Chapter 12 Chapter 14
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Hands of the Cause and Other Eminent
Bahá'ís Who Have Visited Tokyo
One Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and
eighteen Hands of the Cause have graced our city. Of course, at the time they
visited not all of them had had such a rank bestowed upon them. In two instances
the rank of Hand of the Cause was conferred posthumously: Mrs. Ransom-Kehler and
Miss Martha Root. Three were appointed after visiting: Mr. Siegfried
Schopflocher, Mr. C.M. Remey, and Miss Agnes Alexander, who was living in Japan
when she was appointed. Thirteen of the Bahá'ís had already been
appointed Hand of the Cause when they visited. The title of Disciple of
'Abdu'l-Bahá was conferred upon Dr. George Augur (1853-1927) by the
Guardian as reported in Vol. III (1928-1930) of The Bahá'í
World.
As mentioned previously, C.M. Remey
visited Japan in 1909. He was appointed to the rank of Hand of the Cause in
1951. He was expelled from the Faith in disgrace a few years
later.
Dr. Augur came in June 1914 for the first
time and Miss Alexander also for the first time in November 1914; Miss Martha
Root in 1915 and three times after that: in 1923 she spent two weeks, in 1930
she spent two months, and in June 1937 three weeks. After that, Mr. Siegfried
Schopflocher in 1927; Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler spent six weeks in Japan in 1931.
Mr. Zikrullah Khadem came twice, the first time in 1953 for one month, and the
second in 1955 for two months, when his wife accompanied him. He was the first
designated Hand of the Cause to visit Japan. He represented the Guardian at the
Nikko Conference. Mr. Jalal Khazeh also came twice, the first time in 1957 when
he represented the Guardian at the first Annual Convention of the
Bahá'ís of North East Asia. Mr. Shu'a'u'llah Ala'i came once in
1959 and Dr. Rahmatu'llah Muhajir visited Japan often (19 or 20 times), the
first time being in 1961. Aside from Miss Alexander, Dr. Muhajir spent the most
time in Japan of any of the Hands of the Cause.
Mr. A.Q. Faizi came several times, the
first time in 1963. Mr. Collis Featherstone came several times, the first time
in 1965. Mr. Tarazu'llah Samandari came once in 1966; Mr. Paul Haney came once
in 1967; and Mr. John Robarts came once in 1968. Mr. Ali-Akbar Furutan came four
times, the first time was in 1969. He also represented the Universal House of
Justice at the North Pacific Oceanic Conference in Sapporo September, 1971. Mr.
Enoch Olinga came once in 1970 and Mr. William Sears, with his wife, came once
in 1974 to represent the Universal House of Justice at the first Annual
Convention of the Bahá'ís of Japan. Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhiyyih
Khanum came twice, the first time was for a week in 1977; the second time a year
later for nine weeks.
Five Universal House of Justice members
have visited Japan; one before he was a member and one after. Mr. Glenford
Mitchell came to Japan in October 1970 to
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1965. Two Hands of the Cause, Dr.
Rahmatu'llah Muhajir, third from the left, and Miss Agnes Alexander, rear
second from the right, meet with the National Spiritual Assembly of North East
Asia. Front: Mr. Masazo Odani, Dr. Ikuo Mizuno, Dr. Muhajir, Mr. Rouhollah
Mumtazi, Mr. Eugene Schreiber, and Mr. Philip Marangella. Rear: Mr. Ataullah
Moghbel, Mrs. Barbara Sims, Miss Alexander, and Mr. Abbas Katirai. Missing NSA
member is Mr. Hiroshi Yamazaki. The friends are facing the garden in the rear of
the old National Hazíratu'l-Quds building in Tokyo.
attend the World Conference on Religion
and Peace in Kyoto, representing the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States, of which he was then secretary. Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam came to Japan in
1977 and again in 1987 with his wife. Both times he met with the National
Spiritual Assembly representing the Universal House of Justice. Dr. and Mrs.
David Ruhe came to Japan on a personal visit in 1986. Mr. David Hofman came on a
personal visit in February 1990 after he had retired from the Universal House of
Justice. Dr. Peter Khan visited in 1994 with his wife, Janet. All of these
visitors held meetings at the Tokyo Bahá'í
Center.
During Mr. Khadem's visit in 1953 he
tried to personally meet every Bahá'í in Japan, who, at that time,
numbered about 30 not counting the American servicemen. The Tokyo Local
Spiritual Assembly prepared for him a public meeting in December 1953 at the
YMCA. Mr. Khadem also met with the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly, there being
no National Assembly at that time. He was also present at the dedication of the
Amagasaki Bahá'í Center.
During Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhiyyih
Khanum's nine-week visit in 1978 meetings were planned around the country so as
to be within easy traveling distance of all Bahá'ís, thereby
giving every Bahá'í in Japan an opportunity to meet her. One of
the gatherings was a two-day meeting to which all the pioneers were invited -
only English was used.
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Miss Agnes Alexander, who had left Japan
in 1937, returned in May 1950 at the Guardian's urging and took up residence in
Tokyo. She was elected to the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly in 1951 and 1952.
With the Guardian's approval she left Tokyo to live in Kyoto in 1952. She was
appointed Auxiliary Board Member for the Hands of the Cause in Asia in May 1954.
In March 1957 after the passing of Hand of the Cause Mr. George Townshend,
Shoghi Effendi appointed Miss Alexander to that esteemed rank.
Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh and her husband,
Rafi, first visited Japan in 1953 and 1954 and also later. In 1961 Mrs.
Mottahedeh was elected to the International Council, the institution the
Guardian called "the forerunner of the supreme administrative institution [The
Universal House of Justice]." When the International Council was first formed in
1951 it was appointed by the Guardian.
Mr. Bernard Leach is well-known in Japan
as one of the foremost potters of his time. He influenced a return to the
Japanese folk craft art in the 1920s and 30s and he, in turn, was influenced by
Japanese art. His booklet My Religious Faith, which he printed personally
mainly to give to his friends, was one of the most popular pamphlets among
Japanese Bahá'ís. His main pottery business was in England but he
made many trips to Japan, often overseeing exhibitions of his pottery. He often
spoke at meetings arranged by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo, always
successful. At one time he spoke about art and the Bahá'í Faith to
an audience of 250 persons, which was a record attendance for a meeting
sponsored by the Assembly in Tokyo. Usually the only way the
Bahá'ís could get so large an audience was to join in another
organization's program, such as a United Nations meeting. But the name Bernard
Leach could draw such an audience. Usually he gave his talks in English, which
were translated into Japanese, but sometimes he forgot and would lapse into
Japanese, which he had learned through the years of association with Japan's
foremost potters.
Mr. Leach attended meetings and Feasts at
the Tokyo Bahá'í Center during his trips to Japan in the 1950s and
60s. He also came in the 1970s but at that time he was partially blind and could
not get around by himself. His last visit was in the late 1970s. In 1966 the
Japanese government awarded Mr. Leach the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Second
Class and in 1974 the Japan Foundation Cultural Award. He died in England in
1979.
Tokyo, a crossroads in Asia, has had many
Bahá'í visitors through the years, some well-known and some not. A
few names that come to mind: Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Christian, Dr. Dwight Allen,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bishop, Mrs. Gertrude Blum, Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, Mr. and
Mrs. Rex Collison and Mr. and Mrs. Jamshed Fozdar. Meetings were always planned,
even on short notice. Tokyo has immeasurably benefited over the years from the
presence of these many souls.
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This photo, taken in 1965, shows some
of the Tokyo Bahá'ís who are mentioned in the text. Sitting: Mr.
Philip Marangella and Mrs. Ayako Ogi. Standing: Mr. Hiroyasu Takano, Mr.
Hideyasu Takashima and Mr. Tameo Hongo.
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Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum
meets some Bahá'í women at the Tokyo Hazíratu'l-Quds in
1978. Front: Mrs. Marife Yazdani, Miss Machiko Iwasaki, unknown, Mieko Suzuki,
Miss Yuko Nakajima holding Layli Schwerin, and Miss Tomo Fushimi. Standing: Mrs.
Kimiko Schwerin, Ruhiyyih Khanum, Mrs. Haruko Hayashi, Mrs. Toshiko Seki, Mrs.
Chiyo Suzuki, Miss Hiroko Nakajima, and Rieko Suzuki.
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1987 at the Tokyo
Hazíratu'l-Quds Universal House of Justice member Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam
meets with the National Spiritual Assembly of Japan, accompanied by two
Counsellors. It was the second trip to Japan by Mr. Fatheazam to meet with the
National Spiritual Assembly. The first time was in 1977.
Seated: Counsellor Michitoshi
Zenimoto, Mrs. Barbara Sims, Miss Nobuko Iwakura, Mr. Fatheazam, Miss Tomo
Fushimi, Counsellor Rouhollah Mumtazi. Standing: Mr. Hiroyasu Takano, Miss Yoko
Ishihara, Dr. Toshio Suzuki, Mr. Yuzo Yamaguchi, Mr. Yuichi Hirano, and Mr.
Abbas Katirai. In later years Miss Iwakura and Mr. Katirai were to be appointed
to the Continental Board of Counsellors; Miss Iwakura for Japan and Mr. Katirai
for Russia.
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Chapter 12 Chapter 14
