WORK IN THE SLUMS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 129, 3 June 1935, Page 13

WORK IN THE SLUMS

CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN

LIFE OF SACEIFICE.

Yesterday afternoon's audience at the Town' Hall listened with intense interest to the life story of Dr. Toyohika Kagawa, the noted Japanese religious and social service leader. The hall was packed, and numbers were unable to find room. Born to a life of wealth and power, Dr. Kagawa chose to forsake it to work in the slums for the betterment of his fel-low-men. When he was converted to Christianity, young Kagawa left his home and his family with its riches and great influence, and went to live in the slums of Kobe. Here he laboured for fourteen years among the poorest of the poor with a tiny room as his home. His life story was a story of courage and of great human fortitude in the service of God and mankind.

The meeting was arranged by the Christian Youth Council and the Young Men's Christian Association of Wellington. Mr. M. A. Tremewari, who presided, said they had gathered as representatives of youth organisations of the city. It had been made possible by the V.M.C.A. that they were able to have Mr. Kagawa with them. Large numbers of people had been inspired by Dr. Kagawa's example and work as a Christian and social service worker. They had been inspired- not so much by what he had done against war, but by his devoted life for Christ and to his fellow-men. That was the greatest master passion of Dr. Kagawa's life. Dr. Kagawa said he was delighted to come to New Zealand, because New Zealand and Japan were very much alike in size and other characteristics. When he was preparing to leave Japan on his present tour a lady who joined the Salvation Army in Japan, and who graduated from a: women!s college in Wellington, came to the Tokio railway station and gave him a copy of a book written in Japanese about New Zealand. The book was written by a Japanese professor who visited New Zealand to study its social service conditions and legislation. Dr. Kagawa said he read in that book that New Zealand was next to Heaven. "So, I am glad that I have come to New Zealand, where it is next to Heaven," said Dr. Kagawa. However, the V.M.C.A. had asked him to speak more than he expected, and he would not have time to study much about this country.

• After being a few years at school, said Dr. Kagawa, a friend told him of an-American missionary who would be willing to teach him English. The missionary taught him English from the New Testament, and told him that the best way to learn English was to learn some, of the verses. He opened the Book of Luke and read, "Consider the lilies, how they grow" Later he went to the missionary and asked him fdr some books. The missionary asked him, "Do you believe in God?" "Yes." "Do you pray?" "Yes." "How have you prayed?" "Under the bed covers." Taunted With being a coward, young Kagawa openly professed Christianity. WIPING OUT SLUMS. Later he went to Tokio, but his relatives opposed his studying philosophy and religion. Then he became ill with tuberculosis. He'recovered, and went to live in the slums. He related some of the deplorable :V conditions" there. Some of his adventures -were serious and some-amusing. -: A house in the slums of Kobei'!h^. said, ,w.as supposed to be haunted' because a murder had been, committedi.there. "So I moved into the house 4ri,d made my bed on the very spot wriere the man was killed. But to my"disappointment the ghost didnot^appear." He mentioned that op his. advocacy the; Government decided i to'spena-two million yen to wipe. but-the; slums" in the six large cities; The dttesacontributed a further .two million-yen;:arid within two years •ot rthe: great. V,ea.tthquake they had aboKshed nparly.^ll the slums. 'The growth of: Communism made it necessary t6 jcorAbat that movement. Reference was :made to the Kingdom of God movement,' and to social activities in the cities and country districts. Now there were more than 70 medical co-operative associations, and more than 70 hospitals had been built in four years. Particulars were given of the co-operative movement in the interests of the poor. He said that last year 230,000 yen had been lent out, and the profits had been divided among the poor people. He thought that was a~ practical principle of Christianity. They were carrying that scheme throughout Japan. ■ PRINCIPLE OF LOVE. Dr. Kagawa, speaking of the principle of love, said that before Christianity came to -Japan, husbands and fathers held a superior position to wives and mothers. The men and boys, he remarked, were served at meals with a larger dish. After Christianity came, girls, women, and wives were given more rfespect—and they got a larger dish. In the last 15 years Japanese girls had added two inches to their height. Last year they won the world championship in swimming; and that, he said, was because they got a larger dish. (Laughter.)

It was amazing, he said, how a small number of Christians could affect .the national life. There were only 450,000 Christians in Japan, but their influence was much greater than their numbers, and gradually the Japanese home was awakening to the standard of love of the Christian life. Seven out of thirteen Cabinet Ministers were Christians. The Prime Minister, Mr. Saito, had never been baptised, but he read the Bible every day. His wife was a Methodist.

There was a growing movement in Japan which recognised greater respect for labour, and, in addition, there was an increase in personal piety. "Your [life cdme from God; your consciousness was given by God; you live in God," said Dr. Kagawa.