The Times Letters on Christian missions in Japan Week 7 1M160440 Ine Yoshimura 1M181013 Grace Fujima 1M180510 Meru Tanimoto 1M190136 Kaneko Karin Table of Contents 1. The summary of Times Letters 2. Times Newspaper (London) 3. History of Christianity and other religions in Japan 4. About Japanese government 5. Social Darwinism/Orientalism in the letters Letter #1 ● National religion of Japan = Mikado is of Divine descent Pictured: Emperor Meiji Mutsuhito, 明治天皇 ● Japanese rulers let foreign resident exercise their own religion freely ○ Ministers came and approached native Christian community ○ Some thieves and ill-disposed people professed themselves as converts, and took refuge and avoided their punishments ○ Wasn’t noticed for a while, but eventually got caught → evicted from their homes in Urakami ● Author concludes his letter saying that they must show them that they are people we can trust based on their presentation Urakami Cathedral（浦上天主堂、カ トリック浦上教会） https://bit.ly/2GO7zJy Letter #2 ● Japan is and will be visited by Europeans principally through seamen, keen and money-seeking merchants, and the adventurers of all kinds; but these people cannot be a representation of any religion, especially Christianity ● But until Japan is evangelized by their own people, reason and conscience justifies their attempt to evangelize Japan with their own hands Letter #3 ● “Native religion is one to which the Japanese people are profoundly attached” ● Buddhism has existed in the country for centuries → religion of the people? ○ Adopted during the reign of the Tokugawa family → on what ground can people say that there are no Buddhists? ● "A Japanese Student" states that Buddhism has been tolerated on the implied condition that as long as its members obey the law and refrain from insulting the religion of the state → So what's preventing them from incorporating Christianity under the same understanding? ● all Christian converts were criminals subject to the punishment of death; thus were forced into exile and seclusion, were shunned by their relatives and friends, and looked upon as guilty of far greater misdemeanors than the thieves and other criminals → If Buddhists weren’t subjected to this, why should Christians tolerate it? ● Japan has been undergoing rapid and wonderful change that, upon the return of the Embassy in London, full freedom of religious conviction was granted to the people → Iwakura Mission ● proselytizers must work more respectfully and consider the the desires of the Government to create successful converts Letter #4 ● author in Letter #3 is not aware that Buddhism flourished at a period immensely more BEFORE the existence of the Tokugawa clan or any Tycoon ● introduction of it 3 centuries after the Christian era was accompanied by amazing success — the reigning Empress Suiko herself was the most zealous convert ○ established Buddhism as the main religion in Japan https://bit.ly/38wGGp6 ● religion of the Japan stands at an immense disadvantage compared to the myth of Homer and Hesiod ● Japanese scholars know that the most ancient accounts of Shintoo creed are contained in: Nihon-sho-ki, Kojikiden, and Kin-jiki-den ○ written in Chinese characters that were introduced around 300 AD ● no part of Author's business to bring contempt upon Sovereign upon any land — were even careful to pray and give a blessing to the Mikado and his people ● BUT claims that they are still doing substantial good to the country by teaching them that it is their wisdom and their happiness, and their duty to honour the King — what if they realize “Divine descent of the Mikado was after all a fiction and an imposture”? ● 2 instances where Christian faith was suspected More about the Times Newspaper Japan appearance/Letters/ Japanese residents The Times（Week4） -founded in 1785 as ‘the Daily Universal Register’ =oldest Britain national daily newspaper -Founder: John Walter I(1738-1812) ・Focused on Political neutrality ・had dominant power /reputation ・supported Parliamentary Reform(1832) ↑ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/static/about-us/?region=global John Walter I The Times about Japan -Focuses on interactions and cultures after the opening of Japan -1852-53:articles on the Japan Expedition -April 1854:the opening of Japan -1862:First Japanese Embassy to Europe(文久遣欧使節) -sent to Europe by the Tokugawa shogunate -Head of the mission :Takenouchi Yasunori, governor of Shimotsuke Province (present-day Tochigi Prefecture) -numbered 40 men -more accurately is the 3rd Japanese embassy to Europe ‘Letter to the Editor(LTE)’ in the Times -Since the first publish (Jan. 1st, 1785) -LTE was already a dominant feature in American newspapers in the mid 18th century -functioned as opinion function pages with free social discourse/discussion -became centralized & permanent in the 19th first LTE for the century in the UK newspapers Daily Universal -autonomous letters were common Register (1785) =free press/speech movement Christian Missions in the Times(Times 4th letter) Columbia(1862)/India(1869, 1873)/China(1860,1869) etc... -The Times represent both Catholic & Protestant missions -both in articles and LTEs https://www.thetimes.co.uk/archive -Various Christian Missionaries in the UK in the 19th century(mostly Protestant) Church Missionary Society British and Foreign Bible Society American Baptist Free Mission Society The London Missionary Society China Inland Mission Japanese people in London?