Japan Catholic News
February 2010
CLERGY INITIATE ECUMENICAL ACTIVITIES
Catholic Weekly, February 14, 2010/UCA News
TOKYO (UCAN) – Reverend Kazunori Maruyama who became the pastor of the Koganei Church of The United Church of Christ in Japan in 2008 once attended an ecumenical prayer meeting in the city only to be left feeling it to be "very rigid" at that time.
The prayer meetings were held four times a year on Saturdays with the participation of no more than a dozen pastors and laypeople. Some felt it was a great burden to attend this kind of meeting.
Reverend Maruyama asked Father Ryotaro Yamamoto of the Koganei Catholic Church why there was no involvement by the Catholic Church. The Tokyo archdiocesan priest replied that he was busy on Saturday.
Since the churches of Reverend Maruyama and Father Yamamoto are only several minutes' bicycle-ride apart, the two clergymen started visiting each other's churches.
They invited other Christian clergy in the neighborhood to join them.
By the autumn of 2008, there were 11 churches represented at the meeting, and in January 2009, they established the Koganei Christian Network (KC-NET).
Meetings of ministers and priests were held three times a year. During the meetings, the clerics spelled out "their wish to hold some specific activity together."
They then decided to prepare a common leaflet to notify the public in Tokyo's Koganei district about Christmas services and Masses. The leaflet, like those commonly used to announce sales at department stores and supermarkets, was inserted in newspapers delivered to homes.
The pamphlet featured a map showing the locations of the 11 churches, while the back showed photos of the pastors and priests as well as their addresses and phone numbers.
Residents of Koganei could choose a church near their homes. Reverend Maruyama hoped the leaflet would give people a chance to know about the Church. Copies of the leaflet were sent to 32,000 families before Christmas.
KoganeiCatholic Church received many calls regarding the Christmas Mass.
One pastor said he remembered other Churches in his service. "We have become aware of other Churches," he said, calling it an extra benefit of the leaflet.
On Jan. 31, the KC-Net held its first ecumenical prayer gathering at Koganei Catholic Church, led by Father Yamamoto. Some 150 people from nine churches took part.
The priest stressed in his homily that the seeds of faith have been sown in Koganei and now the task for all the churches is to cooperate in the work of evangelization. He also asked everyone to continue their efforts for ecumenism.
MiyokoMochizuki, a 56-year-old Catholic laywoman, said, "The prayer was so ardent that I felt the unity of the Church."
KatsuyaOsawa, a 35-year-old seminarian from the Tokyo Free Methodist Church, praised the meeting as "epochal."
The KC-Net includes the Catholic Church, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Japan Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Tokyo Free Methodists, Japan Alliance Church, Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican), Japan Holiness Church, United Church of Christ in Japan and the Mennonite Church.
NAGASAKI'S 'BOMBED MARIA' TO VISIT SPAIN
Catholic Weekly, February 21, 2010/UCA News
TOKYO (UCAN) — A Marian statue, damaged during the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, is set to meet its counterpart in Spain as part of a "peace pilgrimage" marking the 65th anniversary of the bombing.
The two-meter-high statue, known locally as "Bombed Maria", which was shipped from Italy in the 1930s, was damaged when Urakami Cathedral was destroyed during the atomic bombing of Aug. 9, 1945. The head was later found amid the rubble.
Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, who will lead the pilgrimage to Guernica, Spain, in April said: "I learnt that Guernica was the first city in history to suffer from [carpet] bombing. In the process of contacting the people there, I also learnt that there is still the head of a Madonna statue found in the rubble of a church destroyed by the bombing in 1937. We also have one here. It is incredible."
Guernica, in the Basque region of Spain, suffered heavy damage during the Spanish Civil War when it was bombed by German and Italian bombers on April 26, 1937. The bombing became the subject of one of Pablo Picasso's most famous paintings.
