Christmas, 1993

Historically, Urakami was a small unimportant village on Kyushu, the southern major island of Japan, situated at the mouth of the Urakami River where it empties into Nagasaki Bay. The small nearby fishing village of Nagasaki gained importance in 1571 when it was given to the Jesuits as the Portuguese trading port. From 1549, when Francis Xavier, one of the three founders of the Jesuits, arrived on Kyushu, Christianity had grown in converts. At the peak, there were estimated to be 300,000 to 400,000 Christians in Japan in spite of persecution from 1590. The Twenty Six Martyrs took place in 1596. When these shipwrecked men and boys would not renounce their faith, they were taken to Kyoto and tortured, then marched to Nagasaki and crucified. In 1614, because of fear that Christians would not be devoted to the new Tokugawa shogunate control of all Japan, Christianity was banned and all missionaries were deported. The torture of suspected Christians began. By 1637, after increasing poverty and repression, 37,000 Kyushu peasants, predominately Christians, revolted in what was called the Shimabara Rebellion. They were crushed by the shogunate army in 1638 with the killing of every man, woman and child. Because the Christian led rebellion caused increasing fear of foreign domination, Japan was closed in 1641. All foreigners, their wives and everyone of mixed ancestry were deported. No Japanese could leave Japan and anyone living abroad was forbidden from returning. The only Westerners permitted were a small contingent of Dutch traders allowed to live on a small artificial island in Nagasaki. For over 200 years, Nagasaki was the only window Japan had on the outside world. This remained true until 1853 when Commodore Perry, commanding a fleet of United States Navy ships, sailed into what is now called Tokyo Bay. With the opening of Japan to trade, Nagasaki again became an open port in 1859. Oura Church, overlooking the harbor, was completed in 1864 to serve foreigners. Soon after opening, a group of Japanese from Urakami asked to look inside explaining to the astonishment of the priest that they were Christians. It was discovered that a secret sect of Christians had persisted in spite of the ban and periodic inquisitions for nearly 250 years. The government arrested 3000 Christians in Urakami and exiled them ill equipped to the cold northern regions of Japan. Those who survived were allowed to return in 1872 after the anti-Christian laws were repealed. The Urakami cathedral was completed in 1925 for the Urakami Christians after 33 years of work. On the morning of August 9, 1945, a lone B-29 bomber turned away from its overcast primary target and headed for its secondary target: the Mitsubishi shipyards in Nagasaki. However, with overcast weather there also, the Plutonium bomb fell somewhat short of its target, instead exploding over Urakami. Of the 210,000 residents of the greater Nagasaki area, 150,000 died, including 8,500 parishioners of the Urakami church.

Our big event of the past year was the family trip to Japan. We celebrated Ikuko's parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary while we were with them in Tokyo. Because Mina's Saturday Japanese school will include Japanese history next year, we took a "history trip" down Japan. We visited Nagasaki and Kyoto, as well as looking at Tokyo history. In Nagasaki, we learned about the "Christian Century: 1544-1641." In front of the new Urakami church is a row headless, burned statues from the old bombed church. We also visited Ground Zero, Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum with its sobering pictures. Oura church, on the other side of Nagasaki, was not damaged. Its displays included a room devoted to Father M. Kolbe, a devout, energetic Polish priest who is remembered for working as an evangelist in Nagasaki from 1930 to 1936. After his return to Poland, he was finally arrested by the Nazis and sent to Concentration Camps because he would not stop helping Jews escape from arrest. When a man escaped from Auschwitz camp in 1941, in retribution, ten men were chosen at random to die of starvation. When one man appealed that he had a family, Father Kolbe volunteered to take his place. The ten were locked in a small basement room called the "starvation chamber." Father Kolbe was seen comforting and praying for the others and then was the last to die. His altruism has served as an inspiration. His life of purity, service, teaching and sacrifice in fact remind us of Jesus. In Kyoto, the ancient Imperial capital of Japan, we visited old palaces and ancient Buddhist temples. Our Christmas picture of the children was taken at the Golden Pavilion which was originally built in 1397. Back in Tokyo, we studied the Edo Period: 1600-1868 at the new city museum. We hope that the children learned something about history and about human nature on our trip.

Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) What comforting words these are. May the Lord''s blessing be yours at this holiday season. We wish all of our friends and relatives a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please take good care of yourselves.

With love,

Rick, Ikuko, Mina, Noah and Ema