggested I take a course entitled,
"To Meet Yourself," conducted by a Belgian missionary priest, Fr. Bogaert.
This course opened my heart to the truth of Jesus' message -To Love One
Another. I decided to be baptized a second time, this time of my own will.
On Holy Saturday, 1998, during the Easter Vigil Mass, I experienced a rebirth
into God's family. I became a child of God.
Since
that time, my whole outlook has changed, affecting every aspect of my daily
life, especially my work as an acupuncturist. Now, I pray before each treatment
session and ask for Jesus' healing power to assist me. I consider other
peoples' happiness more and my own selfish desires less. I try to keep
my soul genuine and pure, and not get caught up in former worries about
money, health, the future, etc. I am much more content now and accept myself
and my weaknesses. I possess a desire to share Christ's love and peace
with my friends and all those I meet. Like Jesus during his earthly life,
I want to heal and anoint people. I have a mission to fulfill, and my life
has a deeper meaning.
by
Patrice Van Hyle
.
8.
A New Identity from an Old System, Dr. Hisako
Kinukawa*
.
| *
Professor at Tokyo Women's Christian University, a member of NCC-J's Commission
on Faith and Order and on NCC-J's Women's Committee. |
.
JCAN:
What does Christian identity mean to you?
Dr. Kinukawa: I should
say first that Christian faith is a commitment, not a conversion. I decided
to commit myself to the Christian faith and identify myself with a Christian
church when I was in college. Till then, I was raised in a family which
had different religions. My parents are not identified with any religion,
but they are very spiritual and interested in religion. So I cannot tell
which part of my body and soul is immersed in Buddhist traditions, Shinto
customs, or a Confucianistic way of life. All of these, and other disciplinary
things, are fused into my body and soul. I decided to commit myself to
the Christian faith. So in me, my Christian faith has been my right to
determine my way of living, and to depend on whatever I need to make my
decisions.
When
you say your Shintoism and Buddhism were fused together, I am reminded
of Dr. Chung Hyun Kyung, who said that even today after she became a Christian,
there are things still fused to her body from her past. Do you find that
a part of your Christianity comes from those experiences before becoming
Christian?
Yes. I can not separate
me from all of those religions. And if there is richness in my spirituality,
it came from those religions. I don't think I really felt that fusion until
very recently, when I began doing interfaith conversations and encounters.
I realized, "Oh, my spirituality is not only from Christianity."
Where
did you become Christian?
In college, but I was first
exposed to church life in elementary school. A little background about
my family is needed. My father was an officer in the Japanese Army in WWII.
My mother faithfully followed him and expected that Japan would win the
war. When the war ended, their world was turned upside down. They then
decided that they wanted to give their five children a new way of life,
one much different from the one they had. When a Kyodan church was built
in our neighborhood, they sent all of us to Sunday school. I continued
until middle school, when my homework became too much and I had to quit.
The first Bible I read was the one my father had used. He had underlined
many sections, and you could tell that he was seeking spiritual answers.
Changing
the subject, have you been able to have meaningful discussion with people
in the church who espouse a patriarchal system?
It is very hard to have
a meaningful discussion with those patriarchal men, because they refuse
to expose themselves to the reality of their actions. And they are very
quick to defend themselves.
But
the people I knew would just say that they are indeed patriarchal.
And they just say, "Why
don't you just accept this?" But I cannot accept that reality. That type
of thinking pervades the Japanese culture and church. Part of the roots
are in this shame culture where men must be honored and woman must carry
the shame. As I analyzed my culture, I saw similarities to 1st Century
Palestine.
In my book* I looked at Mark and the role of women. One thing I
had to do was change the lens. All the gospels are written using a male
lens. When I used a women's lens, a whole new world opened up in seeing
how women were active.
| *
Dr. Kinukawa is the author of Women and Jesus in Mark -- A Japanese
Feminist Perspective, by Orbis Books. Available in English and German,
and now in Japanese. |
Can
you give us an example?
Well, we know that Jesus
grew up in this very patriarchal culture. So when he encounters the Phoenician
woman (Mark 7:24-30), he initially rejects her. That is a pattern here.
But she persisted and he was sensitive to what she said and he tranformed
himself.
In a sense, she set the stage for these patriarchal men to change themselves.
In my book I tried to write of Jesus as the model for change: He was sensitive
and he was inclusive.
You
see this change as being crucial.
Yes. First, I try to get
them to think about and become aware of how they are immersed in the patriarchal
system, whether that may be a woman's attitude that she knows best about
raising children or a man's expectation that women should serve him tea
at the company. Both are wrong. Both are exclusive. Both are not mutual.
And
how successful have you been?
Well, I have had a so-called
" 15-year war" with my husband over this issue.
Who
won?
Well, we mutually won. I
like to think I helped to transform him, but I should say that he has transformed
himself. I teach at a women's university and most of my students are women.
I tell them, " If you can succeed in transforming one man, that would be
a big undertaking for your life."
But
this is mutual?
Yes, mutual. For example,
he likes to do housework even though he may not be good at it, but I do
not criticize when he does it. It is a part of our unwritten agreement
to recognize the other person's efforts.
Let me give another example of transforming a man. My husband is the president
of a university, and so he has a secretary who will serve him tea at 10
and 3 each day. However, he has been trained by me at home to get his own
tea. I never do that at home. So at work it is natural for him that whenever
he wants tea he makes it himself. The vice president, other officials,
and secretaries could see him coming and going from the kitchen with his
tea. This made them think about why he was doing that, and soon everyone
started getting their own tea. That is transformation of one man impacting
many other people.
They
must have been shocked to see that.
I guess you could say that.
What
is the root of this patriarchal thinking?
The emperor system is the
real foundation of patriarchy in this society. The system is the problem,
not the emperor as a person.
So
to what extent do you think women here have a role in defining Japanese
Christian identity? Primarily from the perspective that women make up 70-75%
of the congregation but often do not have positions of leadership within
the church. In the Catholic Church this is quite pronounced.
Well, I can only speak for
the Protestant church. While a church will vote on a new minister, the
first choice is for a man with his family, not a single man.
But
some women are happy with the patriarchal system.
I agree. But at the same
time, if that is the only way they can be or have religious position, then
they have compromised themselves. But if you allow us to have women churches,
it would be quite different from the current system.
Talking
about Christian identity in Japan, given that the majority of believers
are women and that Japan is primarily a patriarchal system, how does this
affect the Christian identity of women? In other words, how is your identity
shaped, given you are a minority in society and a minority in the leadership
of the church?
Up to now it has just happened
that way.
Well,
let me ask this: Are women aware of their status? Or, are women excluded
from decision-making and forming their own Christian identity here?
Well, that has been my struggle
all along. That is what I have been doing in Feminist Theology. When I
came back to Japan after studying in the U.S.A., I started preaching at
my church which is a non-church church (mukyokai). This movement was started
by a Japanese who wanted to read the Bible with his own eyes and free from
missionary influence. I think that is good.