"Peace can never be created by violence," Archbishop Takami said. "The abrogation of nuclear weapons has not progressed very far. My close relatives were killed by the atomic bomb too … I hope the pilgrimage not only lets more people know about the suffering caused by the atomic bombing, but it also becomes an appeal for peace using non-violent methods."
The Marian statue at Urakami Cathedral has been taken overseas twice but never on a pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage was suggested by a Catholic in Nagasaki and will take in other Spanish cities including a visit to the Holy Family Church in Barcelona before it reaches Guernica.
Along the way, the pilgrims will stop in Rome where they will have an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
On arrival in Guernica, the pilgrims will visit the city's Peace Museum where an exhibition on the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is to be held from early March to late May.
'CRAM SCHOOL' FOR TEACHERS HOLDS FIRST MEETING
Catholic Weekly, January 31, 2010
A collaborative organization of 17 Catholic secondary educational institutions in the Tohoku region sponsored a "Tohoku Cram School" on Dec. 11 at the retreat center of the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.
The event spanned three days and was aimed at educating the faculty members who make Catholic schools possible. Twenty-six people gathered, including pairs of teachers from many of the member institutions, comprised of individual academies as well as middle-school/high-school groups.
Participants attended lectures by speakers such as Bishops Tetsuo Hiraga of Sendai and Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu, Sisters long involved in education, and the lay vice-principal of one school. During the sessions, they learned about the features of an education rooted in the Catholic mentality.
The Tohoku Cram School came into being after the school principals of the Tohoku Regional Federation of Catholic Elementary, Middle, and High Schools made a fall 2008 resolution to approach as an urgent priority "the education of the teachers who represent the central pillar of Catholic schools.
" The Federation spent the following 15 months in preparation to make the Cram School a reality, as described in a JCN article dated October 4, 2009.
The first day opened as Osamu Tsuchikura, vice principal of Sendai Shirayuri Gakuen's secondary school, took the podium to describe the role of teachers employed at Catholic schools as a form of Christian discipleship in a lecture titled, "Teachers of Catholic Schools, Disciples of Christ."
Next, Bishop Mizobe, who also serves as head of the Cram School, analyzed the Lord's Prayer as a source of power for believers, emphasizing that, "as instructors at Catholic schools, it is imperative to relate to students of all types on a firm foundation of prayerful consultation with God."
Later, the bishop took the participants to the sanctuary and led them in an "encounter with prayer."
Discussions on the topic of Catholic schooling continued on the second day. Fr. Tsuneo Kawai, a Salesian, and Mr. Nobukazu Takahashi, College Counselor at Sendai St. Dominic Institute Junior High and High Schools, spoke respectively on "What Must Be Central to Catholic Schools" and "Catholic Schools: Their Mission and Administration."
Thereafter, Bishop Hiraga voiced his expectations and encouragement for the Tohoku Cram School, saying, "There is great meaning in the fact that teachers from Catholic schools across Tohoku have come to meet under a single roof and receive thoroughgoing training."
Then, Sr. Yoshiko Iiyama, former headmistress of Sendai Shirayuri Girls' College, conducted a talk analyzing the structure of the Mass. Many participants described this session as "extremely easy to understand."
On the final day, Bishop Mizobe once again took the fore with a speech entitled, "The Current State and Future Prospects of Catholic Schools." He spoke about the history of Catholic education, the history of Protestant education, a tipping point for Catholic schools, and the Catholic vision.
Alongside the course's six presentations, participants conducted hands-on workshops and information-sharing sessions based on reports, entitled "My school's religious education and me," which they each had submitted in advance as preparation for the event. Also, as a part of the "Summary" on the last day, people shared some things they personally had taken from the experience.
"I gained some affirmation of what I have been doing." "There were things that I went on doing for a long time without really understanding, but now I have some answers." "I can't wait to see how I can be 'transfigured' before the next Tohoku Cram School."
TokuroSano, principal of Saint Dominic Institute Junior High and High Schools as well as head of the Federation's principals' association, expressed his pleasure. "I felt a real sense that the Tohoku Cram School was already starting to bear fruit."
