Vol. XVII #1April, 2005

NSKK NEWSLETTER
日本聖公会管区事務所だより
NIPPON SEI KO KAI Provincial Office

Editor : E. Hajime Suzuki

65 Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku,

Tel. +81-3-5228-3171

Tokyo 162-0805 JAPANFax +81-3-5228-3175

Ten Years after the Great -Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake- Challenges for
Christian Churches
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Y. Nakamura,
Bishop of Kobe Diocese
Ten years have passed since that great earthquake ﾐ it was like a nightmare. We allheartily grateful for the warm supports given to us by a number of kind-hearted people
throughout the world during these days.
Let ﾕ s recall that terrible moment. As there were a number cracks in the ground, whichcaused the suspension of water, people in Kobe Area were just vacantly watching theirhouses in raging flames; they were suffering from buzzing of ten ﾕ s of aeroplanes andhelicopters which reached to their ears all day long; and they had to realize innumerable
collapsed houses. People who lost their houses poured in public houses such as schoolbuildings, and gymnasia or class-rooms immediately turned to their shelters. There werelong lines of the victims in the schoolyard to get their daily meals. A few months
afterwards, lines of dump-tracks or excavators came to take away rubble heaps fromwhich dust storms were raised around the streets. Whole piles of rubbish were instantly
disappeared and then there appeared plane grounds with no buildings.
In this way, City of Kobe has lost a number of residents in Nada Area, business/shopping
quarters in the periphery of San-nomiya Station, Kobe Port which is known as a symbolof International City and Minato-Kobe, and downtowns along the sea shore; thus morethan 6,400 precious lives were lost by quakes of the earth for only 10 or so seconds.
Over 100 billions of yen were raised for resuscitation of the damages by which buildings
and roads have been reconstructed. They look much more gorgeous than those in
pre-earthquake days. There are tall residential building where a number of solitary people
are living. Each resident has been given a seemingly comfortable private room. I made avisit to a Community Center located in a corner of one of these buildings. To my regret
and surprise, there was no sign of people gathering routinely in the Community Center.
The Center ought to be built for the purpose of chatting together with those who have
similar painful experiences to share their hardships. However, because of their loneliness,their hearts are becoming cold and weathered. It seems that concrete tables and chairs
installed for chatting together indicate their state of mind. It was originally thought by theplanners and designers that if such a gorgeous building and an artificial space, in which a
number of victims could be accommodated, might have offered comfortable life, muchbetter than that of the pre-earthquake days. Those who would move into this gorgeous
space might have communicated each other and there should be pleasant and deep
communications among those residents with post-earthquake traumas. However, thefirst intention seems to be a kind of mere illusion.
After the end of the World War II, a number of people came to Kobe in order to obtainspaces for daily life. Numerous temporary shelters stood side by side on the streets. Theseshelters gradually turned to buildings, and in the downtown area, these were changed towooden houses. People used to get together around the place, and to talk cheerfully
about various topics.
The earthquake deprived of over 6400 lives in a moment. Those survivors who lost theirfathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and/or friends should have met new acquaintances withsimilar post-earthquake traumas and established new relationship with them. It is stated in
the Bible that Jesus wept for Mary and Martha who lost their loving brother Lazarus, took
compassion on them and returned Lazarus to Mary and Martha. Ten years have alreadypassed, and I strongly feel that all the Christians in the Kobe District should assume ourduty to continuously comfort their minds. We will have to accomplish the duty now andfor ever, as a challenge imposed on us.

Helping hands for those suffering from the Tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean
─ Thoughts after attending an emergency meeting of CCA to address rescue andrehabilitation concerns ─The Rev. Laurence Yutaka Minabe
General Secretary of NSKKI attended the emergency meeting of CCA which was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka
between January 26 and 30. People from the 7 countries affected by the Tsunami and 6
CCA member countries who are willing to offer help gathered to exchange informationand discuss rescue and rehabilitation programs. The stricken area is vast and each area has
its own particular concerns. Also other issues not related to the disaster were brought up
and discussed.
In the western and southern areas of Sri Lanka the level of damage was very severe. Thetsunami had hit from between several hundred meters to several kilometers from theshore line depending upon its geographical features. The first thing that the people had to
do was to bury the dead. Then they had to clear and sterilize the area. Clearing is simply
to get rid of all rubble and trash. I was amazed to find a fishing boat so far from the shoreline.
Those who live in the villages along the shore line are mainly fishermen except for those
who are involved in tourism. They are afraid that the government may not allow them torebuild their villages within 100 to 200 meters from the shore line. They may be allowed
to rebuild in an area far from the shore but this means that they will not be able to continue

