Chapter 7 Chapter 9
8
The First Postwar Local Spiritual
Assemblies
In June 1948 there were eleven
Bahá'ís in Tokyo, including one youth, Mr. Naoki Yoshino, who was
a "Manchurian Nisei" (according to Mr. Imagire), attending Tokyo University of
Commerce. The group knew that a Local Spiritual Assembly could only be formed on
April 21 but they were very eager and decided to elect a temporary Assembly. On
June 19, at the Shinagawa Girls' School, where Mrs. Urushi was principal, the
eleven Bahá'ís assembled and elected the following members: Mr.
Goro Horioka, chairman; Mrs. Masako Urushi, vice-chairman; Mr. Shozo Kadota (a
21-year-old student of law at Tokyo University), recording secretary; Miss
Fumiko Kondo, corresponding secretary; Miss Minori Inagaki, treasurer; Mr. Daiun
Inouye; Mr. Sempo Ito; and two other Bahá'ís. They did not elect
Robert Imagire to the first Local Spiritual Assembly as they said they were
keeping him, as the pioneer, "in reserve." In later years Miss Fusae Ichige
could not recall clearly but thought that she and Miss Shigeko Nakanishi were
also elected to that Assembly as they and Miss Kondo and Miss Inagaki, the two
who were elected, were close friends and attended everything together. Miss
Inagaki was an office worker for an automobile company. Miss Kondo worked for
the Shinagawa Ward office. Miss Ichige and Miss Nakanishi were both dressmakers
at that time. Miss Ichige went on to become a teacher of ikebana
(flower-arrangement) in later years.
Miss Alexander's old friends Rev. Sempo
Ito and Mr. Daiun Inouye were among the early Bahá'ís who could be
found in Tokyo. Mr. Keiji Sawada and Mrs. Antoinette Naganuma were also in
Tokyo. The latter two had been active as Bahá'ís in the 1930s;
however in the later years they did not consider themselves
Bahá'ís although they met with the believers on a social
basis.
Other Bahá'ís in Japan
were: Mr. Tokujiro Torii who was from Tokyo but was now a teacher at the School
for the Blind in Kyoto; Mr. Saichiro Fujita in Yanai, Yamaguchi Prefecture; and
Mr. Yoshio Tanaka in Chiba. Mrs. Ito Torii, wife of Mr. Tokujiro Torii, was not
mentioned and it is not known if she was considered to be a Bahá'í
at that time. However, Mrs. Torii was on Bahá'í lists in the
mid-1950s.
Even though the Tokyo Assembly election
in 1948 was not on the proper date the Guardian responded with a letter written
on his behalf dated September 21, 1948:
"To know that a Spiritual Assembly of all
Japanese believers was formed in Tokyo greatly inspired him [the Guardian]. This
is a historic and wonderful achievement. At present it might seem to people of
the world that these few devoted souls are insignificant when compared to the
millions of people residing in Japan - but we who have recognized the Power of
Bahá'u'lláh, and that His teaching is God's Message to men in this
day, know that the seed of the Tree of Life has at last germinated in your land,
and that it will grow to overshadow all those who dwell in the islands of
Japan.
27
"The love of the Japanese people for
truth and beauty is very great, and our Guardian feels sure that gradually many
souls will become attracted to the Cause of God through your persevering and
devoted labours.
"Your loyalty and determination touches
him deeply, and he assures you all that for each one of you he will pray for
guidance and blessings. He urges you to work together for the Cause as one soul
in different bodies, and show by your love and unity what a force lies in our
Faith for the regeneration of mankind."
click here for larger image
Local Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Tokyo 1950-1951
Local Spiritual Assemblies were
elected in 1948 and 1949 but left no photos that we can find. This is the first
photo we have of a postwar Assembly. Seated: Miss Fusae Ichige, Mr. Goro
Horioka, Miss Shigeko Nakanishi. Standing: Mr. Robert Imagire, Mr. Kinya Saito, Mr.
Toshio Hirohashi, Mr. Naoki Yoshino, Mr. Yoshiharu Kato, and Mr. Shozo Kadota.
Mr. Imagire, an American of Japanese ancestry, was the first postwar pioneer to
Japan. He arrived in 1947 after being encouraged by the Guardian. There were
also Bahá'ís attached to the United States Armed Forces in Japan
at the time.