The second annual Cram School, aimed at educating both returning participants as well as newcomers, is scheduled for later this year.
'I HOPE KIDS WILL STOP RUNNING FROM ME NOW'
Catholic Weekly, February 7, 2010
Cambodian Nourn Chourn, 23, lost his lower jaw when he was hit by a stray bullet when he was 12 years old. In 2008, he underwent plastic surgery at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo before briefly returning to Cambodia. Now he has returned, spending a great deal of his time in Japan since September of last year at Tsukiji Church, a Catholic parish near the hospital, making crafts with beads and knitting.
Before the surgery, Chourn had great difficulty even in eating. Food fell from his mouth and he was unable to control his drooling. Though he lived in a household of nine, he had to eat alone. Last year, he underwent a 21-hour operation in which bone from his leg, skin from his abdomen, and a tendon from his hand were all transplanted to his face. Last December, his right hand was secured to his jaw as part of an effort to restore his lips.
Upon the success of the operation, Chourn said, "Because of the hard work of so many people, I can look forward to eating with everyone."
He added in a softer voice, "I hope kids will stop running from me now."
One of his main benefactors has been Sr. Kuniko Sonoda of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus of Chauffailles, who met Chourn through her work in Cambodia. In 2002, the Sisters, in association with the Japan Lay Missionary Movement, established a literacy and children's health center for poor families in Siem Riep, which lies near the ruins of Angkor Wat. The center regularly receives workers from Luke Japan, a volunteer group associated with St. Luke's International Hospital. Through that connection, Chourn was able to receive intensive assistance from the doctors.
Once it was decided that Chourn would come to Japan for treatment, many organizations and individuals throughout Japan with ties to the Sisters, including parishes throughout the nation and caregivers at St. Luke's, contributed the money that made the Cambodian's treatment possible. Chourn's housing on the grounds of the Jodo temple in Minato ward was provided free of charge by a charity that helps children with incurable diseases and their families.
Unable to go to high school before, Chourn often expresses his desire to return to Cambodia soon, to his house in the forest, where he can work as a farmer.
Sr. Sonoda said that she is often called to homes of the sick in Cambodia, though often proper treatment comes late, if at all. The poor people of the area usually cannot afford a visit to the hospital.
"There are many times that we can't really do anything, except say 'Why don't we pray together?' Though they aren't Christians, praying together brings them peace. Families told us afterward that they were able to fall asleep with calm in their hearts. Just days later, the suffering person may pass away."
She continued, "I feel we're called to spend time with them at the end. The poor have no choice but to accept their reality. In a way, we say, theirs is a quiet strength. Here too we vividly experience the presence of Christ."
"Nippon Notes" by William
Grimm
JAPAN'S SUICIDE MISSION
UCA News
TOKYO (UCAN) — For the twelfth year in a row, the number of people who committed suicide in Japan has topped 30,000. According to statistics released by the National Police Agency on January 26, a total of 32,753 people took their own lives in 2009. This was the fifth highest toll in history, an increase of 504 persons over the 2008 figure and on average one such death every 16 minutes.
Thirty years ago, the "typical" suicide was a woman in her 20's or 30's who faced romantic difficulties such as a break up with a boyfriend or the prospect of never finding a spouse. Another group was women who suffered marital difficulties. These often killed their children as well, since it would be poor mothering to leave them orphans.
Nowadays, the profile has changed, with 71 percent of 2009's suicides being men. The most common reason for killing themselves is financial difficulties, the loss of a job or unpayable debts.
Another group that has recently attracted attention because of a spike in suicides are children. Schoolyard bullying and poor grades seem to be behind this phenomenon.
Suicide is not unknown even among Christians. There is probably no priest in the country with more than a few years' experience who has not in the course of his ministry been called upon to deal with the aftermath of suicide.
