I am now in Japan a place of history, tradition and commitment to success.
My focus here is to spend time with our partner, the United Church of Christ in Japan, and hear the stories of the Church’s work since the earthquake and tsunami in March.
A few moments ago, sitting at my laptop in my Tokyo hotel room on the 10th floor, I found myself swaying to the tune of a 5.1 earthquake that has just taken place off the coast – no reports of damage here but a reminder of the ever present reality in this part of the world. Tomorrow I set off in the train with Revd Kato to visit the church’s volunteer centre near Sendai.
Today I found myself at the National Museum looking at this tea ceremony house in the museum garden. The tea ceremony epitomises the value Japanese people place on tradition – it’s a bit like some of our services, everything is done in the proper way in the right order and with due reverence. This house was built by a man called Kobori Ensher, who when given a very fine tea caddy by Prince Katsura, decided to build a tea house so that it could be shown to his friends in ceremonies in a suitable setting.
I’m trying to remember the traditions: to give and receive everything (business cards, the bill, everything!) with two hands to show respect; to bow; to remove my shoes on entering a home, a traditional restaurant or my hotel room; to be respectful in my use of names; etc.
Tradition is one reason why the Church has, in 400 years, made little inroad in Japan. Christians are still less than 1% of a population which is largely secular, although some Buddhist/Shinto traditions are observed, especially those relating to ancestors. Some of the post-tsunami work has given the Church a little more profile, which is a big step as many communities have no reason to know what a Christian is.
Steve
Steve Pearce | Partnership Coordinator Asia and the Pacific | World Church Relationships
Christian Communication, Evangelism & Advocacy Cluster | The Connexional Team
020 7467 5161 (Direct line)
The Methodist Church
Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR | 020 7486 5502 [Helpdesk]
www.methodist.org.uk Registered charity no. 1132208
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