The one problem I had was that he was still influenced by the Japanese
patriarchal mind-set, and publicly said that his faith was grafted onto
the warrior spirit. That is a very patriarchal system.
I didn't realize I was a feminist when I read the Bible with my own eyes
and preached that. But then I was called into my teacher's office to explain
why I had strayed from the correct doctrine. Eventually I was pushed out.
How
do you think that might be related to early missionaries telling Japanese
what is "correct doctrine"? They may have had these same types of conversations,
" Our way is correct." And this gets into Western Christianity and Japanese
Christianity.
Yes, I think there is a
relationship there. Often the leadership will want to tell the others what
is "correct doctrine," but in fact they are just protecting their own power
position.
In
the beginning you said that you have many other religions fused in your
body. Do you think most Japanese Christians view that as wrapped up in
their identity?
They won't say that openly.
But these days, interfaith dialog is more common.
Do
you think it is difficult because people feel they are betraying their
identity?
Sure, that might be a reason.
They have a tradition of people asking them to abolish their pagan ways.
Also, some just want to be westernized.
I
guess that is what I am driving at. Is there a unique Japanese Christian
identity?
Sure, I think you could
say that.
What
would that be? Opposite of western?
What I try to do is cultural
hermeneutics. We can never be free from our culture; so how else can we
read the Bible?
But
it seems to me that Japan has had a long, long history of the patriarchal
system.
True, that is right.
It
would seem to me that would much more influence you to read from that perspective.
But you haven't chosen to read it from that perspective. You read it from
a feminist perspective.
Oh, femininity includes
that patriarchal society. But because I found myself immersed in that patriarchal
mind-set, I wanted to get out of it, because I don't think it is inclusive.
Rather, women had been excluded.
But
couldn't you just say that feminism is a very western concept?
No. Why?
Well,
I'm just thinking that historically your culture has been primarily shaped
by men - a patriarchal structure - and women had no power or position within
that structure. If your only frame of reference is that kind of culture,
how can you see a different paradigm?
But what is your perception?
There have always been women who have had minds that said this is not the
way it should be. There are always hidden women who have acted contrary
to your perception - even in the Bible.
A
culture within a culture.
Yes.
The
primary culture might be patriarchal, but the other culture under that
might be, for a lack of a different word, feminist.
Yes, that is a way of looking
at it.
.
9.
Journey with Christ to the Marginalized,
Father
Tetsuro Honda*
.
| *
Fr. Honda is a Franciscan priest who has lived in and near Kamagaseki for
many years. Located in Osaka, Kamagaseki is the biggest yoseba (gathering
place) for day-laborers in Japan. There are approximately 25,000 men inhabiting
the flophouses of that area. On any given night there are more than 1000
men on the streets. |
.
He was born in 1942 in Taiwan to a Catholic family whose Christian roots
stretched back four generations to the Meiji era. His mother and father
were in Taiwan working in a sugar plant. Even early in his life, he knew
he wanted to become a priest.
Growing up, Father Honda never experienced discrimination for being a Christian,
much less heard a harsh word that he was a Christian. Moreover, he never
felt that he was losing his Japanese identity in being a Christian.
However, in the last several years of living in Kamagaseki his ideas have
changed: What it means to he a Christian, to live out the Gospels, and
to reach out to the least of our brothers and sisters.
The first thing that would strike you about him is the peacefulness of
his face and the humble way he speaks with honesty. He led me up a steep
set of stairs and down a long hall past the communal toilet, to his small
two-mat room located in the corner of the building. Voices from the street
below wafted upwards into the room and added an extra spice to the air.
The room was in an odd triangle shape making me wonder how he stretched
out at night to sleep.
Talking to Father Honda, you get the impression that he has lived through
many inward journeys, and has thought deeply about his experience. One
concrete evidence is that he retranslated the four Gospels from the perspectives
of the poor and marginalized of society. He did this when he realized that
the day-Iaborers who came to mass on Sunday could not understand or relate
to the words in the Gospel. This was ironic in that the whole message Jesus
originally preached was to these very same marginalized people. I am now
the proud owner of his three-volume set, "Gospel for the Marginalized."
Personally, he is completely against the emperor system. And yet he clearly
says that the Catholic system and the emperor system have much in common,
and vibrate off each other. Both are a top-down system, where those farther
up the ladder attempt to give and teach those at the bottom. The only problem
is that it is un-Christian. "The farther up you go, the less you come in
contact with the poor, the marginalized of society. You become alienated,"
he said. "Because God exists among the poor and marginalized, you stop
seeing God. Jesus did not come from the top and go down. He started out
among the poorest and went up. That is the major difference. Jesus always
goes to the lowest point. How can the Emperor do that? Or those in the
hierarchy of the Church?"
Even though he came to Kamagaseki to be with the poor, he has come to realize
that he cannot become one of them. He found his limitations. "I realized
I could not become one of these people here. First I am a priest and have
the Church to support me. I also have many friends and other resources.
However, Jesus, in spite of who he was, was able to come and be with the
poor in a way that made himself one of them. I think that is the best we
can do, become like Jesus. And that is different from being religious."
He gives one idea as how to do this. " Isn't it better that we live out
the Gospels rather than try to convert people? What good does it do if
we have a church full of people but they do not know or live out the Gospels?"
Leaving his small flat, I could not help but feel that I gained much more
than the gift of the three-volume set. I saw a simple man coming to terms
with his own limitations and the call of Christ in his life. That is something
I think we all can identify with.
by
CEM
.
10.
Blazing New Trails Both Inwardly and Outwardly,
Rev.
Maki Fushii*
.
| *
Rev. Maki Fushii is an ordained Baptist pastor, serving an interdenominational,
ecumenical, international church on the campus of International Christian
University. |
.
Rev. Maki Fushii is a soft-spoken woman whose passion
for ministry is manifested by the commitment she has made to serve God
as one of the three associate pastors and chaplains at the International
Christian University (ICU) Church in Mitaka. She is the first woman pastor
to serve at the ICU Church and at ICU's Religious Center. Her journey to
become a pastor has not always been easy.
Her
father died when she was six, and that is when she started to question
the meaning of life. Being Buddhist, she prayed and prayed at their family
altar but never got an answer to her question about the meaning of life,
or why her father had to die.
At
16 she started going to church and to a Bible class. She read the Bible
daily," ...but this particular church was rather strict about how you could
become a Christian (it was an independent denomination), so I didn't get
baptized." She says with a warm smile, "I still had my childhood question
about the meaning of life, and yet, when I prayed to God, I felt forgiveness
and acceptance." Soon after she was baptized at a Baptist Church in Kyoto.
Rev.
