Aoyama Gaikokujin Bochi(Tokyo Aoyama Foreign Cemetery)

October 12, 2013

I went to Aoyama Cemetery first time. It is a huge place . It must be four to five times larger than the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. The governor of Tokyo decided to keep the foreign section as a historical spot. There are the graves of missionaries, scholars, and doctors who came to Tokyo and devoted their lives for Japanese and Asian modernization.
As I went to the cemetery with the Quakers( officially Tokyo Yearly meeting of "Christian" Society of Friends)(in America they are called the Religious Organization of Friends because you don' t have to be Christians, happened to be mostly Christians). The ceremony is conducted by three other churches, namely Akasaka Kyoukai, Izumi Kyoukai, and Hongou Kyoukai with the Quakers. The founder of those churches were a Quaker and a doctor and father in law of Lord Katsu Kashu's son and Katsu himself became a member in the time of his death. So the grave was erected by Lord Katsu with his signature.
 After being introduced to the group as a director of Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery,
I had a chance of talking to the ministers of the churches and found out that they see Quakers as a lay Christian organization. In a sense it is true and reminded me of the Japanese Buddhist lay organization(信徒集団）. They are SoukaGakkai. I see a good contrast between the two.
SoukaGakkai based on their organizational structure of the Imperial Japanese Army whereas the Quakers based on democratic consensus structure. And today Soukla Gakkai or Koumei Party looks very middle path and pacifist is a sign that Japan is becoming authoritarian militant base. But let's face it, Japanese history has a  long military rule--Bakufu system and Meiji Fukoku Kyouhei system.
I think it is very hard for these 65 Quakers(if one increase in December it will be 66)to survive in this militant base going to be authoritarian state in future.
I am a realist and not an idealist but feel that there must be a Christian silence- belief, listening to your inner self and talking with Him in silence.
gto