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JCAN 2005 Spring.Pmd JAPAN CHRISTIAN ACTIVITY NEWS The Newsletter of the National Christian Council in Japan ISSN 0021-4353 Number 738 Spring 2005 Beyond Nationalism: The Inculturation of Christianity in the Diversifying Context of Japan Editorial CONTENTS The inculturation of Chris- tianity in Japan can be defined as the inclusion of Japanese cul- Art, Bamboo, and Church 2 ture in worship. However, most Gospel in Bunraku 3 churches in Japan often lack Indigenous Ainu Christians 5 such inclusion since many were Okinawan Culture 6 Westernized during their estab- lishment by Western Songs of Suffering 6 missionaries. Also, views on the Kesen Dialect Gospels 8 inculturation of Christianity in Japan tend to focus on the Japanese ma- Song of Prayer 9 jority. Thus, Japanese Christianity has often been seen as being coupled Biblical Noh Drama 10 with nationalism within Japan’s de-facto and fictitious framework as a nation state under the Emperor System. Furthermore, due to the lack of CCA 12th General Assembly 11 a defining cultural root for Japanese churches, they have no obvious Japanese Textbook Controversy 12 cultural alternative to the Emperor system, which exists in tandem with Article 9 of the Constitution 13 the progress of militarization and rising nationalism, and their culture can thus become nationalistic. On the surface, the majority seem to have Furuya Interview – Part 2 14 an obscure cultural identity simply as “Japanese”. Thus, the inculturation God’s Samurai – Book Review 15 of Christianity in Japan has often been understood within the rather Trinity Benedictine Monastery 16 stereotyped framework of the Japanese nation-state without much atten- Women’s Ministry 17 tion having been given to the fictitious character of the framework. Foreign Residents in Japan 18 But thanks to ground-breaking historical studies over the last few Sadao Watanabe 19 decades, such as Rereading Japanese History by the late historian Yoshihiko Amino (English excerpts: www.udel.edu/History/figal/Hist138/ Okinawan Christian Center 20 Text/honors.html), many aspects of the historical diversity of what is Lay Persons in Japan 21 now known as Japan have been revealed. For instance, the very name of Tokudo Letters 22 the nation, “Nihon” or “Nippon” (Japan) did not even exist before 7th US Bases in Okinawa 23 century, and the present Hokkaido and Tohoku regions in the north of the country and the southern Kyushu and Okinawa regions in the south- Henoko Letter 24 west were not part of Japan at that time. Moreover, as we look at the Photo Article on Henoko 25 indigenous Ainu and Okinawan peoples, as well as migrants into Japan Respect for Nature 26 who were brought over for forced labor before the war or came as mi- grant workers, students, or accompanying family members, etc., the DOV Study Guide 26 historical diversity of Japan as a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country 2006 Women’s Conference 26 in the age of localization, regionalization and globalization becomes 8th Japan-Korea Consultation 26 much more evident. Yuko Yuasa’s Noh 27 In such a context, what does it mean for Christianity to seek its St. Barnabas Church 27 inculturation in Japan? Can we find any new and hopeful potential for Chris- NCC Center for Japanese Religions 27 tianity, like different colors of flowers blooming side by side in Spring, to take root in the diversifying soil of Japan? The articles in this newsletter NCCJ Calendar Highlights 28 should help us to reflect further on these questions. H.Y. NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COUNCIL IN JAPAN, Room 24, 2-3-18 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0051, Japan TEL.: 03-3203-0372 • FAX: 03-3204-9495 • Website: http://www.jca.apc.org/ncc-j/ NOTE: Permission to print is granted to all media provided that credit is given and a copy is sent to the editors. 2 Japan Christian Activity News Spring 2005 Art, Bamboo, and Church - An Interview with Takenaka Masao You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Exodus 20:4) “This prohibition of emptying himself in order to save humans, as is written in idolatry makes life hard Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Phil. 2: 8). for painters and other art- Thus bamboo can bridge gaps felt to exist between ists except composers. At Christianity and local culture. People who culturally trea- least in the Protestant tra- sure bamboo may get a new and intimate understanding of dition that does not Christianity if bamboo is included in their worship. Fur- recognize their work. In thermore, we can gain new theological insights when the the Catholic Church they analogy is made clear. So inculturation is a dual process. are met with more accep- Takenaka emphasizes that the focal point of faith is