Fushii attended Seiwa Daigaku in Kobe. Then went to Seinan Gakuen in Fukuoka,
Kyushu, where she studied counseling, went through clinical pastoral counseling
education, did hospice work, and took other courses to prepare herself
to be a pastor. "There were not many openings for women pastors, and we
were not being encouraged to become pastors at that time," she said.
Returning
to Tokyo, she found work as an associate pastor at a Baptist church. She
also worked part-time at NCC's Christian Education Center and with NCC's
Women's Committee. She also worked at the Japan Women's Christian Temperance
Union on issues related to women. That is when Rev. Fushii became interested
in the ecumenical movement, and so she feels quite comfortable at the ICU
Church, where the members and students attending church come from many
different backgrounds and denominations.
Her
marriage and divorce five years ago to another pastor also has served as
a vehicle to counsel students and people in the church. Many women (and
men) come to her with their problems and feel they can talk freely with
her. "I am not the same person I was before my marriage. Both my faith
and identity have become stronger as a result. This may be a reason that
some people feel more comfortable opening up to me."
Much
of her identity and struggle was shaped by facing the patriarchal system
firmly entrenched in the church in Japan. "When I was married, I was not
a pastor on equal footing with my husband. Rather, I was 'the pastor's
wife.' There was no expectation that I would have anything to say at meetings.
I was expected to run the office and home. If anything went wrong, it was
my fault. If we succeeded it was due to his effort. Ironically, he liked
working in the office and I was more suited to going out and doing pastoral
work. However, when I came home, I had to face the reality that I was now
expected to do the work of the wife. I realized I had very little time
for myself."
Rev.
Fushii currently lives on campus, and deals with such topics as sexual
harassment, problems with relationships, and various crises in the lives
of the students and teachers on campus. Her journey has been filled with
many struggles, but her experiences have given her a gift to reach out
to others. "Though many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home"
(3rd stanza, hymn "Amazing Grace").
by
CGY & CEM
.
11.
East and West Identity, Rev. Anri Morimoto*
.
| *
Pastor at the International Christianity University Church |
.
JCAN:
How did you become a Christian?
Rev.
Morimoto: I was a dissident, a rebel.
Can
you explain?
I
went to a Marxist meeting in high school and heard that religion was the
cause of many problems, so I decided to go to church to see for myself.
Over the years my heart changed and I began to like it. I then enrolled
at ICU.
After
your Marxist experience, were you involved with any Christian social movements?
I
was involved with the Buraku Liberation Movement at ICU, and later when
I joined the Tokyo Union Theological Seminary.
What
propelled you to become a pastor?
While
at ICU, I began to worry that once I graduated, I would lose my faith.
Moreover, I wanted to have something meaningful in life. Could I devote
my whole life to a company? That is when I realized that I wanted to become
a pastor.
You
spent five years in the U.S.A. getting your doctorate and during that time
you were an interim pastor at a church in a small town in Penneylvania.
Yes,
that is correct. The town was about 1500 people.
Having
experienced both types of Christianity, what is the difference in your
experience?
In
that church it was natural for people to attend church on Sunday, whereas
in Japan it is not natural, and it is hard for people to manifest their
Christianity here.
What
kind of problems does this pose for the Japanese believer?
A
common problem is that they try to be so spiritual, so religious, and then
eventually they "graduate" out of Christianity. In the U.S.A. people stay
around longer. However, once a Japanese leaves the church, it is hard for
him to go back.
Do
you mean that there is shame in not showing up at church on Sunday?
No,
it is something more mundane than that. For example, Americans go back
to the church for life transitions: weddings, baptisms, confirmations,
and funerals. While many Japanese attend western-style weddings, the other
three remaining ceremonies would hold no appeal, unless that person was
an active member in a church. However, an American may stop going to church
at some point, and then return for one of these transition "events."
So
what would you like to see the Japanese Christian change?
I
would like them to have Christianity become a part of their whole life.
I would like them to remember. "Remember" as in re+member: All the members
(parts of their faith) come back together again.
In
terms of Christian faith, how do you counsel Christian students regarding
Buddhist funerals?
I
often get this question. I tell them to act discreetly. Show respect. Show
sincerity. Do the minimal ritual that does not make God angry. Honor the
faith of the deceased.
But
what about my Christian faith?
In
this case it is not necessary to show your Christian faith externsively.
On the other hand, if you merely follow the funeral and bury [sic] yourself
in the Japanese customs, all the relatives who know you are Christian will
be confused. The reason is that you are identified by your rituals.
With
regards to your non-Christian students, what is a common question you get?
Probably
the most common question I get is: "Why did you choose to become Christian?"
I tell them that I didn't choose. Every great religion of the world knows
that you are the one who is being chosen. You don't compare Islam, Buddhism
or Christianity, and then choose one. You just encounter something that
you didn't choose. In my case, through other people, friends, and teachers
I encountered Christianity.
Who
has influenced your thinking in this area?
That
would have to he Emil Brunner. He was a theologian who once taught at ICU
and quarrelled with Barth. He wrote a book called Truth as Encounter.
.
12.
An Identity Shaped by Action, Rev. Tsutomu
Shoji*
.
| *
He is the pastor of Inagi Church (Kyodan) and former General Secretary
of the National Christian Council of Japan. |
.
Rev. Shoji is a calm, quiet and gentleman, with a deep sense of spirituality.
"I grew up in a Christian home," he began, after showing me a piece of
brush calligraphy (shodo) which he had just finished, and was waiting
for his teacher to come and pick up. "My parents were Christians before
the war -they were Methodist. After the war, when I was sixteen, I contracted
tuberculosis, and my parents divorced (which was unusual for Japanese,
and especially for Christians). As a result, I felt myself engaged in an
existential search for truth and salvation. At the age of nineteen, I examined
all the negative conditions of my environment and felt that I couldn't
accept myself. However, I did feel that Jesus accepted my existence, and
this healed me. All people who are healed by Jesus are fully and completely
accepted. So at nineteen years of age I started a new life as a child of
God."
Rev. Shoji explained how he realized that his existential crisis was related
to his social crisis. He had graduated from Waseda University and entered
graduate school there, but left the doctoral course to transfer to Tokyo
Union Theological Seminary, and became assistant minister of a church in
downtown Tokyo.
"I had my eyes opened to the difficulties people were grappling with, and
their turmoil," he said. Rev. Shoji then went to the United States and
studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York. His roommate there was
the chairperson of the UTS Social Action Committee, and had been a short-term
missionary (a "J-3") to Japan.
"His name was Malcolm Hulslander," Rev. Shoji recalled, "and the committee
he headed was very active in 1965, since that was when bombs were dropping
on North Vietnam on the orders of President Johnson." Rev. Shoji was impressed
with the dedication both of his roomate and of the other students. "Half
of them joined in a three-day fast to pray for the forgiveness of the American
people and the safety of the people of Vietnam. At that time, the churches
in Japan were not too socially conscious."