28
[in the Guardian's
handwriting]
"Dear and valued
co-workers:
I was thrilled by your message and I
greatly value the sentiments it expressed. I urge you to persevere and be
confident, and labour unitedly for the spread of the Faith and the formation of
new centres, however small, in the vicinity of your capital. I will, from all my
heart, supplicate for you divine guidance and blessings, that your historic work
may flourish, your numbers increase and your highest hopes be fulfilled in
service of His glorious Faith.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi"
click here for larger image
A meeting in Tokyo probably in late
1950 or in 1951. Front: Miss Alexander, Miss Ichige, Miss Shigeko Nakanishi, and
Mr. Shozo Kadota. Standing: unknown, Lt. Lane Skelton, Miss Fumiko Kondo, next
two unknown. Although the names of three of the U.S. servicemen are unknown,
their support and that of others in the U.S. Armed Forces was very important to
the Faith in postwar Japan. The Guardian had words of praise for the activities
of the Bahá'í servicemen in Japan and Korea.
There is a report of a three-day
religious conference in Tokyo in September of that year, 1948. Mr. Horioka, the
chairman of the Assembly, was invited to speak on the Bahá'í Faith
during the last day of this conference. Also during the same month a
Bahá'í public meeting was held which was attended by 35 persons,
including the vice-chairman of UNESCO in Japan and the editor of the Yomiuri
Press.
The next year, 1949, a Local Spiritual
Assembly was elected in Tokyo but we cannot find information as to the
membership except that Mr. Goro Horioka was chairman. There is evidence that Mr.
Shozo Kadota was also on the Assembly as secretary. A report shows that there
were 14 Bahá'ís at the time.
29
There is a photograph of the 1950 Local
Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo. The members were Mr. Robert Imagire, Mr. Kinya
Saito, Mr. Toshio Hirohashi, Mr. Naoki Yoshino, Mr. Yoshiharu Kato, Mr. Shozo
Kadota, Mr. Goro Horioka, Miss Fusae Ichige and Miss Shigeko Nakanishi, a
dressmaker, who also worked at night as a telephone operator for a hotel.
Nevertheless she was as active in the affairs of the Faith as she was able to
be, according to Mr. Imagire.
Miss Alexander, at the Guardian's
suggestion, came back to Japan in May of that year. It was difficult to obtain a
visa as Japan was under American Occupation but one of the friends, Lt. Jacob
Davenport, sponsored her. She stayed in Tokyo for two years.
After she returned to Japan Miss
Alexander spent a week in Kyoto with Mr. and Mrs. Torii, whom she had not seen
for thirteen years. She quickly returned to her active life in Japan. That year
she was invited to speak about the Faith at the Unitarian Church in Tokyo three
times and she again made contact with the Esperantists.
In 1951 the membership of the Tokyo Local
Spiritual Assembly was as follows: Mr. Robert Imagire, chairman; Mr. Goro
Horioka, vice-chairman; Miss Fusae Ichige, recording secretary; Mr. Naoki
Yoshino, corresponding secretary; Miss Shigeko Nakanishi, treasurer; Lt. Lane
Skelton (with the U.S. Armed Forces); Mrs. Barbara Davenport (whose husband was
with the U.S. Air Force); Miss Agnes Alexander; and Mr. Shozo Kadota. In July of
that year Mr. Kadota left the country (he was assigned abroad in the diplomatic
service) and Mr. Kinya Saito was elected to fill the vacancy.
The community was quite active. They had
regular Assembly meetings, Feasts and Holy Days. They appointed several
committees, made 50 mimeographed copies of a much needed prayer book (it sold
for 30 yen) and had at least two farewell parties, one for Mr. Kadota and one
for Miss Alexander, who was expected to leave Tokyo to move to Kyoto. They had a
birthday party for one of the members, Mrs. Davenport. They had study classes
for new Bahá'ís and sponsored several public
meetings.
On World Religion Day, January 20, 1952
the Tokyo Assembly sponsored a public meeting at the YMCA, with an audience of
thirty people. Miss Alexander was the featured speaker, her talk was translated
by Mr. Tameo Hongo, who worked in the Foreign Ministry. He had become a
Bahá'í in 1951. Publicity had been given in English and Japanese
newspapers.
In March 1952 the first official youth
meeting was held at the Shinagawa Girls' High School. Miss Ichige was the
chairman of the meeting and Mr. Yuji Kikuchi the speaker, and a young American
serviceman, Miles Mahan, also spoke. About 12 people attended the
meeting.
