Chapter 11 Chapter 13
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The Bahá'í Geppo
(Monthly News)
In 1953 the Tokyo Local Spiritual
Assembly decided to publish a news letter which they called the
Bahá'í Geppo (monthly news). This was to take the place of the
third and final version of Star of the East, the last issue of which was
March 1953. The Bahá'í Geppo was published from September
1953 to May 1967. Since then the monthly newsletter has been published as the
Bahá'í News.
In the beginning, in 1953, thirteen
issues were printed, although most of them were not numbered, and apparently at
least one was a "special" so it is not known just how many were considered to be
separate issues. After printing thirteen it was decided to change the numbering
to #46. The reason for this change in numbering was not explained but we think
the Bahá'í Geppo Committee of the Local Spiritual Assembly
of Tokyo might have wanted to continue with the numbering of the previous
Star of the East editions. The three editions of the Star of the
East together totaled 35 issues, and the Geppo issues were 10 to 13
depending on how one counted. If one were to consider them to be 10 issues with
three specials then picking up the numbering with #46 could be explained as
above.
The Conference of World Religionists,
August 1-14, 1955. The main part of the conference was held in Tokyo with other
sessions in various cities. Bahá'ís were represented by Miss
Alexander, Mr. Marangella and Mr. Earl, who are sitting on the
left.
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The early issues of the
Bahá'í Geppo were quite modest, four to six pages carefully
written by hand, then mimeographed. Mr. Horioka was the first editor. In 1955
the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly appointed a committee to handle the Geppo.
As there were pioneers in Japan who couldn't read Japanese characters the
Local Spiritual Assembly decided that there should be some pages in English.
From November 1955 for several years there was either an extra English edition
or a couple of pages in English. In the November 1955 issue of the English
version it is noted that the Tokyo community gave a farewell party for Mr.
Fujita who was leaving Japan permanently to reside in the Holy Land. Miss
Inatsuka reported that there were two firesides in Nagasaki (her home town), the
first teaching to be done in that city.
With #65, March 1958, typed columns were
used in the Geppo. With #67, November 1958, the format changed
considerably. May 1967 was the last issue of the Bahá'í Geppo.
From June 1967, No. 107, it was entitled Bahá'í News
(Bahá'í Nyuzu, written in katakana).
There were periods when the Japanese
Bahá'í News did not come out regularly but mostly it
has been a reliably regular publication of the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly
and then of the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia (1957) and from
1974 the National Spiritual Assembly of Japan. But it all started in
Tokyo.
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Incorporation of the
Bahá'í Faith, Tokyo, April 22 1955. The 1954 Local Spiritual
Assembly had been working on the incorporation and on April 22, 1955 a
certificate was issued by the government, thereby fulfilling a goal of the Ten
Year Crusade. When the National Spiritual Assembly was formed it was possible to
use the same basic incorporation but upgrading it.
click here for larger image
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To give an idea of the contents of the
early Bahá'í Geppo; #1 September 1953 informed us that Mr. Horioka
was editor; a party was given for a Bahá'í traveler, Larry Hautz,
at which Mr. Hongo was chairman with Mr. Kadota translating; Mr. Horioka was
holding classes in his home. #2 and #3 had a report of the New Delhi Conference
which Miss Alexander attended. Mr. Khadem came to Japan, spoke at a Feast,
attended an LSA meeting, talked about teaching in Japan, attended an Esperanto
meeting where he talked about the Faith and spoke at a public meeting. A special
edition in September 1954 had a notice of the Guardian's Ten Year Plan and
Japan's part. A Special Edition dated June/July 1954 mentioned that the
Bahá'í Center in Amagasaki donated by Mr. Noureddin Mumtazi was
becoming a center of Bahá'í activity in the Kansai
area.
Even after 1957 when the National
Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia was elected, the Tokyo LSA continued to
publish the Bahá'í Geppo for a time until the task was
taken over by a national committee.
click here for larger image
Fall 1955. A meeting in the Tokyo
Bahá'í Center for Mr. Charles and Mrs. Helen Bishop, visitors to
Japan. From the left: Mr. Bishop, Miss Alexander, Mrs. Furukawa, Lt. and Mrs.
Hamilton, Mrs. Bishop and Miss Kotoko Mochizuki. The Bishops donated a dozen
zabuton (Japanese cushions) to make it more comfortable to sit on the floor
Japanese style.
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click here for larger image
This is the contents page of the first
hard cover prayer book to be printed in Japanese, August 1, 1956,
Bahá'í no Kitosho. 500 copies of the dark blue covered book were
printed in Kobe by the National Publishing Committee, a committee of the Tokyo
Local Spiritual Assembly. As there was no National Spiritual Assembly at that
time, all committees in Japan were under the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly. The
prayer book had 60 pages with prayers by Bahá'u'lláh, the
Báb, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and one by Shoghi Effendi. Interestingly, it
contained the Tablet of Carmel. One copy was sent to the
Guardian.
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Chapter 11 Chapter 13