After Rev. Shoji returned to Tokyo, he started his ministry at a Kyodan
church in Bunkyo-ku, as well as chaplain and a dorm parent at the Waseda
Student YMCA dormitory. "Living with the students again opened my eyes,"
he said. "Many were active with the Save the Soh Brothers Society." (The
Soh brothers were Korean students from Japan who had been arrested in Korea
while protesting in favor of human rights. Amnesty International adopted
them as political prisoners.) "I was invited to go to Korea as a representative
of this committee, and had my eyes opened even further to the oppressive
situation there. I met several Christian leaders there who were arrested
a year after I returned to Japan, when the Korean democratization movement
broke out."
Rev. Shoji became interested in Korean Minjung liberation theology, which
helped him understand the situation in Asia generally. With Rev. John Nakajima
and others at NCC-J, he started a solidarity movement called the "Emergency
Christian Conference on Korean Issues" to help those suffering in Korea.
In 1978 he was elected general secretary of NCC-J, a position he held for
the next seven years. "It was a very busy time," he reminisced. "The political
situation in Asia was unstable. There were oppressive regimes everywhere
Philippines, Korea, Taiwan.... I was kept busy strengthening ties with
other Asian churches and organizing international conferences with both
Christian and secular groups."
Korean Cultural and Historical
Museum
After leaving NCC-J, Rev. Shoji taught ecumenism and Asian Christianity
at Noson Dendo ("Rural Mission") Seminary. He then became a pastor,
while continuing to teach part-time. He is still active in peace issues,
(he is presently a member of NCC-J's Peace and Nuclear Issues Committee),
and is learning Korean. His church houses a secular citizens' organization
which is working to establish a Korean Museum in Tokyo so that Japanese
people can learn about Korean culture and history.
"Most Japanese are ignorant about the history of Koreans and the contributions
Korea made to Japan. If Japanese are unaware of the reality, we can't change
their prejudices towards Koreans and other Asians. So far the museum building
hasn't been built, because of lack of funds, but we've produced photo panels
and held a series of lectures on the history and relationship between Korea
and Japan. We have also organized historical and cultural tours to Korea
as another way to raise people's historical consciousness. We are undertaking
museum activities without yet having a museum," Shoji said with a smile.
"In my life, I have never chosen what to do; I have always been asked to
do something, and the decision was mine to accept or refuse the request.
So, through other people, God has been asking me to do things - or maybe
demanding that I do something."
I asked Rev. Shoji about the differences between Japanese and North American
Christians. He replied, "One clear, simple difference is that Christians
in North America are not a minority. In Japan, we are; so we have the constant
temptation to close in on ourselves and be satisfied to live within the
church. To be a minority is not a negative factor. Our hope is to he a
creative minority. If the majority is mistaken, we have to hone our task
as a minority to show the majority the truth."
Rev. Shoji explained that the Jewish tradition of monotheism, belief in
only one God, is criticized by Japanese as a cause of self-righteousness
and exclusivism. "We have to listen to their criticism and examine ourselves
and see in what sense they are right. Yet, I believe that faith in the
one God is most important in order for a human being to be a true self
or a responsible subject before God. If Abraham had not been called by
God (Gen. 12:1 ff and Gen. 17:17) he would probably have just lived out
his life as a natural person," he said. "But he was called by Yahweh to
enter into a relationship. So are we."
Japanese Morality and
the True Self
"I would like to tie this into the basis of ethics in Japan," he continued.
"Sometimes I feel that Japanese morals are very vague -Japanese watch how
others feel and act, and then follow suit to the average. At the same time,
there are strong restrictions on what to do and what not to do; the average
represents a sort of authority behind which they have to obey. Therefore,
simply to be themselves is very difficult for Japanese. It is not just
a matter of culture - it is a religious issue. If we don't encounter God,
and are not called by God, we cannot be ourselves. It is difficult to be
responsive subjects to God's call, and thus to be our own true selves.
"God is the real Self. God says 'I am who I am.' To encounter this Self
is the basis of being self, and therefore of morals, But the Japanese don't
have this experience of faith in God found in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
We just live by trying not to cause any trouble (meiwaku) to those
around us. It can hardly be called 'moral'."
"As a Christian," Rev. Shoji said, "I hold to my belief in the one God.
I do know and respect many Buddhist monks, and work together with them
on many anti-nuclear issues and peace protests. I feel very at home with
them, more so than with some Christian ministers!", he said with a smile.
"The Christians, who are a minority in Japan, should keep a sense of how
to be their true selves in their daily lives, and share this belief in
the one God."
Emperor System in Japan
I asked Rev. Shoji about the emperor system in Japan. "I am against it.
Of course he's a human being, but he is regarded as divine. If he is indeed
non-human, then he is a monster, which means he is treated inhumanly. When
the previous emperor Hirohito was about to die, you may remember that his
life was prolonged until the government could prepare all the proper ceremonies.
The government wants to use the emperor as divine.
"If a people regard the emperor as divine, he cannot confess any sin or
mistake. Emperor Hirohito never confessed his war crimes, so these were
never clarified after the war. Since he did not confess his sins, other
Japanese wouldn't confess theirs either, and we all go on pretending to
be happy. This is the post-war atmosphere, and the emperor's avoidance
of confessing any crimes or sins during the war is very immoral.
"The emperor has taken the role of oppressing the moral sense of the Japanese
people. During the Meiji Era, the Imperial Rescript on Education was issued,
based on Confucian values and emperor worship. The emperor seized the people's
morality and returned it to them in the form of his gift, in such a way
that the people could not refuse. In this way Japanese grassroots morality
was confiscated and given back by the emperor system, and it was very difficult
to oppose it. Only if they obeyed it could they find their lives safe and
easy. People did not have personal morality but rather a sense of obedience,"
Rev. Shoji said.
"These days, this is not quite so clear," he said. "Ruling elites have
held up the present emperor as the symbol of economic prosperity and happy
living. But at this moment of economic difficulty, a new nationalism is
gaining force rapidly among the people. The elites are trying to use the
emporer as the symbol of the integration of the people -a glorious strong
nation again."
"In April of this year, the government pushed the Parliament to pass bills
concerning new guidelines for UD/Japan Military Cooperation. Under this
legislation, activities of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) are not
restricted to the defense of Japan; they can now be sent overseas if the
U.S.A. commander-in-chief should so request. If war breaks out, the SDF
must go even if Japan is not involved."
"Tied into this new guideline is the government's attempt to legalize Kimigayo
(the de facto national anthem) and national flag. By doing this, Japan
is returning to the morality of the emperor system. There is controversy
about school children being pressured to sing Kimigayo. Nearly 1000
teachers who oppose this have been punished by their local education board,
controlled by the Ministry of Education. Clearly the government is imposing
the emperor system ideology," Rev. Shoji explained.
