The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-05
FAIRY LAND OF
 THE RISING SUN View ofJapan's People Through the Cherry Blossoms
REV. SAkAKIBARA SPEAKS
Shall Not Her Children Some Day Behold the Fair Beauty of Spirit ual Blossoms Blooming
 in Their Hearts.

The Rev Wataru Sakakibara, who is preparing to return to his native land as missionary, told the congregation at the Church of the Advent yesterday morn ing of his country, its people and their needs.
 The Rev. Sakakibara spoke as follows:
 On sunny spring days, when the cherry blossoms are in their full bloom, so beau tiful and so gorgeous, if you take a stroll along the bank of the River Sumida, in the city of Tokyo, perhaps you might imagine that you were somewhere in a fairy land where the angels are so happy together instead of the land wherein what you might call the heather Japan ese are still struggling and toiling in or der to see the light of the everlasting gospel Oh, the land of flowers and blos- sons! Oh, the nation of patriotism and ambition! Shall not her children some day behold the fair beauty of spiritual blos- sons blooming in their hearts?
 Whatever may be the spiritual condition of Japan at present wherever l behold the vision, the glorious vision, of her future destiny, l cannot help myself in wishing and praying that Japan may some day become Christian nation, and that her spiritual and moral activity will be strong enough to carry out the work of God throughout the vast continent of Asia.
 You remember on July D. 1853, the Amer ican squadron, commanded by Commodore Perry, anchored at Uraga, Bay of Japan. The birth of the so-called new Japan was happily celebrated from that day. A half civilized, insignificant and small island empire suddenly then sprang up out of the dark and chaotic state of existence, and within few years she came to be known in the world as one of it's strong est nations. Perhaps, in the history of mankind, we have never yet witnessed such a rapid progress in any nations civ ilization as Japan. Her politics and ed ucation, her commerce and industry, her navy and army, are well established and thoroughly organized and efficient. And today Japan stands at the very head of all the oriental nations. Especially, since the last war, that mighty war, which we waged against the gigantic Russia, the progress of Japan as a nation is some, what phenominal
 A Serious Problem.
 Yet, after all, here comes serious problem now for us to solve. The ques- ton has been often asked can any na- ton accomplish anything which is worth doing without, in the hearts of the na- ton, a certain definite spiritual power and conviction? In other words, can Japan accomplish her mission in the far east without any aid from Christianity or not? Somehow, the answer should be given negatively.
 My friends. whatever may be the opin- ion of some people concerning Christian ity and it's power, no matter, Christianity has been and still Is the sole founda- ton of human progress and civilization. believe as you also believe, Christianity has made what Europe and America are today. Such being the case then, whether | or not the civilization of Asia should also depend upon the truth and power of Christianity.
 Now, l am going to inform you of cer- tain religious phenomina which have eX- isted and still exist in Japan.
 Since the beginning of the Japanese em- pire, two factors have been influencing the minds of the Japanese; these two factors are nature and ancestors. About 4OO0 years ago T small tribe of the Hit tites, who had lived somewhere at the foot of Toaras mountain, in the north of Palestine, started one day on their won dering journey. You remember they were romatic people. After wondering through the land of Palestine and of Mesopotamia they finally came down to China and Corea, and from Corea they came over to their future home the island empire of Nippon. These children of the Hittites have become the so-caled Yamato race in Japan. While in their old home, the land of the Hittites they were already worshipers of nature-of sun, moon and stars.
 Gods Own Creation.
 But as soon as they landed at the land of Yamato their own religious conviction was keenly intensified because of va rious peculiar phenomina of nature with which they came in contact. On the eve of their arrival they beheld the eruption of fiery volcanos here and there; the rag ing of the wild ocean wane roughly beat ing the shore; the green hills mad purple clouds; the gorgeous cherry blossoms, and the melodious nghtingales. Each and every manifestation of nature thus add ed to their religio -esthetic sense a still deeper appreciation of Gods peculiar ere ation. Japan was, to them, the land of gods. Everything was divine, and a god was everything
 And the people who came to occupy the land were the gods people This some what overestimated religious conscience of the Yamato race was still further car rled out in their idea concerning the per- sonalty of the Mikado, their ruler. They thought, as the outcome of their religious philosophy, that the Mikado must neces- sarily be the representative of the Gre ator Himself. The Mikado was, to them, nothing but a divine being--Tenshi, the Son of Heaven. Indeed, for the period of some thousand years. until about 1500 years ago. some people in Japan were said to believe actually in the divine per- sonality of the Mikado.
 Thus the Mikado being the incarnation of the Creator Himself, the creator of Japan, the spirit of patriotism is the highest virtue of the people. In fact, was often told there are no individual personalities in Japan apart from the personality of the Mikado, which is the personifed form of "Yamato Damashii, ,r Japanese are the Japanese only in writ person of the Mikado. This, namely. is the religion of the Japanese. the shinto- isn-the worship of inc country as a divine province.
 Ever Living Spirits.
 Then, another factor which has influ- ence over the minds of the people in Japan is the ancestor. According to their belief the true Japanese would never die The spirits of their ancestors are eyer living with them, influencing and aiding the work of the nation.
 It was. therefore, well for Admiral Togo to express after that great victory he won at the battle of the Sea of Japan, mot we ourselves have conquered our enemy. but by the virtue of the Mikado and in the spirits of our ancestors we have achieved this victory" The admiral was sincere in his expresson: he actually meant what he said, and not at all magic or fanciful in his phraseology. So much, then. for the religion of the Japanese.