Those of us who live in Tokyo are not surprised at the police reports' high numbers. In recent years, more than 300 people have committed suicide each year in the region by jumping from station platforms in front of oncoming trains. Being stuck on a train delayed by a suicide somewhere along the line is a common experience for Tokyoites, especially during morning rush hours.
Railroads have installed special lighting and replaced black asphalt platforms with white tiles in the hope that a brighter environment might deter jumpers. Gradually, fences and gates that block access to the tracks until after trains have come to a stop are being installed on platforms.
Japan has always had a high suicide rate and the country has been fairly tolerant of self-destruction. Traditionally, suicide has been an honorable way to atone for failure or to resolve intractable problems. It was even turned into a ceremony in the practice of seppuku, ritual self-disembowelment. (The commonly used word for it in English, hara-kiri (belly cutting), is somewhat vulgar in Japanese.) The Tokyo site of the 1912 joint ritual suicide of Count Maresuke Nogi and his wife Shizuko upon the death of Emperor Meiji is a Shinto shrine where the count is revered as a divinity.
However, Japan's mildly tolerant attitude toward suicide is changing, and not simply because people are annoyed at having their morning commute disrupted by train delays caused by jumpers.
The increase in suicide is seen as a symptom of something gone wrong with Japan. Those who kill themselves are not judged for their actions. The country is.
After the total destruction of Japan in World War II, the Japanese set themselves to rebuild economically and socially. In 1964, the nation hosted the Olympics. In connection with that event, the "bullet train" high-speed rail system was built. Modern highways were constructed. That year marked the country's re-entry to world-class status as a nation, an end to the post-war period of humiliation and reconstruction. The young man chosen to light the Olympic flame symbolized that. Yoshinori Sakai was born in Hiroshima on the day an atomic bomb was dropped on that city.
Japan went on to become the second largest economy in the world. In 1979, an American book spoke of Japan as Number One. But, then it all fell apart. The economy stagnated, the population showed inexorable signs of aging and decline. It seemed that just as the suffering, sacrifice and hard work of the post-war reconstruction was about to bear fruit, Japanese increasingly realized that something had been lost along the way. There was no longer anything left to achieve in the way of economic growth, but the achievement turned out to be not worth the effort. And those who put forth the greatest effort, no longer having something for which to live, began to choose death.
Where does this leave the Church? What does it mean to proclaim Good News in a wealthy land that has the means to live, but may be losing the will to do so?
The Church does a good job when what the bad news people face is hunger, ignorance or disaster. However, bad news in the midst of wealth is a new challenge. The best way to face it remains a mystery. The search for answers in Japan may provide the model for missions in the 21st century as more and more of Asia moves beyond mere subsistence and finds that the pursuit of wealth may mean the loss of something more important. It may also become a model for the re-evangelization of the West, which was once a model for Japan, but now seems more and more to be imitating Japan in its wealthy poverty.
Maryknoll Father William Grimm is the
publisher of UCA News and former editor-in-chief of Katorikku Shimbun,
Japan's Catholic weekly.
Opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and do
not represent the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan.
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JAPANESE BISHOPS SET UP ACTION TEAM TO PROMOTE VOCATIONS
Catholic Weekly, January 17, 2010
 Japan's bishops have set up a team to examine the shortage of seminarians and to develop practical solutions for it.
A team for the Promotion of Vocations Today was established at an inaugural meeting held on Dec. 29, 2009 in Tokyo.
The idea of a promotion team rose at the Asian Vocations Today conference Oct. 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. The delegation from Japan, upon returning home, proposed to the Standing Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Japan (CBCJ) that a symposium be organized to discuss the matter further.
In response to the proposal, the Standing Committee demanded an action-oriented team rather than a symposium and appointed as chairmen Osaka Archbishop Jun Ikenaga and Nagoya Bishop Jun'ichi Nomura. Sulpician Fr. Satoru Ohyama, a formator at the Japan Catholic Seminary and a member of the delegation to the Bangkok conference, joined the team.