"The government says 'we must protect this wonderful country where we respect
the emperor'." In order to wage war they need the people's loyalty to the
nation. But singing Kimigayo is very much tied up with emperor worship,"
he said. "It is the hymn to praise the eternal lineage of emperors. Through
legislation, the government is attempting to force schools to use Kimigayo
at important ceremonies. The time when the government compels us to sing,
it is the time we must refuse it, as we confess our belief in the One God
and his Son Jesus Christ.
"The government does not have any moral standards," Rev. Shoji said. "To
fear those who have power is a hardening back to Samurai culture - if you
are strong, you win. By singing Kimagayo, worshiping the emperor
and accepting the revised guidelines, Japan is on the road to becoming
a military power again."
We have entered a new stage of testing for our faith. My hope is that friends
and churches in the United States will be concerned about how the strengthening
of the US-Japan military alliance is now threatening the lives of the churches
and people of Japan.
by
CGY
.
13. Interview with
Rev. Shigeko Yamano*
.
| *
Rev. Shigeko Yamano is presently teaching theological education at the
Nippon Sei Ko Kai (AnglicanlEpiscopal Church of Japan) Central Theological
College in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. She was ordained a priest on Jan. 6, 1999,
and is one of the first three ordained women of the Anglican Church in
Japan. |
.
Rev. Shigeko Yamano was born in a Christian home, where her mother was
a Christian. After the war, the family all went to church and along with
many people they were trying to rebuild their lives. She was around four
at that time. Later, she attended mission schools and then St. Paul (Rikkyo)
University in Tokyo. "I stopped attending church for a while because of
my doubts," she said. After university she married, and when her daughter
was born, she started going to church again. "My daughter was a sickly
child with many health problems, so I started a play group for children
like her in the church."
Her next turning point was when she separated from her husband, and left
for England with her daughter for four years to study theology. After returning
to Japan she went to work for the Center for Asian Women Workers. "I learned
about oppression and saw Asian women struggling for liberation of Asian
women and wanted to be a leader. That was when I became the director of
the Christian Center for Response to Asian Issues (CCRAI), which is under
the National Christian Council in Japan," she said.
She goes on: "I quit when I turned 50 and changed to teaching at the Anglican
seminary here in Tokyo. When I started this job, I also made an application
for the ordained ministry, and finally was ordained this year." Rev. Yamano
teaches "Mission in Japan's Context" and "History of Asian Christianity,"
while also supervising field education students. She is also assigned a
church where she is the priest-in-charge.
I asked her about the differences between Christianity during her time
in England, as compared with Japan. She laughed and said: "The one thing
that I experienced in England is that worship is so much more creative!
There it seemed to be an open attitude for different ways of understanding
the Bible. In comparison, the Anglican Church in Japan seemed a bit more
'fixed' or 'rigid' in their style of worship. However, I am interested
in exploring creative ways." She joined a group called "Ruah," an international
women's (and sometimes men's) worship group that met each month. "This
was exciting for me when we looked at different styles of worship through
songs and liturgical dance."
"Although the 'Ruah' group no longer exists, I now have found inspiration
with a group called 'Concerned Women in the Anglican Church,' which is
a group I started in 1988. We meet monthly for prayer, sharing resources,
doing programs for women, and Bible study. Last year we were particularly
busy as we worked for the ordination of women in the Anglican Church in
Japan. Every time we meet, we are creative. Also, our group organizes a
nationwide meeting for Anglican women once a year. I find it important
for women to be able to express themselves."
"There is a committee in the Anglican Church in Japan called the 'Justice
and Peace Committee,' of which I am a member. We have a close relationship
with the Okinawa Diocese and have learned a lot from them, especially about
issues pertaining to women and war and the suffering of Okinawans under
Japan's emperor, especially during the war. We are encouraged to work for
peace and justice and have been networking with a group in the U.S.A. called
the 'Episcopal Peace Fellowship.' l hope we can continue to develop a closer
network with other Asian groups as well. The suffering many Asians had
under the emperor system cannot be ignored," she said.
"In the Japanese Anglican Book of Common Prayer there was a prayer for
the Emperor, but it was abolished in 1986 through the voices of students,
youth, and others who pressured for change. From 1990 the new and revised
Japanese Anglican Book of Common Prayer has been in use. We now say this
prayer instead: 'We pray for all the people of all countries; give them
wisdom so that they can work for justice and peace.'" Rev. Yamano closed
with a wish that all of us would continue to work for peace and justice.
by
CGY
.
14. A Call to be Greater
Than One's Own Vision,
Rev. Tazu Sasamori*
.
| *
Rev. Tazu Sasamori is a full-time rector at St. Patrick's Church. It was
originally started at the U.S.A. base in Fussa as a place for Anglican
worship. It became separate from the base 40 years ago, and is now located
nearby in Tachikawa. In the beginning it was a bilingual church. However,
now the service is mostly in Japanese, with some translation of the sermon. |
.
Rev. Sasamori was baptized at three months of age. Her father was an Anglican
priest in the Tohoko diocese in northeastern Japan. She went to Tohoku
Gakuen University and majored in the Old Testament, then to Tokyo Union
Theological Seminary for a Master's of Theology. She had planned to be
a Bible teacher.
Rev. Sasamori then went to the Philippines for an internship. There she
met a number of Anglicans, some of whom were women deacons and women church
workers. "It was then that I felt a call to the priesthood," she said.
"In the Philippines, I learned another way to read the Bible. The Filipinos
believe in the peace and justice of God, and this was very impressive for
me."
After returning to Japan, she finished seminary and worked at the Tokyo
Diocese in a staff position. She was the coordinator for activities, which
included starting Kapitiran -- an organization which helps foreign
migrant workers in Japan -- as well as being the coordinator of activities
for the disabled and youth.
Although Rev. Sasamori had decided to become a priest in the Philippines,
she was hesitant at first to bring it up to her church. But with the support
of many friends, in December 1993 she became a deacon along with another
woman, Shiegko Yamano, and was ordained a priest in 1999.
"I remember seeing you do a liturgical dance at our monthly Women Church
gatherings," she said to me. "I was so surprised to hear you say that you
had learned liturgical dance in seminary. The seminaries here do not teach
that!"
When asked about the differences between the Anglican/Episcopal church
in Japan (Seikokai in Japanese) and in western countries, she said,
"We are a minority in Japan, so it is hard to deal with social and community
problems in the church. Often we just concentrate on the worship service
and Bible study. It is hard to make the connection between the church and
social issues and the community issues at times."
I pressed her for an example, and Rev. Sasamori responded: "The Fussa Air
Base is nearby and we have two nice families who come to our church from
the air base. This makes it difficult to talk about problems of the U.S.A.
bases and the new U.S.A./ Japan Security guidelines. Of course, the majority
of the church members support peace in general but don't address the problem
specifically."