At that time we can find the names of 14
Japanese Bahá'ís in Tokyo, two American pioneers, Mr. Imagire and
Miss Alexander, and 4 Americans attached to the U.S. Armed
Forces.
30
In 1951 the Tokyo Local Spiritual
Assembly mimeographed fifty copies of this prayer book which contained nine
prayers. It seems to have been the first prayer book in
Japanese.
In April 1952 the Assembly
elected was as follows: Mr. Robert Imagire, chairman; Lt. Lane Skelton,
vice-chairman; Miss Fusae Ichige, recording secretary; Mr. Tameo Hongo,
corresponding secretary; Mr. Goro Horioka, treasurer; Mr. Naoki Yoshino; Mr.
David Earl; Mrs. Joy Earl; and Miss Agnes Alexander. Mr. and Mrs. Earl, pioneers
to Japan, had arrived in March. He had a position teaching at Meiji University.
The Assembly meetings were usually held
once a month and Feasts and Holy Days were always observed. The Assembly
appointed eight committees that year: a Teaching Committee; an Extension
Teaching Committee; a Feast Committee; a Library Committee; an Archives
Committee; a Translation Committee; a Publicity Committee; and the Youth
Committee. According to the minutes, all were working. In July 1952 the Assembly
sent a letter to the Guardian in which they gave the following statistics for
Tokyo: 17 Japanese Bahá'ís; four American pioneers, Mr. and Mrs.
Earl, Miss Alexander and Mr. Imagire; and eight American Bahá'ís
attached to the U.S. Armed Forces. The Assembly also mentioned six Japanese
Bahá'ís living in other areas of Japan.
31
Their minutes were full of positive
action. For example, in June they decided to make official membership cards.
Then they decided upon a one-day teaching conference; discussed obtaining books
for their library; and discussed donating to the fund and translation
projects.
Extension teaching was being done in
Yokohama and Kofu. In July the first meeting was held in Yokohama with Joy Earl
speaking and Robert Imagire translating, with eight inquirers and five
Bahá'ís present. A report states that 16 people attended another
meeting in Yokohama. In July there was a public meeting at the YMCA with Miss
Ichige as the speaker, Mr. Hongo the chairman and Mr. Imagire the translator
into English.
In August there was a youth picnic
enjoyed by 20 young people; Bahá'ís and their
friends.
In September of that year an Esperanto
Congress was held in Kyoto, with about 300 Esperantists attending. Miss
Alexander attended as a Bahá'í Esperantist and presented greetings
from the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Tokyo. Miss
Alexander moved to Kyoto that year.
In February 1953 Mr. Imagire left Japan
to visit his family in the United States. He returned to Japan the next year. In
March, Mrs. Mignon Witzel, whose husband was in the U.S. Army, was elected to
the LSA to fill the vacancy.
A Bahá'í public meeting
sponsored by the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly was held at the YMCA on World
Religion Day, January 20, 1952. Miss Alexander is speaking with Mr. Tameo Hongo
translating. The meeting was given publicity in newspapers in both Japanese and
English and brought about 30 people.
In 1953 the Tokyo Local Spiritual
members elected were: Mr. Tameo Hongo, chairman; Mr. David Earl, vice-chairman;
Miss Fusae Ichige, corresponding secretary; Mr. Goro Horioka, treasurer; Mrs.
Yuri Furukawa; Mr. Shozo Kadota; Lt.
32
Col. John McHenry; Mrs. Elizabeth McHenry;
and Miss Shigeko Nakanishi. Mrs. Yuri Mochizuki Furukawa, who had been living in
China for several years, was back in Tokyo helping with the Bahá'í
work. Lt. Col. and Mrs. McHenry left Japan in September of that year and in a
by-election Mr. Yadollah Rafaat, an Iranian pioneer, and Mr. J. Sandusky, an
American serviceman, were elected. Mr. Sandusky left Japan and Mr. Yuzo
Yamaguchi was elected to fill the vacancy. Mr. Earl moved out of Tokyo and Mr.
Philip Marangella, a new American pioneer to Japan, was elected to the Local
Spiritual Assembly.
In March 1952, the first
Bahá'í youth meeting was held at the Shinagawa Girls' High School.
Mr. Yuji Kikuchi (left) was the speaker, Miss Fusae Ichige, the chairman, and
American serviceman Miles Mahan also spoke. Miss Ichige recalls that about 12
people attended.
