Essays on the Modern Japanese Church: Christianity in Meiji Japan by Yamaji Aizan

Author:Yamaji Aizan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

11

ON NIIJIMA JŌ

If you evaluate Yasui’s book against the intellectual standards of the day, it was an extraordinary masterpiece. His criticism of the Bible was enough to make Christians inquire deeply into their own faith. The young people of the time who chased after new ideas as if they were starving, however, did not have the appropriate attitude to listen carefully to the arguments of an old Confucian scholar. First of all, they had a deep belief in and reverence for Western civilization. They believed that Christianity was the pillar that supported that civilization. They believed too much in Western civilization to be moved by one book. They were too busy to meditate on the words of an old Confucian. The foreign missionaries, seeing that their hearts inclined toward Christianity, gave them religious training unceasingly in order to cultivate and develop their faith. A work produced through the earnest efforts of a Confucian teacher was useless in trying to block the flow of Christianity.

At the time that the young church was developing in Japan and new believers were joining in various places, Niijima Jō was graduating from Amherst College in America and becoming a missionary of the Congregationalist Church. He thought of Christianity continuously, and he returned to Japan to begin missionary work.

Niijima Jō was a samurai from Kosuke domain. He was one of those Japanese who was greatly aroused by the events in the world. He expressed his desire in the following way: “I wanted to bravely volunteer, go abroad, and undertake the great task of seeing other countries.” At the time of the Restoration, the promising young heart of this person was stirred up, and through the recommendation of the progressive politician Itakura Katsukiyo (the lord of Matsuyama domain in Bichu),36 he got tacit consent to leave his domain and stowed away on a boat. He went over to America. He explained the events of the time himself:

One day, when I was walking along in Edo, I happened to meet a friend on his way to Tamashima. He told me that his lord’s ship would be weighing anchor and leaving in three days for Hakodate. He urged me to travel with him. It was only the invitation of an acquaintance, but it was something I was interested in. After I left my friend, a new desire struck like lightening and illuminated my heart. I secretly resolved to take this lucky opportunity of being able to go over to Hakodate to put into effect my long-cherished desire. Even if I consulted my former lord, I could not see how he would permit me to travel. For this reason, first of all, I told Lord Matsuyama. I wanted to complete this plan without letting my parents or former lord know. I immediately visited one of the trusted retainers of Lord Matsuyama. I described my circumstances and petitioned him for help. He was a friend so he greatly praised my plan. He immediately went to the mansion with my request and explained the situation.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.