The December meeting gathered 14 persons, including priests and Religious who were in charge of vocations as well as youths coming to an age to make career choices.
At the meeting, Fr. Ohyama presented the aims and scope of the action team. He set the fundamental objective to be an increase in priestly and religious vocations in Japan.
He mentioned the importance of looking at again the problems the Church faces today, to face their reality and to make clear what tasks have to be taken. He expressed his hope that through such processes the Church in Japan could find out ways to overcome its problems.
Fr. Ohyama talked about a kind of vocational blogs on the Internet, an information network where people can express and exchange their views and opinions.
Traditional media such as study and training courses for vocational reflection were also included in future plans. Wider and larger meetings featuring open and public discussions are also among the group's suggestions.
Fr. Ohyama said, "A variety of attempts and trials to promote vocations are seen these days throughout Japan. I feel it may be time to coordinate them and put together such individual efforts."
He hoped that such collaboration and integration would generate a renewed enthusiasm for vocations among Japanese parishes.
Following Fr. Ohyama's talk, others present were encouraged to express their personal thoughts and impressions.
Their comments revealed that the age for their vocational choice had become higher and that some struggled for a more radical following of Christ. One young participant commented that the word "vocation" became a source of psychological pressure on him because people around him take being called as already being destined for the priesthood, though nothing was clear for him yet.
It was agreed that as a first step a home page should be developed where information relevant to vocation could be collected and disseminated. Further tasks were to be pursued through regular monthly meetings and occasional events.
Fr. Ohyama summed up the meeting, saying, "I am happy to see participants think about the vocation situation seriously. I felt something moved us forward. We felt a hope for the future."
SERVICE PROJECT FOR HOMELESS RECEIVES HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
Catholic Weekly, January 17, 2010
 Sanyukai, marking 25 years of offering special support services to the homeless of the Sanya district in Tokyo, was awarded the 24th Tokyo Lawyers' Association Human Rights Award on Jan. 8. The award has been presented every year since 1986 to individuals and organizations who have made great strides in the protection of human rights.
The other two recipients of this year's award were Japan Lifeline League, and Junji Nishi, head of the Tokyo Air Pollution Plaintiff's Group.
In his acceptance speech Sanyukai president Tokio Ishizuka of Tokyo's Tama Church said, "This award is not quite the Nobel prize, but for those of us concerned with social welfare, it is a prize that carries a lot of influence. We are merely distributing our supporters' money. The merit of the prize belongs to them."
Since opening in 1984, Sanyukai's activities have included a free clinic, free food distribution twice a week and clothing three times a week, emergency housing and lifestyle consultations, and other services for the needy. The activities are funded entirely by donations, with just over 20 staff members and doctors and nurses among their volunteers. Mmany of the volunteers are nuns or lay Christians.
Ishizuka suggested that the lines of those looking for food are much longer now due to the recession. He requested more "alpha rice" assistance, as a way to make good use of food products approaching their expiration date. Alpha rice, held in storage by businesses and local governments in case of emergencies, is dry rice designed to be eaten with hot water. He also asked for more donations of laundry detergent.
New patients are turning up in greater numbers at the clinic as well. Among the homeless, there are many with mental problems as well as physical ailments. There are cases in which doctors are able to diagnose patients' handicaps, make official records, and connect patients with welfare benefits. The four staff lifestyle consultants who deal with patients individually are snowed under, Ishizuka said.
In April of last year, the organization opened Sanyuso shelter for homeless people with special needs. While donations have increased slightly, the increase is not as great as the increase in demand for shelter.
Sanyukairepresentative Deacon Jean LeBeau of the Quebec Foreign Mission Society said that places where the homeless can go are decreasing because of park improvements by the government. "The outlook for tomorrow is dark," he said.
KOBE MARKS EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY
Catholic Weekly, January 24, 2010
Archbishop Jun Ikenaga of the Osaka diocese lead a memorial Mass at Kobe Central Church on Jan. 17 to mark 15 years since the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Every year since the earthquake, the archdiocese has marked the day as a day of renewal, but for this anniversary, in addition to the memorial Mass, the diocese sponsored a Prayer Walkathon through the area devastated by the earthquake.