33
The LSA appointed several committees: a
Feast Committee; a Teaching Committee; an Extension Teaching Committee; a
Translation Committee; a Publishing Committee; a News Committee; a Library
Committee; a Youth Committee; and an Archives Committee. It seems as though all
the Bahá'ís in Tokyo were on one committee or another. According
to the Local Spiritual Assembly minutes the committees were quite
active.
The Assembly had weekly firesides, at
Mrs. Furukawa's and Mr. Rafaat's, and deepening classes, and was doing extension
teaching in Kofu, Yokohama and Kyoto. There were nine isolated believers and a
group was listed later in the year in Amagasaki, in the Kansai region, where Mr.
Noureddin Mumtazi had donated a house to be the local Bahá'í
Center, the first Hazíratu'l-Quds in Japan.
In November 1953 Hand of the Cause Mr.
Khadem visited Japan and other Asian countries. He had just attended the Asian
Teaching Conference in India. Among the meetings organized for him by the Local
Spiritual Assembly was a public meeting at the Unity Church in Tokyo with about
forty people present. Mr. Khadem spoke on World Unity, with Mr. Hongo
translating.
According to a report, Mr. Khadem also
went to Amagasaki to dedicate the Bahá'í Center.
In 1953 Mr. Rafi and Mrs. Mildred
Mottahedeh visited Japan for the first time, and at least twice after that. Mrs.
Mottahedeh was elected to the International Bahá'í Council in
1961.
In 1953 the Ten Year Crusade, which
constituted the third and final stage of the initial epoch in the evolution of
'Abdu'l-Bahá's teaching Plan, was launched by Shoghi Effendi, the
Guardian of the Faith. There were several goals which involved
Japan:
* to consolidate the Faith in
Japan
* to incorporate the Local Spiritual
Assembly of Tokyo
* to elect a National Spiritual Assembly,
and incorporate it
* to establish a National
Endowment
* to establish a National
Hazíratu'l-Quds in Tokyo
There were also expansion
goals.
That was quite a task for the
Bahá'ís, who at that time numbered only about 30 total, not
including American Bahá'ís attached to the U.S. Armed
Forces.
A word should be said about those
Americans. They were usually stationed in the Tokyo area for a year or two.
Those who made the effort to find the Tokyo Bahá'ís and involve
themselves in activities were usually young, devoted, active and eager to help
in any way. The Guardian had words of praise for the Bahá'í
American servicemen in both Japan and Korea during those years.
In April 1954 members of the Tokyo Local
Spiritual Assembly elected were: Mr. Tameo Hongo, chairman; Mr. Hiroyasu Takano,
a businessman, vice-chairman; Miss Fusae Ichige, recording secretary; Mr. Robert
Imagire, corresponding secretary; Mr. Goro Horioka, treasurer; Mrs. Barbara R.
Sims, a new pioneer to Japan; Mr. Yadollah Rafaat; Mr. Yuzo Yamaguchi; and Mrs.
Yuri Furukawa.
34
Mr. Imagire, who had returned to Japan in
March, was elected to the LSA in April. However, he left Tokyo in June to live
in Kansai and Miss Kotoko Mochizuki (unrelated to Mrs. Yuri Mochizuki Furukawa)
was elected to fill the vacancy on the Tokyo LSA. Also Mrs. Barbara Sims was
then elected as corresponding secretary.
The 1954 LSA appointed eight committees:
a National Teaching Committee; an Extension Teaching Committee; a Feast
Committee; a Translation Committee; a Library Committee; a Publishing Committee;
an Archives Committee; and a Youth Committee. The Teaching Committee was called
the National Teaching Committee as it had the responsibility of teaching
throughout Japan, in keeping with the LSA of Tokyo functioning as an National
Assembly, as directed by the Guardian. It also kept records of membership from
all over Japan and met often with the goal of spreading the Faith to
far-reaching areas. That year there was a regular weekly fireside at Mr.
Rafaat's house and a weekly deepening class at Mrs. Sims'. The Tokyo
Bahá'ís sponsored a well attended meeting every month in Yokohama
as part of a goal to spread the Faith to outlying areas. The Guardian had
mentioned that the Faith should spread out from Tokyo so various cities were
designated as extension goals.