I asked Rev. Sasamori about women priests since she was one of the first
three women Anglican priests to be ordained in Japan. "England and the
U.S.A. have a lot of women priests but in Japan there are only we three.
One of the reasons is Japan's traditional thinking and customs. Girls growing
up here are told, 'Be quiet,' 'Don't stand out,' etc. This type of thinking
still prevails and is part of the typical education in Japan." However,
Rev. Sasamori sounded hopeful that more women would become priests in the
future.
The discussion gradually moved to what she thought about the Emperor system.
"I also believe that the Emperor system should end. Because of WWII. Japan
committed many atrocities in the name of the Emperor and hurt many Asian
people, so the Emperor system should be abolished. Not only the Anglican
church, but other churches in Japan also admitted that they were part of
the system that supported the Emperor during the war. So the Anglican Church
of Japan confessed its sins at the Annual Synod in 1996, and also came
out with a statement that we should abolish the Emperor system."
by
CGY
.
15. Identity and Buraku
Discrimination, Rev. Heiichi Sumihi*
.
| *
Interview with Rev. Heiichi Sumihi, Director of the Kyodan Buraku Liberation
Center, Osaka. |
.
Early in the interview with Rev. Sumihi I got the strong sense of his Japanese
identity. He was cordially polite, but reserved. There was none of the
over-friendliness that one encounters among some westerners and westernized
Japanese.
My intuition was confirmed when I asked him about his own cultural identity
and becoming a Christian. "I have never considered that I might be losing
my Japanese identity when I became Christian, nor that Christianity was
a foreign religion. I simply wanted to learn about Jesus. This has nothing
do to with the west."
He freely admits that most people have the image of Christianity as something
connected to the U.S.A. or Europe. However, for him there is no connection.
Christianity is first and foremost a meeting with Jesus and undergoing
some type of conversion experience. This is different than taking on the
cloak of another country.
Rev. Sumihi was first exposed to Christianity when he was in his second
year at high school. Faced with mounting questions about why he was studying,
what life meant, and what his future held for him, he turned to studying
about Jesus. A year later in 1970 he was baptized. After completing high
school he went on the seminary to become a pastor.
One of his first assignments after seminary was working in a church that
was located next to a discriminated-against buraku area. There was
also a nursery school at the same location, and children from the discriminated-against
buraku attended it. Rev. Sumihi believes that a church grows along
with its community, and he began to deal with the buraku discrimination
problem.
While individual Christians and churches have been involved with the buraku
problem since the 1950s, it wasn't until 1975 that the Nihon Kirisuto
Kyodan (The United Church of Christ in Japan) formally became involved.
Today, as then, there are many people in the church who feel that this
is something the church need not involve itself with. "Unfortunately,"
Rev. Sumihi says, "there is buraku discrimination within the church itself.
Helping people inside and outside the church become concerned with this
problem is our (the Kyodan Buraku Liberation Center's) role."
For those accustomed to thinking of discrimination as being related to
something readily seen, such as skin color, age or sex, buraku discrimination
may be very hard to imagine. And it may be equally hard for those who imagine
Japan being just one race. Yet Rev. Sumihi explains, "The discrimination
is all too real. Japan is an emperor system-based society in which family
lineage is reacted as pure or defiled. Persons of the discriminated-against
buraku are discriminated against by that society."
"There are many within the church who say that the church should separate
itself from being involved in buraku discrimination. They say we
should be focusing on evangelizing. They say: 'If everyone were to become
Christian, then there would be no problem.' Well, remember there were Christian
eras in America and European countries and they had just as many problems.
Maybe that is not the only answer. Plus, that does not even take into account
that even today there is discrimination within the church here."
For Rev. Sumihi the reality that discrimination still exists within and
outside the church is directly related to Christian identity. How we define
and understand our Christian identity will determine how we approach these
problems.
One way is to acknowledge that everyone is unique, and that uniqueness
should be respected. He points out: "Our Christian identity says that we
will respect that uniqueness. And in the end when we face God, all of our
unique points will become relative to other people, so the no one will
be unique in a way that sets them above others. In fact, we will see how
much more similar than dissimilar we are."
Another track is to recognize that people discriminate. "We have to recognize
that fact. We cannot just say, 'Let's get rid of discrimination,' without
acknowledging that discrimination exists in our hearts. This faith seeking
process will heal us." And certainly one can see this as a reflection of
how God sees us: even in our sin he loves us and accepts us.
by
CEM
.
16. Finding One's
Eastern Identity in the West, Rev. Izuru Aratani*
.
| *
Rev. Izuru Aratani is a United Methodist minister and the director of the
Student Christian Fellowship Centre in Nakano, Tokyo. He spent 17 years
in the U.S.A. as a pastor of Japanese churches. It was there that he became
involved with issues concerning the imprisonment of Japanese-Americans
in WWII. This became a life-transforming experience for him. |
.
Rev. Aratani comes from a long line of ministers. His father was part of
the Holiness Church, as well as his grandfather and many uncles and relatives.
With so many of his relatives steeped in the church, it seemed that he
could not escape the reality that he was Christian. For him this label
of being Christian gave him a feeling of being set apart and different
from other kids. "I don't think I felt, or even understood, that I was
a minority then. However, I had a low self-image and didn't want to admit
that I was Christian. Kids often asked me strange questions about how I
prayed, when I prayed."
He went on to Doshisha, which is one of the oldest universities in Japan,
and studied theology. While he was able to graduate, those years were very
difficult for him. It seemed that he could not get away from his melancholy.
"I had a Korean friend and he would tell me the discrimination he was going
through, and I could not relate or understand. Something was missing in
my heart."
Deciding he could not stay in Japan, he left for America, not to further
study theology but to "find out why Christianity was giving (him) a headache."
The move proved to be the gentle hand of God.
In America, Rev. Aratani started working in a Japanese church. It was not
long before he became involved with issei (first generation) and
nissei (second generation) Japanese demanding the U.S.A. government
pay compensation for being imprisoned during WWII. In hearing them tell
their painful stories he began to identity with their pain. "They recounted
their stories to heal the wounds, not to get money from the government."
Through this experience he was able to look at his own difficult childhood
and come to terms with his painful experiences. Out of this process came
an understanding of God's healing touch and a new theology for himself:
"Even in your weakness there is potential to realize God's power, healing,
and love." He came to understand Christian faith as change: change in self
and change in society.
Returning to Japan after being away for so many years has been a bit of
an adjustment. Rev. Aratani says there is a big difference between churches
in the U.S.A. and Japan. In the U.S.A. the churches are much more open
and lively. However, in Japan "the churches are stuck in the Meiji era.
It is like nothing has changed in the last 100 years. The pastor is way
on top. The sermon is the main part of the service, and the people begin
the service by praying fervently that God will speak through that minister
today. That is so foreign to me."
