The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-07-08
A "BILLY SUNDAY" IN JAPAN.
Heard Preaching in City of Tokyo BY
Associated Press Correspondent

Close by the houses or parliament,
within which members were discuss
ing the question of China. there stood
a big tent, fronted and fanked by
many bright-colored Japanese ban
ners. Through the flaps came the
sound of a mans voice, pleasant. res
onant and powerful The voice was
exhorting people to come to God and
be saved.
The correspondent of the Associat-
ed Press, who was on his way to the
Diet, stopped at the entrance of the
tent. A little group of smiling. well
coming japanese were there.
who is that man speaking?" was
asked.
why. don't you know" came the
answer. That's Kimura, the Billy
Sunday of Japan"
At the same moment the notes OF
a Christian hymn sung in chorus fill
ed the great tent and bursting with
out caused hundreds Of passing peo-
pie to stop. listen and inquire. They
were informed that it was all part Of
the great Christian evangelistic move
ment now under way throughout
Japan, and that Seimatsu Kimura,
the young revivalist Of Japan, friend
and student of Dwight l.. Moody, was
conducting the Tokyo meetings.
The picture was much the same
as American revivalist meetings with
the added interest by the rich-color-
ed flowing kimono, the black hair of
the Japanese women, the occasional
clatter Of the wooden shoe, and the
many-hued Japanese decorations.
The music ceased. Then a Japa-
nese with regular handsome features,
medium in height, rather stockily
built, dressed in European clothes,
stepped forward from his co-workers
on the platform and began to talk
in Japanese. He began quietly, but
soon his voice rose and his face
changed as becoming more impas-
stoned he discoursed eagerly upon
the theme of salvation. Leaning for
ward and shooting out a clenched
fist before him, the evangelist cried
to the men: You students in To-
Kyo, sitting there on your Webster
dictionaries, you think you are fine
and mighty indeed. You think how
much better you are than other peo-
Pile; but, I ask, have you found the
love of Jesus Christi"
Hammering Home Truths.
Then turning to the young ladies
he shouted: You, with your pretty
kimonos and pretty faces-think
you, perhaps, that you are saved by
these things alone? Prepare your
self ere it is too late. Come into the
kingdom of Jesus Christ and be saw
ed" Then he went on hammering
home truths\to the different sections
of his audiences. gesticulating vio-
lently at times, moving nervously
back and forth upon the platform,
jumping up and down, crouching to
his knees, and especially using his
wonderful black eyes. and his ex-
pressive face to bring home the
thought he was trying to communi-
cate.
Suddenly he flung his right arm
upward towards sign which rested
above the platform and read it both
in japanese and English.
"Christ for the Citizens Of Tokyo!
The Citizens of Toxic for Christi!
"Harken to the words, my brothers.
Harken to the words, my brothers
and sisters. My aim is to convert
to Christianity every one Of the 6O,-
100000 souls in Japan today, I be-
lieve in sudden conversions. Come
here now, and give me your hand as
an emblem that you have accepted
the faith
A number Of people walked up to
the revivalist and accepted Christian
ity. Then there was more music and
the correspondent was introduced to
the Sankey of the Tokyo revivalist
movement. Heis called "Vio' Sakal.
because he loves the violin and as
Sankey was singer for Moody so Sa-
kai is the player for kimura.
The following day the correspond
ent was told by the revivalist HIM
self something of his life and some
thing of his hopes for the future.
Seimatsu Kimura. who is known
bv his American friends as Henry XII
mura, was born in Japan about 40
years ago. Il was the son of wine
seller" he said, 'and when | was
boy of 16 I was kicked out of my
house. I sold newspapers to earn
enough to eat. At the age OF 10 |
was converted to Christianity and