That same year, during the summer, a
two-day national teaching conference organized by the National Teaching
Committee of the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly was held in Atami, the first
time such a conference had been attempted in Japan. About 30 people attended,
half were Japanese and the rest American and Iranian pioneers. It was
stimulating for all the Bahá'ís to get together. In April of that
year the second Local Spiritual Assembly in Japan was elected, in Hyogo
Prefecture. So for the first time Japan had two Local Spiritual Assemblies.
Until that time Tokyo was the only Local Spiritual Assembly in the North East
Pacific, the nearest being Singapore.
Mr. Takano, who was elected to the Local
Spiritual Assembly in April 1954, had returned to Tokyo in March of that year
after a year abroad in the United States, England and Germany, during which time
he became a Bahá'í. He was encouraged to request a pilgrimage to
Haifa on his way back to Japan. It was granted in February and he became the
only Japanese Bahá'í aside from Saichiro Fujita to meet the
Guardian.
The 1954 Local Spiritual Assembly started
the process for obtaining official registration (incorporation) of the
Bahá'í Faith. Incorporation status was granted April 22 of the
next year, 1955. Incorporation of the Faith was an important goal for various
countries during the Ten Year Crusade.
On May 1, 1954 Miss Alexander was
appointed an Auxiliary Board Member by the Hands of the Cause in Asia. She was
living in Kyoto at the time. This was the first appointment of an Auxiliary
Board Member in Japan and it brought Japan closer to the Hands of the Cause in
Asia, who were based in Teheran, Iran.
In July 1954 statistics given were that
Bahá'ís resided in 15 localities in 10 prefectures with a total of
52 believers. Twenty of them resided in Tokyo.
The Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly
appointed a committee to try to find a
35
suitable building which could become a
Hazíratu'l-Quds. In December 1954 the Assembly purchased Mr. Rafaat's
house in Shinjuku Ward for that purpose and another goal of the Ten Year Crusade
was accomplished.
In December 1954 the Tokyo Community had
a commemoration party at a hotel for Miss Agnes Alexander, as it had been 40
years since her initial arrival in Japan. The LSA chairman, Mr. Hongo, was
master of ceremonies at the party. Miss Alexander's old friends and contacts
were invited, many of them speaking of her with admiration and affection. Miss
Alexander spoke of the early days of the Faith in Tokyo.
click here for larger image
Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo
elected April 1954
Seated: Miss Kotoko Mochizuki; Mrs.
Barbara Sims, secretary; Mrs. Yuri Furukawa; and Miss Fusae Ichige, recording
secretary. Standing: Mr. Hiroyasu Takano, vice-chairman; Mr. Yadollah Rafaat;
Mr. Tameo Hongo, chairman; Mr. Goro Horioka, treasurer; and Mr. Yuzo Yamaguchi.
In 1955 the members of the Tokyo Local
Spiritual Assembly were as follows: Mr. Tameo Hongo, chairman; Mr. Hiroyasu
Takano, vice-chairman; Miss Kotoko Mochizuki, recording secretary; Mrs. Barbara
Sims, corresponding secretary; Lt. Lawrence Hamilton, a newly arrived American
serviceman, treasurer; Mrs. Virginia Hamilton, Lt. Hamilton's wife; Mrs. Yuri
Furukawa; Mr. Yuzo Yamaguchi; and Miss Lecile Webster, who was attached to the
U.S. Embassy. During the year Mr. Hongo
36
resigned from the LSA as he was assigned
overseas by the Foreign Office. In a by-election Mr. Haruo Nekomoto was elected
to fill the vacancy. Mr. Takano then became chairman and Mr. Yamaguchi
vice-chairman.
In April 1955 there were 26
Bahá'ís in Tokyo, which included four Americans. There were 63
Bahá'ís in Japan in fourteen localities.
In August 1955 Bahá'ís were
invited to participate in the Conference of World Religionists which was held in
Tokyo with some sessions in other cities. Mr. David Earl was the
Bahá'í representative, with Miss Alexander and Mr. Marangella also
attending. Present at the conference was Rev. Michio Kozaki, whose father was
the interpreter for 'Abdu'l-Bahá when He spoke to a Japanese audience in
Oakland, California in 1912.
In September 1955 the Asian Regional
Teaching Conference was held in Nikko, Japan. The conference was sponsored by
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United
States but hosted by the LSA of Tokyo. It was the first such conference in Asia.
