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.

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.

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.

    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."

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.

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.

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.
 

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.

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.

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.

END