During his sermon at the Mass, auxiliary Bishop Goro Matsuura mentioned that about 6,430 victims of the earthquake have been identified, but unfortunately, some victims, such as the homeless, may never be officially identified. He then reminded the assembly that God knows and loves each and every one of the victims. He addressed 600 attendees, emphasizing the hope of rebirth despite the destruction, symbolized by the fact that three ruined churches, including the completely destroyed Shimoyamate Church, were reborn as one, the Kobe Central Church.
The church opened its kitchen to the needy after Mass on the anniversary, just as it had done in the immediate wake of the earthquake. Naoto Hashimoto, 31, took a moment to reflect on the fact that in eating soup together, Catholics and non-Catholics alike helped each other, worked together and bonded.
MayukoTakagi, 29, now a parishioner of the Akabane Church in Tokyo, remembered that while the situation at the time was desperate, the victims' words were warm and kind.
"We were helped by them as much as we helped," she said.
She added that for all involved, every now and then, the disaster comes to mind.
"Here, too, we pause. Being together, I think of the earthquake again," she said.
Usually, the main goal of a walkathon is to raise money, but the purpose of this Kobe walkathon was to pray for victims, survivors and society. Over 200 people walked one of two courses from either Takatori Church or Sumiyoshi Church to Kobe Central Church. The participants stopped at stone memorials erected in affected residential areas to pray for victims of the earthquake.
As the anniversary was a Sunday, many parishes throughout the diocese offered prayers for those who still feel the effects of the earthquake. They also prayed that they might always cherish the bonding that took place in the midst of disaster and reaffirm the goals and plans for the rebirth of the diocese.
Both Takatori and Central Kobe Churches offered up memorial prayers starting at 5:46 AM, the exact time that the earthquake struck, followed by food distribution for the needy.
NAGASAKI MARKS BEATIFICATION ANNIVERSARY WITH ADVENT PILGRIMAGE
Catholic Weekly, January 17, 2010
In conjunction with its observance of Advent, the Archdiocese of Nagasaki held "The Nagasaki Month of Pilgrimage" to commemorate the first anniversary of the beatification of Peter Kibe and 187 other Japanese martyrs.
Each Saturday between Nov. 28 and Dec. 20 of last year featured a pilgrimage walk, and on Sunday talks were conducted in addition to Mass. Taking inspiration from this year's designation as the Year for Priests, the official weekly themes focused in turn on the spirituality of four priests who were among the 188 martyrs: Peter Kibe, Julian Nakaura, Thomas Kintsuba Jihyoe, and Diogo Ryosetsu Yuki.
The Dec. 19 event was given the theme "Blessed Fr. Diogo Ryosetsu Yuki and the late Fr. Ryogo Yuki."
Fr. Ryosetsu Yuki (1574 – 1636) was born in modern-day Tokushima and traveled to various regions as a missionary before being martyred in Osaka yet his ties to Nagasaki are strong. It was there that he received his education, and after his ordination in Manila, it was there again that he stole back into Japan, which was closed to the West at the time.
Fr. Ryogo Yuki, S.J., spent twenty-four years as director of Nagasaki's Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, which honors Japanese saints, and conducted research on the earlier Fr. Yuki. In 2008, just days before Fr. Ryosetsu's beatification, Fr. Ryogo died, having made contributions to the preparations for the ceremony.
The pilgrimage's walking course ran from the Martyrs Museum to the Oura Cathedral. After a lecture by Immaculate Heart of Mary Sr. Rumiko Kataoka, a professor at Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, more than 50 participants set out, listening to explanations by the guide and visiting the ruins of the church where Fr. Ryosetsu made his first oath. They stopped at another church along the way to sing hymns and pray. They also heard how Fr. Ryogo, a native of Spain but naturalized as a Japanese, chose his Japanese last name from Fr. Ryosetsu, with whom he already shared his Christian name. Fr. Ryogo was born Diego Pacheco Lopez de Morla.
