St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-16
81. Johnsbury, Thursday, .SuIy IS, 1S9l
A LETTER FROM JAPAN.


is that | have been reminded that a
number of our friends have lost sight
of US, and that they would be glad
to hear through The Christian
Union of our whereabouts and our
work.
Soon after we came to Japan we
went to Matsuyama on the Island
of Shikoku, but the climate there
proved so trying that, after years
STAY, we had to leave. 1t was quite
a wrench to do so. for we thought
we were getting our roots in pretty
well. We came to Maebashi last
fall. in October, at the invitation Of
the American Board Mission. The
place became attractive Immediately.
This may be an exceptional year, but
the succession of dry, clear days that
we have had this winter and spring
would be remarkable anywhere, and
in Japan is especially so. The climate
is all one could desire. Maebashi is
near the center of the main island,
called Hondo, just about as far
away from the sea as can be in
Japan. This region is famous for its
health resorts. There are no less
than three-Nikko, Ikao, and Karui
zawa-within fifty miles of us.
Maebashi is the center and capital
CITY of one of the richest provinces in
Japan, rich because OF its production
of silk. Mulberry grows everywhere,
and every woman who has spare
time has a little machine to reel the
silk out of the cocoons. 1t is worth
noting, by the way, that woman's
usefulness in the silk production has
given her place and an influence in
this region exceptionally high in
Japan.
A few years ago the railroad
brought the province into connec-
ton with Tokyo and Yokohama,
respectively seventy and ninety miles
distant, and since then it has been
increasingly prosperous. Now one
can go by rail in four directions.
There are few provinces, if any, in
the country that give the missionary
better opportunities for travel.
Christianity has already obtained a
strong hold Christian work was
begun by DIR. Neesima, when he first
returned from America, in the town
Of Annaka, where his fathers home
was. There is now a strong self
supporting church there, and besides
this one, there are five other self-sup-
porting churches in the province,
all Congregational. ''The Joshu
churches" is a synonym for prosper
ity and generosity in Japan.
The social influence of Christianity
has probably been greater in this
al IL,
empire, and owing to this influence,
the province has taken the lead in
the present movement for the aboli-
ton of licensed prostitution. Chris
tianity is real and strong power in
the local assembly. At present there
is a dearth of pastors in this province,
but this misfortune has at least the
good effect of inducing men who
have not had the laying on of hands
to prophesy, if not to preach. 1t
was not an infrequent thing this Win
ter for my teacher, young layman, to
go to some neighboring village to
"show the way" and it is the custom
in churches which have neither
pastors nor preachers for some of
the members to take turns in exhort-
ing. The fact is that, in spite of the
present reaction, Christianity is a
live thing here Before long the
pastor at Annaka, Mr.. Sugita, will
probably become the pastor Of the
Maebashi church, which has been
shepherdless for year. The great
advantage of this change to us is
that it gives us another point of
contact with the people.
This Japanese language-or rather
languages, polite, familiar, orator.
cal, imperial, women s, men s, spoken,
written, prayed-is, like our futures,
still before US. The best thing l can
say of it is that, after two years
study, | am not discouraged am
attacking all styles at once, and
Chinese into the bargain. At first
sight, or rather hearing, Japanese is
much more beautiful than Chinese,
but it is seldom spoken pure except
by women. There is extreme danger
of preachers running into high
Chinese style, which is simply unin-
telligible to a large part of the
audience. But at present the move
ment is all in the direction of Chinese
1t is the reservoir of words for all
new ideas. Chinese IS considered
much more compact and forcible
than Japanese; e. g., Kokkai is
Tapanese-Chinese for Parliament
Pure japanese would be Kuni no at
sumari-literally, Country's meeting
The disadvantage of Chinese is the
enormous number of homonvms, or
words having the same sound but
different meanings.
am confident that no thorough
missionary work can be done here
without good understanding of
the language, unless perhaps in the
higher schools. The ordinary mis-
sionary simply must learn the Ian
guage That means the sacrifice of
much private reading, and the
thrusting aside of many present OF
portunities for service, but the mis-