It was to have far-reaching effects, not only for Japan but for all of Asia. It
was the 1954 and 1955 Tokyo Local Spiritual Assemblies that made all the
arrangements. An effort was made to assist every Japanese believer to attend and
19 of the 39 Japanese believers in Japan at that time were able to attend.
Nearly all of the American and Iranian pioneers attended as did several
Bahá'ís from other countries.
click here for larger image
Local Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Tokyo 1955-1956
Seated: Miss Kotoko Mochizuki,
recording secretary; Mr. Yuzo Yamaguchi; Miss Lecile Webster; Mr. Tameo Hongo,
chairman; and Mrs. Yuri Mochizuki Furukawa. Standing: Mrs. Virginia Hamilton;
Mrs. Barbara Sims, corresponding secretary; Mr. Hiroyasu Takano, vice-chairman;
and Lt. Lawrence Hamilton, treasurer.
37
Hand of the Cause Mr. Khadem, who was the
Guardian's representative, and his wife, took part in the conference. After the
conference Mr. Khadem met with the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly and he
stressed that translating and printing literature in Japanese should take
precedence.
In November 1955 a letter written on
behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
commented on the Teaching Conference in Nikko. He was "delighted" with the
results of the conference. He also stated that the help of the American
Bahá'ís was essential and that he hoped it would not be necessary
for any of them to leave Japan. The American pioneers were uplifted by Shoghi
Effendi's words.
On the advice of Mr. Khadem the Assembly
decided to appoint a National Treasurer which it could do, because according to
the Guardian's direction, the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly was acting as a
National Spiritual Assembly. Iranian pioneer Mr. Noureddin Mumtazi, who lived in
Kobe, was appointed. He was also actively helping to get more
Bahá'í books published in Japanese.
The Assembly that year appointed five
committees: a Translation Committee; a Teaching Committee; a Library/Archives
Committee; a Publishing Committee; and a Feast Committee. In an effort to
expand, two firesides a month were held in Yokohama. Weekly deepening classes
were held at the home of Mrs. Sims, and the usual fireside which was held at the
Bahá'í Center. That year the first teaching was done in Nagasaki
arranged by Miss Inatsuka who had relatives in that city.
The Tokyo Assembly wrote to the Guardian
in 1955 asking for permission to change the boundaries where Local Spiritual
Assemblies could be formed. As mentioned before, in 1954 a Local Spiritual
Assembly was formed in a prefecture, but it was felt that this was too large a
jurisdiction. The change was approved, and from 1956 the area of jurisdiction
would be the shi (city), machi (town), and mura (village). Activities outside of
those areas would be handled by the National Teaching Committee. This was
similar to the situation in other countries.
On September 26, 1955 the Tokyo
Hazíratu'l-Quds was officially dedicated. Miss Linfoot, who represented
the NSA of the United States at the Nikko Conference, was still in Japan and she
participated along with 40 other persons.
In 1955 Saichiro Fujita left Japan to
reside again in the Holy Land after an absence of 17 years. During those years
he lived with relatives in Yanai, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Tokyo friends had a
farewell party for him.
In January 1956, 27 believers were
reported in Tokyo and the Faith was growing in other areas. At that time there
were 69 believers scattered in 16 localities in Honshu and one in
Kyushu.
In March a Naw-Rúz meeting was
held at the Kudan Kaikan, a meeting hall in the Kudan district, at which Mrs.
Furukawa and Mrs. Earl spoke.
The Faith grew considerably nationally,
especially during the next year, as a result of more teaching by the Japanese
friends and the American and Iranian pioneers. At that time few, if any,
pioneers could speak Japanese so they relied on
38
Japanese believers to help them teach the
Faith. Classes and/or firesides were being held in ten cities. Indeed, the Faith
was expanding outside of Tokyo.
The 1956 Local Spiritual Assembly members
were: Mr. Shozo Kadota, chairman; Lt. Lawrence Hamilton,
vice-chairman/treasurer; Mrs. Barbara Sims, corresponding secretary; Miss Kotoko
Mochizuki, recording secretary; Mr. Haruo Nekomoto; Miss Yukiko Inatsuka; Miss
Yoko Majima; Mrs. Jean Eaton, whose husband was with the U.S. Armed Forces; and
Mrs. Virginia Hamilton.
At Ridván 1956 the LSA of Hyogo
Prefecture was disbanded and a total of eight Local Spiritual Assemblies, with
cities as the areas of jurisdiction, were elected or formed by joint
declaration. They all made their reports to the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly
which had responsibility for all of Japan until the next Ridván when the
new National Spiritual Assembly would be elected.