More than 50 people, mostly laity, were recruited as a group of regular participants to attend each pilgrimage during the month. Fr. Ryoumei Ose from the archdiocesan office explained that the goal of the Month of Pilgrimage was "that the beatification activities might serve as reinforcements for lives of faith, and that their power might be conveyed to the lives of even one more person."
Rumiko Oura, a 55-year-old member of Nishimachi Church in Nagasaki, remarked that although she had often seen Dejima, an artificial island dating to the 1600's where foreigners were confined, she never had any particular interestin it. Her visit there this time opened her eyes to its "deep relationship" to Fr. Ryosetsu and his age. Franciscan Sr. Hiroko Ishioka expressed her appreciation for the readings and explanations that were offered throughout the pilgrimage.
The following day, Dec. 20, Bishop Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu, director of the CBCJ Special Committee on Canonization and Beatification, spoke about Fr. Ryosetsu at Oura Cathedral. He also explored the features of the community of that era, in which many laypeople supported the priest. About 200 people gathered for the Mass.
In addition to the pilgrimage, various groups and individuals aiming to promote the formal recognition of Nagasaki's Christian historic areas as World Heritage Sites held an event entitled "Nagasaki Christmas" Nov. 28 to Dec. 25 of last year.
The purpose was to promote a deeper understanding of the activities related to the process of registration with UNESCO. More than 10 parishes presented Christmas illuminations and creche scenes.
BISHOPS LEARN FROM PIONEERING ACTIVIST
UCA News
ASHIO, Japan (UCAN) — Eight bishops have visited the still-tainted site where Japan's first environmentalist took on a mining company over the pollution it caused.
The members of the Catholic bishops' Committee for Social Issues attended a workshop held in Gunma and Tochigi prefectures Jan. 14-16, during which they visited places connected with Shozo Tanaka (1841-1913) and sites polluted by toxic substances from mining.
Tanaka, a Diet (parliament) member, was not a Christian, but obtained spiritual support from the Bible as he struggled alongside poor farmers.
He blew the whistle on toxic substances leaking from a copper mine in Ashio. The Ashio Copper Mine, 110 kilometers north of Tokyo, was Japan's largest mine in the mid-19th century.
A serious flood in 1890 washed poisonous minerals from Ashio into the Watarase River, polluting agricultural land along the banks and adversely impacting the lives of farmers.
Tanaka and the farmers demanded that authorities close down the industry. Though their activities were suppressed, it was the first movement against environmental pollution in Japan.
'One does not live on bread alone'
The bishops listened to an address at the Tatebayashi Church in Gunma by Satoru Fukawa, honorary director of a museum that commemorates Tanaka and the Ashio incident.
"Tanaka learned from the farmers who suffered from the erroneous flood prevention policy of the government. Though they had not enough to eat, they built small simple houses to continue their protest. Tanaka realized the meaning of 'one does not live on bread alone,'" Furukawa said.
Late in his life, though many of his friends left the cause, Tanaka still maintained his efforts to fight against environmental problems.
The bishops visited the former site of the polluted village, the museum, the place where Tanaka died and the now-closed refinery.
Upon finding the remains of toxic minerals still exposed on the ground, Bishop Masahiro Umemura of Yokohama said, "It is astounding. I now realize that the problem of toxic minerals still exists, while the government still works on a budget."
Tanaka died at the home of a supporter in 1913 at the age of 73. His entire fortune was used to fund his protest against environmental problems. He left behind only three pebbles from the Watarase River, a copy of the Imperial Constitution, a New Testament and the Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki said he was inspired and moved by something Tanaka had said, "The Bible is not for reading, it is for practicing."
He added that "The attitude of sacrificing one's life for vulnerable people is an example of the spirit of service" and that "the Church also needs this kind of spirit."
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