Notes from Japan by W. D. Burden

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 24, 1907

Notes from Japan

By W. D. Burden

W. D. BURDEN

Just recently we have held our second tent-meeting in Japan. This time it was in Takasaki, a city about sixty-five miles north of Tokyo, having a population of thirty-five thousand. This has been a very strong Buddhist section, and there are still many evidences that its teachings have not yet entirely lost their hold on the people. However, we found the people much more simple-minded and teachable than those living in Tokyo and the ports.

There are, we were told, some three hundred and fifty Christians of all denominations, in and about Takasaki, some of whom date the beginning of their Christian experience back more than twenty years. Those who attended our meetings were mainly from among the non-Christian element in the several communities.

Since the first of last year, two young men—Brethren Watanabe and Suzuki—have been working in this city, introducing our literature. They made a house-to-house canvass of the place, selling our Japanese paper wherever they could. To those who would not buy, but were willing to read, they loaned the papers. Then when the next number of the paper was out, they went around and exchanged the new papers for the old ones. Many, of course, would have nothing to do with Christian literature, but our brethren secured a list of more than five hundred families, to whom they supplied the paper every month. Several became deeply interested, and in time we expect to see them come out fully on the side of truth. But Japanese are very slow to move, even after they are convinced of their duty. One man, a lumber dealer, was so affected that he gave up his tobacco entirely, and when we pitched our tent, he gave us the free use of anything we wanted from his yard to seat and fix up the tent, hauling the lumber to and from the tent without charge. He even refused to take pay for what we had cut in fixing up the tent. We thought this quite remarkable, for other lumbermen would not even rent us lumber. Our meetings began September 21, and continued three weeks. During the first part of the meetings, the weather was favorable, and the tent was well filled every night. Later it became very cold and stormy, so we were not surprised that the attendance decreased. Many would not come for fear they would be made to pay. Very frequently when invited to enter the tent, they would ask how much we charged for admission. Of course we were glad to tell them it was free, but they seemed to think there must be some trick about it. They seemed unable to conceive of any reason why such meetings should be held, except to make money. We heard some saying that it was not good to go into the tent, for we took the names of those who attended the meetings, then afterward went around to their houses, and compelled them to buy our books. Perhaps there was some shadow of an excuse for this latter conclusion; for between meetings we did try to search out the interested ones, and in visiting their homes we were not slow to present the many good things in our literature.

There were none who took a full stand during the course of our meetings; and had it been in the States, we would perhaps have felt that the effort came far short of accomplishing what it ought. But in this country we have to exercise much patience. Like the farmer, who sows his seed, then has to spend many weary days caring for it before he reaps any fruit, so after we sow the gospel seed, and even after we find our hearers really interested, we must wait, sometimes for months, before we see them fully decided to obey.

When we closed the meetings, there were several who seemed much interested. We expect yet to see a number of them take their stand on the side of truth. Since returning to Tokyo I have received very encouraging letters from one family to whom we sold some books, telling how much they enjoyed reading them, and giving me a very warm invitation to visit them again. Our canvassers are still at work in Takasaki, trying to help the interested ones. They are also making one more canvass of the city, this time seeking to take as many subscriptions as they can for our Japanese paper. They give a very encouraging report of their work.

Next month our canvassers are to begin work in Maebashi, another city of about the same size as Takasaki, only a few miles farther up the country. Here they will follow the same general lines of work as they did in Takasaki. All through the country there are towns with a population of from ten to fifty thousand, where we ought to have workers now, carrying on this same work. But the laborers are so few, and those who are available need very much to have some special training. We certainly ought to have a well-equipped training-school, where our young native believers could receive the training necessary to make them efficient workers. Other missions spend much money in training and educating their workers.

While I would not advocate doing just as they do, yet it does seem to me that we ought to provide for this need in a much more definite way than we have yet been able to do, owing to the lack of men and means. We must have foreign help to plan, lead, and direct in the work, and we hope to see our force of foreign workers materially strengthened in the near future. Yet it seems evident that the bulk of the work must be done by native help, and I believe that a few hundred dollars spent in educating them for this work will prove a paying investment.

A short time ago we were cheered by the arrival of Brother and Sister Benson. They are hard at work on the language, and are of good courage. We are glad also to report that the work is onward. Several have just recently united with us to keep God's commandments. Some of these give promise of becoming valuable laborers. What a glad day it will be when the work is finished, and God's own people are gathered home! May we all be faithful in doing what we can to hasten its dawn.