SHINTO PRIESTS
RETURNING ! SOIiDIKRS ( RRATE PROBLEM Tokio; Deo. 22. Japan’s Shinto priests are faced with the biggest problem their religion has known —how to undeify heroes who were acclaimed to have perished nobly for the Emperor, but who are now returning home after having been merely prisoners oi war. Deification of heroes was common during the war; it was supposed to boost morale. There was an impressive service, and an urn containing the ashes of the hero was placed at a shiine and duly worshipped. Forty thousand deified heroes have already returned from the dead. That, conceivably could bo overcome; Shinto priests could explain that, after all. 40.000- mistakes could have been made in such a large-scale war. But the problem doesn’t rest there; at least another 200,00 b deified heroes arc scheduled to return home from the Pacific islands, Burma, Malaya. China, and .Manchuria. That is what is worrying the Shinto priests. You cannot make 230,000 mistakes and get away with it. Relatives, who were first astounded and then overjoyed to learn that their menfolk were not gods, but
prisoners, have now received a nasty shock. Kach received "death
compensation’’ when a relative was reported killed, and now they are being asked to return the money. Some 4h.00h.000 yen d about £*oo,000 I is involved.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BOPT19451224.2.51
Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 13945, 24 December 1945, Page 3
Word Count
216SHINTO PRIESTS Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 13945, 24 December 1945, Page 3
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the Bay of Plenty Times. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in