This top-down approach has its roots among Protestant churches in the wide
acceptance of the teachings of the German theologian, Karl Barth. In addition
to this was the early connection of the church with the samurai class,
Puritanism, and a strong pietism among believers. "All this leads to a
very dry and morbid atmosphere in the Protestant churches. I feel like
I am at a funeral sometimes, when I go to a service."
Part of the reason for this strong reaction to Christianity by Christians
in Japan is that "(they) must struggle every day to remind themselves that
they are Christians." One telling sign of the struggle is the controversial
issue of the open or closed Eucharist in Protestant churches - who should
be able to receive it. He does not think it is merely a theological issue
that could be worked out. Rather, he thinks it is "people wanting to feel
that they are part of an exclusive club."
He realizes that in America this would not be such an issue because people
take it for granted that they are Christian, and thus there is not much
of a day-to-day struggle to maintain one's Christian identity, or to do
things that separate themselves from society.
Ironically, it was his traveling to America, and working among the Japanese
churches and issei and nissei in America, that helped him
to form a clearer understanding of his own Christian identity -- an identity
that is life-giving and sustaining in a land that does not always recognize
the deeper implications and gifts of Christianity.
by
CEM
.
17. A Minority Within
a Minority, Motoi Koizumi*
.
| *
NCC-J's Secretary for Youth and Human Rights |
.
"I am a minority within a minority," says Motoi Koizumi. Not only is he
a Christian but his father is a Lutheran minister. Thus, he was baptized
as an infant, and made his confirmation when he was in junior high school.
However, it wasn't until his university days that his faith became deeper.
Growing up as a pastor's kid, he felt that the other kids treated him differently.
He did experience bullying, but writes that off as kids being kids. Unfortunately,
he did not have any friends at school who were Christian.
When he went to the Philippines for a month of study he had his first experience
of being a part of a "majority" in terms of faith. Yet, he was struck by
the fact that there was not much difference in the churches. He concluded
that this was probably because he was born and raised in a Christian home.
However, one of the biggest things he has come to realize is that there
is a difference between those who are raised in a Christian home and those
who make a decision to become Christian. Like most Christians in the Philippines,
he did not "choose" to become Christian. However, when young persons decide
to become Christians in Japan, they must face a whole host of issues. The
biggest is how their parents will react. Will they understand? How much
will they try to convince the person that this is not good? Will this affect
their chances of getting married? These are questions that Koizumi has
not had to confront. "Being born Christian, it is a way life."
Koizumi's religious consciousness was not really awakened until he got
into college. For example, as a child he would participate in local festivals
that were Shinto in nature. For him it was more custom than anything else.
However, if he were faced with attending a Buddhist funeral today, he would
attend but instead of praying to the idol, he would pray to God. He readily
admits that it may appear from the outside that he is worshiping the idol,
but he knows in his heart that he is praying to God.
Even though his faith is different, he cannot consider that these other
faiths are of the devil. "There are many paths up Mt. Fuji. Who am I to
say that there is only one way?" However, he does say that we must be careful
not to lump Buddhism and Shintoism into one pile. The reason being that
the latter has been long associated with the emperor system. It is this
system that has caused so much harm to society, he says.
He does not necessarily think that Japan would be a better country if it
were completely Christian. He points out: "There are many western Christian
countries that wage war and have a lot of crime. There are good Buddhist
countries and good Christian countries. Likewise, there are good believers
and non-believers alike." In fact, he works with many Buddhists on issues
concerning peace and justice.
Koizumi is clear that he does not feel Christianity is a western religion.
Of course, there may be parts that are related to the west or influenced
by the west, but overall it speaks to him as a Japanese. "Don't confuse
style with internal values."
And he is right: sometimes it is hard to see what is in a person's heart,
or the map they use in life to climb Mt. Fuji. For Koizumi his map has
been influenced by his Christian background and experiences.
by
CEM
.
18. A Universal Christianity,
Dr. Yasuo Furaya*
.
| *
Dr. Furuya was a professor at International Christian University for over
30 years and was the senior pastor at the church there until last year.
He now lectures at various universities, seminaries and churches. He is
also the author of many books dealing with the theology of missions and
the theology of religions. |
.
Dr. Furuya had just come back from Princeton when we were able to sit down
together. He had been teaching a course called, "The Theology of Religions."
Therefore, many of his ideas were still fresh in his mind.
Raised in a Christian family, Dr. Furuya had a distinct feeling of being
a part of a minority as a young man. "My father was a minister in Shanghai
during the war. When I went to rejoin my parents, I had to go to the police
to get my passport stamped. The police there half-jokingly asked if I was
a spy. I was also attending a Freedom School, and that also set me apart."
He makes an interesting observation from Isaiah Ben-Basan (author of Japanese
and Jews). "We are like the Jews. We are a minority and have become
a ghetto here." He goes on to quote Ben-Dasan directly: "The Japanese like
to say that they have no religion. In fact they have Nihonkyo (Japanism).
Furthermore, Marxism, Buddhism, and Christianity can all be considered
just sects of this Japanism."
According to Dr. Furuya there is evidence of this in the different images
of God in Christianity in Japan. Whereas early Protestant missionaries
portrayed God as severe, exclusive, and lacking in forgiving love, the
Roman Catholic Church has portrayed God as being inclusive and merciful.
And what is the most prevalent image of Christianity among non-believers
in Japan? Mary.
The uncanny resemblance of the Buddhist god Kanon and Mary is not lost
on anyone who has seen both. And they speak of the maternal, earth-quality,
side of God. However, Dr. Furuya asks, "Is this change in the image of
God a good and desirable evidence of the indigenization of Christianity,
or is it rather evidence of the Japanization of Christianity?"
Another issue that must be taken into account when considering Christianity
in Japan is the role of nationalism. According to Dr. Furuya, many Japanese
(non-believers) feel that those who become Christian are no longer pure
Japanese. Ironically, "Japanese who become Christian overseas come back
and find that they have no place to go to church. They are not accepted
and do not fit in. They are not considered to be 'real' Christians; they
are 'European Christians' or 'American Christians'." He goes on to say:
"The Church in Japan is so close-minded and narrow. They feel they must
prove they are Japanese, and thus they reject anything that might call
that into question - people coming in with 'new ideas'."
He believes that the root of this rejection of things outside comes from
nationalism. "We try to show how patriotic we are. We try to make Japanese
Christians Japanese. This led us to support the government in the war.
That is dangerous. I don't believe in this 'Japanese Christian identity'
stuff, or those who try to make a theology out of it."
He then makes a dramatic point: "To me Christianity is universal. It should
transcend Philippinism, Americanism and Japanism. I am a Christian who
happens to be Japanese. You are a Christian who happens to be American.
At the base, Japanese are no different from Americans, Europeans, or anyone
else." He quickly brushes aside any notion that the other religious traditions
in Japan may have influenced Christianity here.