Christ, tances but in return the so participants in this process should be aware of not sub- motifs will usually have to stituting Christ for any other element. conform to the taste of the church leaders, at the cost of Professor Takenaka argues that the Protestant churches artistic freedom,” says Masao Takenaka, professor emeri- in Japan need a renewal. New people are needed to over- tus in theology from Doshisha University in Kyoto. come schisms from the past, and a holistic attitude that “The Roman Catholic Church is organized with con- allows for a variety in expressing and communicating the gregations of 200 members or more and that enables them gospel is needed to attract these new people. to invest in art such as the 12 stained glass panels in St. Ignatius’ Church in Tokyo, commissioned from the Prot- estant artist Ueno Yasuda,” he says. “If you suggest buying a stained glass window in a Protestant church, the idea is likely rejected as extravagant and unnecessary.” On a sunny April afternoon I met with Prof. Takenaka in his private study in Kyoto. Sitting by his one by one meter low table, having a small landscaped garden outside the window to his left, and facing two men in tranquil con- versation surrounded by a pine wood and a Chinese landscape in black ink, Professor Takenaka devotes his scholarly energy to a study on Christian influence on Japa- nese artists in the past. In his own church an art exhibition is held once a As a lifetime connoisseur of art, and Christian Art in year. The pieces of art are produced by church members Asia in particular, Takenaka first wanted an art historian and include many kinds of art. People from the neighbor- friend to do the work, but as the friend has passed away he hood are among the spectators, so the roots of the church feels an obligation and the challenge to pioneer this area in the local community are strengthened. by himself. His biographical studies on painters in the ear- Asked if he can imagine ways of incorporating bam- lier decades of modern Japan has left him with the boo or scrolls of calligraphy in the worship service, he said, impression above. “I can, but one must go slowly. It is important to gain the Takenaka is a specialist on theology and culture. Not acceptance of the congregation. Our art exhibitions are one only from a theoretical perspective but also from a practi- way of familiarize the congregation with art.” cal one, as was evident at Kansai Seminar House in Kyoto, As a final example of inculturation, Professor which he directed for many years. He is still a very active Takenaka mentions Aoi Church in Kyoto. That church has member of and preacher at his church. had a cross and a chalice made in Kiyomizu pottery, a fa- When the Bamboo Bends: Christ and Culture in mous local product of Kyoto. Japan was published by the World Council of Churches in This example illustrates that inculturation is not nec- 2002 as a follow-up on his God is Rice. In both books Pro- essarily the same as nationalization. Rather it is a local fessor Takenaka deals with the inculturation of Christianity process, for what feels intimate to one group feels strange in Japan. The Bamboo is widely used for many purposes in to another. Thus, people living in the Japanese territory East Asia and as such it is an intimate part of the local but identifying with a different culture should work out cultures. It has four characteristics that fit well with a Chris- their own symbiosis of Christianity and culture without tian identity: a grove of bamboo brings a clean wind; the forgetting Christ in the center, and without insisting on bamboo is flexible almost to the point of being unbreak- their way as the best for everybody else. able; its roots form a strong network; and the bamboo’s Interviewed by Christian M. Hermansen, Danish mission- stem is hollow, a fact Takenaka compares to Christ’s ary and associate professor at Kwansei Gakuin University. Spring 2005 Japan Christian Activity News 3 Gospel in Bunraku Narrator tells where they meet Since December 1991, Mr. Hanasabudayu Toyotake, a leading Christian tayu (narrator) in Bunraku (Japanese traditional puppet theater) has performed the unique and inspiring Gospel in a Bunraku play. The play has become increasingly popular amongst Christians and non-Chris- tians both in Japan and abroad. What is the relationship between Christianity and Bunraku? What is the relation- ship between Bunraku and Toyotake’s own faith? JCAN interviewed him as part of an examination of the inculturation of Christianity in Japan. (H.Y.) JCAN: Have there ever been any other instances in the history of Bunraku of Joruri (dramatic narrative chanted to samisen accompaniment) performances with Christ as their theme like Gospel in Bunraku? Toyotake: None.
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