The 1956 Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly
had to make most of the plans for the historic first National Convention of the
Bahá'ís of North East Asia, which was to take place at
Ridván 1957. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
corresponded frequently with Tokyo about this important coming event, helping
with the preparations.
In October 1956 the Bahá'ís
were invited to participate in the International Congress of World Fellowship of
Faiths in Tokyo. It was inaugurated by the Vice-President of India, Mr.
Radhakrishnan. The Bahá'í Faith was represented by two Tokyo
members, Mr. Marangella and Lt. Hamilton, but the conference was attended by a
total of twelve Bahá'ís at different times.
In October 1956 there were 28
Bahá'ís in Tokyo; a total of 120 throughout Japan in 22
localities.
In January 1957 the Tokyo/Yokohama
Bahá'ís started a 9-week study class to prepare themselves for
more effective participation in the formation of the new National Spiritual
Assembly. Nine to 16 Bahá'ís attended the class. In March of that
year there was a total of 138 believers in Japan, in 24 localities, including 29
Bahá'ís in Tokyo.
In April 1957 members elected to the
Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly were: Mr. Hiroyasu Takano, chairman; Mrs. Barbara
Sims, secretary; Mr. Yadollah Rafaat, treasurer; Mr. Haruo Nekomoto; Miss Kotoko
Mochizuki; Mr. Frederick Suhm, an American civilian attached to the U.S. Armed
Forces; Miss Yukiko Inatsuka; Mr. Philip Marangella; and Mr. Shozo Kadota. One
of the goals of the Ten Year Crusade was to elect a Regional Spiritual Assembly
(also referred to as a National Spiritual Assembly) for North East Asia, with
its seat in Tokyo (see Ch. 10). The 1956 and 1957 Tokyo Local Spiritual
Assembly, in collaboration with the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States, worked very diligently to bring about this important advance of the
Faith in Asia.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo had
been valiantly serving all of Japan
39
and, before the election of the new
National Assembly, corresponding with the other countries which would be a part
of the new North East Asia jurisdiction. But it happily turned over the files
and responsibility for the area to the new National Assembly. Interestingly
enough, four members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo were elected to
the new National Spiritual Assembly: Mr. Takano, Mrs. Sims, Mr. Rafaat and Mr.
Marangella. It probably made the transition of responsibility for the Faith in
Japan from the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly to the new National Spiritual
Assembly easier.
As part of the activities of the
convention there was a public meeting at which Miss Charlotte Linfoot,
representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Mr.
William Maxwell, representative from Korea, spoke with the talks summarized by
Mr. Takano, chairman of the Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly. Invitations were
sent out in Japanese and English and it was reported that 70/80 people
attended.
One of the first actions of the new
National Assembly was to assign the continuation of the Japanese Geppo
(monthly news) to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo.
In November 1957 the Bahá'í
world was devastated by the news of the sudden passing of Shoghi Effendi. The
Tokyo Bahá'ís held a commemorative meeting. Despite the loss, the
Bahá'ís turned to the Hands of the Cause for guidance and
continued with their work of establishing and spreading the Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh. The Hands guided the affairs of the Faith until the
election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.
The International Congress of World
Fellowship of Faiths held in Tokyo October 1956. Lt. Lawrence Hamilton and Mr.
Philip Marangella spoke on behalf of the Bahá'ís. Among the
Bahá'ís attending, Mr. Marangella, Mr. Noureddin Mumtazi and Miss
Agnes Alexander can be seen in the front row to the left.
40
The Tokyo LSA continued its teaching
activities in Sendai, Kofu, and helping Yokohama. The teaching was usually done
by pioneers and Japanese believers together. That year in Tokyo three weekly
firesides were held, a weekly deepening class, two Tokyo-Yokohama teaching
conferences, and a children's class, the first for Tokyo, was held twice a
month. Naw-Rúz 1958 was celebrated with a public meeting, at which Mrs.
Earl was the speaker.
1958. Although Tokyo no longer had
national responsibility the Bahá'ís carried on as usual. That year
Local Assembly members were: Mr. Hiroyasu Takano, chairman; Mrs. Joy Earl,
secretary; Mr. Y.A. Rafaat, treasurer; Dr. David Earl (who had by this time
received his doctorate from Columbia University in New York); Miss Yukiko
Inatsuka; Miss Kotoko Mochizuki; Miss Yoko Majima; Mr. Haruo Nekomoto; and Mrs.
