“SAINT OF JAPAN”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22545, 12 April 1935, Page 10

“SAINT OF JAPAN”

DR TOYOKI KAGAWA EVANGELIST’S AUSTRALIAN TOUR. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 28. Dr Toyoki Ko Kagawa, Japanese poet, author and evangelist, has shown during his visit to Sydney friendliness and happiness that even his hard experience of life in the worst slums of Kobe and Tokio has failed to subdue. At the reception arranged in his honour, he has revealed a delightful sense of humour that cloaked a deep understanding of the sterner problems of life. One could visualise the evangelist bravely fighting the most dreadful vices and diseases that thrive in the povertystricken quarters of the great Japanese cities in which he spent 14 years of his life, suffering all the rigours of the inhabitants. Semi-starvation, and uncleanliness and even threats and actual attempts on his life have apparently failed to dampen his ardour for the faith which he preaches and practises. For Dr Kagawa has a charming personality, exuding cheerfulness and optimism. Work among plague-stricken people living in filthy environments has been his pleasure, based on an enduring faith in the goodness of things. It earned for him the title of “ Saint of Japan.” At a very early age, Dr Kagawa claimed a large audience, and then his writings gained for him a wide circle of admirers. One of his books, written at the age of 19, ran into 38 editions, each of about 1000 books.

Since then Dr Kagawa has taken a prominent part in the new Japanese industrial system of co-operative societies, with millions of members. After the earthquake in 1923 he was appointed to a committee to reconstruct the city of Kobe, and he was given the opportunity to assist in abolishing the city’s slum areas. Dr Kagawa has striven hard for international goodwill. In his speeches here he has revealed himself as an ardent supporter of the school of thinkers which aims at the breaking down of tariff barriers. “ There is no depression in Japan,” said Dr Kagawa in an interview. “All skilled artisans are fully employed. Two years ago, things were terrible, but we have overcome our difficulties.” Dr Kagawa attributed Japan’s economic recovery to the fact that 3.000. men who had previously lived in the great cities had gone on the land. This had been made possible by a system of Government credits through the issue of bonds. Fifty-two per cent, of the population of 68,000,000 were engaged in farming. About 5.000. averaged only about 2i acres each. The exchange position was another important factor in overseas marketing. “ The farmers,” he said, “ have been organised into co-operative unions, and all the profits go to the members. The marketing of produce is also based on co-operative effort, with Government backing. I do not believe in Govern ment control, but it is necessary as a backing force. As soon as we got the men on the land we got rid of the depression. After organising the farmers we organised the railway men. about 170.000 of them, into co-operative unions. To-day there are more than 14.000 co-operative societies.”

Referring to his work in the slums, Dr Kagawa said that as many as nine people slept in habitations no larger than six feet square. On one occasion a ruffian fired five shots at him, but, fortunately, all missed their mark. He himself lived in a little matchbox house which opened on ap alley infested with vermin. While sharing his bed with a homeless man he caught t-achoma, and as a result lost the sight of one eye. For a long time 15 cents a day was all that he spent on himself, and on one occasion he had four murderers as his guests. A drunken man knocked out four of his front teeth, but he continued to take care of him. All the while diseases broke out, bubonic plague, smallpox, dysentery and cholera, and he nursed many of the victims. He tended men and women in the last stages of tuberculosis, washed their bodies and kept them in his house. Dr Kagawa said that his father had been secretary to the Emperor’s Privy Council, but he died while he was still young. Then a rich uncle offered to act as his guardian, and had him trained for the diplomatic service. “ But I thought of that verse, ‘ Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.’ I chose to be a Christian.”