Rather, he says that where nationalism and Christianity have combined,
the number of Christians have increased. Therefore, it is this conflict
between nationalism and religion that is the reason that Christianity has
yet to take root, and not necessarily any conflict with other religious
traditions.
This problem between nationalism and Christianity would also explain why
Korea has seen so many more people become Christian, whereas Japan remains
at I%. "In Korea, Christianity was seen as a form of protest against the
invader-Japan. In spite of the many Japanese Shinto shirines built in Asia
before and during the war, none stand today. Whereas with Christianity,
even with the withdrawal of missionaries, the churches remained. This is
one of the 'redeeming features' of Christianity." He also points out that
in Korea Christianity has been linked with the struggle against North Korea.
One can, therefore, extrapolate that if the Emperor is the symbol of the
state, and the head of Nihonkyo, then the call for his removal by
some Christians would only add more suspicion as to their loyalty. Here
he parts with many other Christians who call for the abolishment of the
emperor system.
Instead, Dr. Furuya says there is already Christian influence in the Imperial
Household. His mother taught Empress Michiko's mother Sunday school in
Shanghai. Crown Princess Masako was educated by Catholic nuns. The Emperor
was educated after the war by a Quaker, and his son has spent a significant
amount of time in England studying. Furthermore, after the war many Christians
were hired to work in the Household in order to please MacArthur.
Dr. Furuya holds on to hope in the younger generation, that they will no
longer need this "Japanese soul," and can thus accept Christianity as a
part of their life. "(The young people) do not make a distinction between
western and Japanese as the older generation has. Therefore, there is not
this conflict between nationalism and Christianity as before."
And this seems to go to the root of his criticism of the Japanese churches'
insular attitude and his hope for the future. To him there is no such thing
as a "Christian identity."
"Instead of focusing on making the church more Japanese, the church should
look to other Christians to make it more universal. It should start showing
concern for social issues. It should start recognizing anonymous Christians
of other faiths and walks of life. It should become more truly international."
"You know, I was surprised when I went to a Catholic seminary in Nagoya.
There were seminarians from all over the world. Now, that is internationalizaion.
You won't find that in Protestant seminaries here. They just say, 'We don't
need foreigners.' "
For Dr. Furuya, Christianity should transcend cultures and borders. It
should be a place where we are looking outwards to one another to help
us see the world as God created it. It should be a place where we look
to our brothers and sisters and say, "I need you. I need to learn from
you."
by
CEM
.
19. Meeting Harue
Watanabe*
.
| *
She was married to the late Japanese Christian artist, Sadao Watanabe (1913-1996). |
.
Unable to meet us at the station, we make our way through her neighborhood.
Located in the heart of many universities, the neighborhood is busy with
young people going to and from school. Waiting patiently at the corner
is 80 year-old Harue Watanabe. She leads us to her house, a short block
away. One imagines that she indeed must have spent much time waiting in
the shadow of her husband, the Japanese Christian artist, Sadao Watanabe.
In fact, we had to convince her several times that we were here to talk
to her about her Christian experience and not her famous husband.
Born in 1919, she spent her first 15 years away from her parents with relatives
in the countryside before joining her parents in Kanda, Tokyo. "Those were
very difficult years for me. I didn't experiences a parent's love until
I joined them. So when I was reunited with them, I was quite selfish for
their love." "I guess it has taken a long time to get over that," she says
with a mischievous smile.
Her father was adopted by a Buddhist priest and raised in the temple. Even
though he helped out at the temple, he never became a priest. Instead,
he became a maker of traditional Japanese paper. Later, he would sell this
paper to his future son-in-law - Sadao Watanabe.
Ms. Watanabe married in 1943 after a brief, very brief omiai (arranged
courtship). "We passed each other along the street. He was on one side
and I was on the other going in opposite directions. That was it." Even
though her husband had been raised in a Christian home, the fact that she
was a nonbeliever was not an obstacle to marriage. In fact, it was not
until Christmas, 1966, that she became a Christian. "Of course during those
23 years we went to church each Sunday. And my mother-in-law invited me
many times to the women's meeting, but I don't like being around so many
people." Her husband respected her choice to remain unbaptized, and according
to her, he never pressured her to become a Christian.
She often would help her husband with his work, such as setting up his
canvas. The process would begin with him reading and rereading a passage
over and over to get the essence of the meaning, and what it spoke to him.
Then he would begin his work. A work could take a week or longer depending
on many factors.
When we commented that his art had a distinctive Japanese flavor, her eyes
lit up. "Well, he was Japanese." But we point out that Leonardo da Vinci
never thought of using sushi and rice balls in his depiction of the Last
Supper. You could see pride slip out from behind that quiet face.
She said her faith has surely been influenced by her husband's art, but
declined to elaborate. However, she did recount his untimely death, right
before her eyes after working too hard on his last picture. Even today,
it still weighs heavily on her heart. In our brief visit, it was a tangible
expression of her love for him.
Before we leave, she places postcards her husband had created into our
hands. "My husband would want these used to express his view of Christianity."
And anyone who has seen his art knows there is no mistaking that it indeed
expresses a very real Japanese Christian identity.
by
CGY & CEM
20. A New Outlook,
Akiko Nakahara
.
When Akiko Nakahara became the head of the Religious Activities Committee
of kansei gakuin in 1989, she was once more pioneering. She was
the first woman (and only woman so far) to serve in this capacity. The
following year she retired, but she continues to teach, advise, and stir
people to action regarding minority education, women's roles in today's
society, and Christianity addressing the whole person.
In a recent conversation she spoke of growing up in a family of brothers
who always let her know where her "place" was. Other experiences out in
society and on university campuses have been likewise repressive in intent.
Nevertheless, she has found strength to surface, to swim another lap, and
have air to spare. Her eyes twinkling, she went on to speak with boldness
about the continuing challenges for women and men in learning to live as
equals at home, in school, and in church.
Dr. Nakahara has raised a family, after graduating from kansei gakuin
in 1950. All along she continued to do research, teach in the classroom,
advise in the community, and attend international conferences, for example,
in Sweden and Australia. In 1965 she was baptized in a Kyodan church, earned
a doctorate in 1977, and upon her retirement was designated an "honorary
professor."
Tremendously knowledgeable, she remains easy to talk with. It is obvious
that she has lost none of the clarity, none of the commitment that found
written expression in 1989: "Finding values that transcend earthly wealth
can be a new discovery of life, a new understanding of human beings...
For a new outlook on life, a new outlook on education is needed."
Dr. Nakahara's students embrace the newness, as well as the soundness,
of her principles. One told me the other day, "She opened my eyes and changed
my life; she's still my mentor." May she continue to help make it happen
- God's transformation of all things into a newness of grace.
by
Judith May Newton, UMC Missionary in Japan
Published October 1999
END