their conventional fishing because they can not feel or smell the sea from where they aresettled. They are also facing the immediate problem of not being able to sell their catch,even if they could start fishing immediately, because the sea is contaminatedCasteism is another issue for fishermen. They are not a part of casteism. So they can notgive up fishing and take up different jobs by because people in other jobs will not allow
new comers from a different job category. How to return to fishing is a big challenge forthese fishermen whose only livelihood can be in fishing.
Another issue in Sri Lanka is conflict between races; namely the conflict between theSinhala majority and the Tamil minority. They are very different in language and belief.
Right now they are observing a truce, but land mines have been placed all over the area.
Also during this crisis there is a feeling of inequality in the distribution of relief aid
supplies. The Bishop of Colombo emphasized that attention has to be paid so that we donot stir up unnecessary racial conflict by creating a feeling of having been treatedunfairly.
I talked with a representative from the Church of North India about the situation in The
Diocese of Andaman & Car Nicobar Islands but he was not sure about it because
communication to the area was almost non-existent. It is very isolated from India and I
believe that language and belief is different from that of India. Comments by arepresentative of Bangladesh sounded very cynical and sad because he said that every
year they experience damage from typhoons and flooding, but that this year they only
experienced the effects of the tsunami.
It was reported that over 320,000 people died from natural disasters in the year 2004 andonly 30,000 were due to the earthquake in Sumatra Island and the tsunami in the IndianOcean. In order to rehabilitate people from disasters we, Christians in the Asian Region
will pray together and offer a long term rehabilitation program.

What I learned from MJM Seminar
The Rev. Alban Yoshikatsu Abe
Hokkaido Diocese of NSKKI participated in the Seminar sponsored by MJM New York from Oct. 11 to 28, 2004. It
was a great opportunity for me to be given many valuable experiences. MJM means[Metropolitan Japanese Ministry], The congregation organized under the cooperation ofNippon Sei Ko Kai and Episcopal Church in USA, works as a link in the chain for theJapanese ministry in USA. MJM has been very active working together and offering avariety of program to Japanese and American people.
I participated in the 2004 Seminar for the purpose and reason as follows;
1. I wished to observe and learn the reality of religious activities in New York.
2. I wished to know the role the Church takes in the American society. I wanted to study
in a hospital, especially about pastoral care practice in the hospital.
3. I also hoped to have the opportunity to exchange with the congregation living in NewYork.
To New YorkOn Oct. 11th(Mon) I arrived in JFK Airport at 5:15 p.m., and Ms. Kyoko Kageyama

welcomed me. We had been keeping in touch through E-mail. She kindly took care of me
during my stay for the Seminar. I ﾕ d like to write the summary of the contents of theSeminar in New York/(This is a part of the Seminar planned by MJM)
1. I participated in a reading circle held at Princeton and Westchester. After we had a
Bible study, I joined a potluck party and exchanged information. It was informative andencouraging for me.
2. I attended the Service (Holy Communion), which is held twice a month. I wasresponsible for the sermon. About ten people are in congregation. After the service I
enjoyed a meal and conversation with them.
3. I participated in the Service of MFM, which is for Filipinos and is the same as MJM.
After the Service I enjoyed a meal with very friendly people.
The Seminar I hoped to attend
Since I had learned that The United States is one of the most advanced countries
concerning Pastoral Care at hospitals and other places, I ﾕ ve waited for this opportunity
to learn and experience Pastoral Care at the hospital during the Seminar. Fortunately I
was given a chance at St. Luke ﾕ s Hospital.
In St. Luke ﾕ s Hospital, an Episcopal female chaplain was working. The patient wascared for by a team unit consisting of a doctor, a nurse and a physical therapist. These
medical team and the chaplain were working together.
I learned the role of the chaplain was to care about the patient ﾕ s spirit. I had imaginedthat the presence of the chaplain was more independent, but the chaplain was a part of theunit team, which was a well organized system at St. Luke ﾕ s Hospital. It was different
from that I had imagined.
To become a chaplain, one should be trained sufficiently with a deep consideration for thepatient ﾕ s personality. Only those people, who reached the very high level both intraining and consideration, are able to take the test and become qualified. That was anexplanation I learned from the chaplain. She also explained about the work of thechaplain at St. Luke ﾕ s Hospital as follows:
1.
2.
3.

Being together with the patient (Being on the scene)Showing own presence (Call me anytime, using Beeper)
Attending Unit Team meeting
The team works together in a body. All of the team member work for the lives of thepatients.
I was amazed that the Care Program was planned so thoroughly and minutely. Based onthe assumption that every case is different, all are well organized with the manual andtraining as well. The chaplains are not only Christian but also Muslim and other religion
as well, all are working together. All of this I learned from her.
While I was visiting the hospital ward with the chaplain, her beeper rang. It was a callfrom a patient ﾕ family who had decided to turn off the life-support system for the patient.
The patient had lost consciousness following heart surgery and was left in avegetable-like state while using a life-support system. It has been for several months andrecovery was hopeless.

The chaplain had to go to her room. I was not allowed to follow her, but the chaplain
explained that she listened to the family ﾕ s request and prayed together hand-in-hand forthe patient. (In addition, the chaplain ﾕ s agreement to move the life-support system fromthe patient was required.)
It was only two hour visiting to the hospital, but I learned about so many precious works
concerning life. I was deeply impressed but how well-trained each person on the team
was and how they focused on the patient in every case.

New Bishop was installed in the North Kanto Diocese of Nippon Sei Ko Kai
On 11th February 2005, The Rev. Zerubabbel Katsuichi Hirota was installed as the 9th
Bishop of North Kanto Diocese of NSKK. The Confirmation and Installation were held atSt. Paul ﾕ s Chapel of Rikkyo Accademy in Niiza City, Saitama Prefecture. Bishops fromeach Diocese in NSKK, representatives from Anglican Church in Korea and Urawa
Diocese of Catholic Church attended the Service. At the Reception, over 500 brothers andsisters celebrated the birth of new bishop.