Barbara Sims.
In October there were 34
Bahá'ís in Tokyo. During the year there were two weekly firesides,
three well attended public meetings and three joint meetings with the Yokohama
community.
That year the Tokyo LSA started a Public
Meeting Practice class for Bahá'ís to learn how to speak
publicly.
Mrs. Shirin Fozdar from Singapore visited
Japan in August of that year. The Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly planned a
public meeting for her at Kudan Kaikan to which 50 people came.
click here for larger image
1954. This was the first teaching
conference in Japan. About 40 Bahá'ís attended, half were Japanese
and the rest American and Iranian pioneers. It was held at Atami, an oceanside
resort near Tokyo, and lasted two days. Miss Alexander can be seen wearing a
hat.
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click here for larger image
This photo was taken in early 1954. We
do not know the occasion. Shown are Mr. Robert Imagire, Mr. Y.A. Rafaat,
unknown, Mr. Bernard Leach, Miss Agnes Alexander, unknown, unknown, Mr. Tameo
Hongo, Mr. Philip Marangella, and Miss Kotoko Mochizuki (Honma). Some of the
present old-time Bahá'ís say the unknowns look familiar but they
can't remember the names.
The Naw-Rúz celebration in 1959
consisted of a public meeting to which 70 Bahá'ís and friends
came. Mrs. Earl played the piano and Mr. Kim Kyong Whan, a Korean friend of Miss
Alexander, sang. Mr. Takano spoke about Naw-Rúz.
1959. The Tokyo Local Spiritual Assembly
consisted of: Mr. Takano, chairman; Mrs. Joy Earl, secretary; Mr. Eiichi
Okuhara, treasurer; Mrs. Sims; Miss Inatsuka; Mr. Marangella; Mr. Nekomoto; Miss
Yoko Majima; and Dr. Earl.
There were Bahá'ís in eight
localities in Japan with 25 isolated believers. Tokyo had 38
believers.
That was the year the first
Bahá'í wedding was held in Tokyo (see Ch. 11), although there had
been two Bahá'í weddings earlier in other cities.
Hand of the Cause Mr. Ala'i visited in
late 1959 and had meetings in Tokyo and Kansai. Two meetings were held at the
Tokyo Bahá'í Center. As notification was short only 15
Bahá'ís attended both times. Still that was fairly well attended
for a meeting not regarded as a public meeting. Mr. Ala'i spoke in Persian,
translated into English by Mr. Rafaat, and translated into Japanese by a
Japanese Bahá'i, Mr. Eddie Oji, a member of the Tokyo community. A United
Nations meeting was held at Toshi Center attended by 40 people. The Birthday of
the Báb was commemorated with about 30 people present. Tokyo had
firesides, deepening and study classes and a fireside for women. There was also
a three-month training class for teaching Bahá'ís to be
chairpersons at meetings.
42
One thing noticeable in the activities in
the 1950s is that the Tokyo friends had as many public meetings or parties as
they could in addition to the regular deepening and fireside activities. For
example, every year during the 1950s they had a carefully planned Naw-Rúz
public meeting or party. Instead of the usual public meeting at a hall, the
Naw-Rúz parties of 1956 and 1957 were held at the Sims' home, with food
and interesting talks by Tokyo Bahá'ís, with everyone welcome.
United Nations Day, World Religion Day, etc., were events that were always
celebrated. The same pioneer had a year-end Bahá'í party every
year. All Feasts and Holy Days were observed. These events combined with plenty
of firesides and deepenings classes boded well for the advancement of the Faith
in the Tokyo area especially. There was always some event to attend, to bring
friends to, and this gave a sense of unity and camaraderie which attracted more
people to the Faith.
click here for larger image
Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo,
1956-57
The photo was taken at the old
Bahá'í Center. Front: Miss Yukiko Inatsuka; Miss Yoko Majima; and
Miss Kotoko Mochizuki, recording secretary. Middle. Mrs. Virginia Hamilton; Mrs.
Barbara Sims, corresponding secretary; and Mrs. Jean Eaton. Standing: Mr. Shozo
Kadota, chairman, Mr. Haruo Nekomoto; and Lt. Lawrence Hamilton,
vice-chairman/treasurer.
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Chapter 7 Chapter 9