(Times 1st letter) https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/06/58f6381afd2a-feature-academic-tells-story-of-first-japanese-to-come-to-england.html -(2 Japanese men as slaves, brought to England by Thomas Cavendish) -First settlement of the Japanese in the UK: 1860s -large growth in 1870s-80s →professionals, students and their servants -1872:The Iwakura Mission:became one trigger for increase →Appearance in the Times as well(missions, Japanese students) -1879:Mitsui & Co. established its London office - 264 citizens of Japan resided in Britain in 1884 History of Christianity and Other Religions in Japan Brief History of Religion in Japan ● Shinto is indigenous to Japan while Buddhism is introduced to Japan from China via Korean peninsula in the 6th century (Kofun period). Conflict at first then in the Heian period, Buddhism was deeply rooted in Japanese society. ● Shinto (The way of the Gods) = Everything has a spirit (kami) and it’s more of a way of life, Originated in prehistoric times. Shinto considered “animistic”. Name “Shinto founded in 6th century to distinguish from Buddhism and Confucianism. “Meiji Restoration Period” - Shinto as the official religion Meiji Restoration period in 1868 - The Imperial Government determined to unify the country and purify Shinto from foreign influences. Shinto declared as the official religion and Buddhism fell out of favor. Given the nature of the government system, there is no separation between church and the state whereas the West has a separated system. A clan is political as well as religious. The clash between Christians vs Japanese in 1873 can be seen in the Times Newspaper. (It depicts the living reality; disagreeable but in a civilized manner) “Japanese spirituality, Western technology” Izanagi and Izanami were sister and brother who descended to the Earth and fell in love with each other. They procreated and through this act, they created the islands of Japan. Anyway, Izanami kept giving births to lots of kami. However one day, Izanami was burned alive in the process of giving birth to Kagu-Tsuchi which was the incarnation of fire. Izanagi was heartbroken and resolved to bring Izanami back from Yomi. He found Izanami and Izanami made him promise that he would not look at her until they were out of the Yomi. However, Izanagi could not resist and lit up a torch only to find the once beautiful Izanami was rotted with maggots crawling all over. Izanagi was so scared, intending to return to the living and abandon his wife. Izanami was so angry when he managed to escape and told him that she will kill 1000 residents every day. Izanagi responded by saying that he would give life to 1500 newborns everyday. Returning from the underground, he took a bath to cleanse himself and when he cleaned his left eye, Amaterasu Ohmikamisama, the sun God, was born. The emperor was the direct descendant of the Amaterasu. From this legend alone, we can see that the creation of Japan and the emperor was directly related to Shintoism which is perhaps why Shinto is regarded as the nation’s religion. Christianity in Japan ● Less than 1% of the Japanese population is Christian ● Influences: 60-70% of Japanese couple hold Christian wedding, celebration of Christmas and Valentine (commercialization of holiday, contrary to Jesus’ teachings) Christian in Japan - Key Timeline 1549 Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus arrives in Kagoshima and begins the first Christian missionary activities in Japan. 1585 A mission of four Japanese youths sent by Arima Harunobu and other Christian daimyō in Kyūshū meets with Pope Gregory XIII (1502–85) in Rome. 1587 Toyotomi Hideyoshi issues an anti-Christian edict, limiting propagation activities and ordering foreign missionaries out of the country. 1597 Hideyoshi executes 6 foreign missionaries and 20 Japanese Christians at Nagasaki. They later become known as the 26 martyrs. 1612 The Edo shogunate issues an anti-Christian edict, forbidding propagation of the faith and ordering the destruction of churches. 1633 The shogunate issues the first of several sakoku edicts, setting the country on a path of national seclusion. 1853 US Commodore Matthew Perry arrives with a fleet of ships, triggering the reopening of Japan to international trade. 1858 The Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce is signed, and US protestant missionaries come to Japan. 1865 Japanese “hidden Christians” declare their faith at Nagasaki’s Ōura Church, built by French residents of the city. The discovery that Christians had handed down their faith through the generations during the long years years of harsh repression is seen as a miracle.