CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 173, 18 April 1921, Page 5

CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN

MISSIONARY OUTLOOK NOT HOPEFUL VIEWS OF AMERICAN TRAVELLER An interesting visitor to Wellington, in the course of a round-the-world jaunt, is Mr. Joseph Mannix, of Minneapolis, U.S.A., who left his home three and a half years ago, on a fiv'e-years tour. Tie ha.s travelled through many countries, and spent a considers!bls time in Japan. Speaking to a Dominion reporter yeslerday Mr. Mannix said that he had been much struck by the Japanese outlook on the missionary movements in their country, and he referred to the Japanese as marvellously egotistical. He thought the outlook for missionaries in Japan was by no means bright. “The Japanese character is peculiar,” he said. "Their temperament, their disposition and their character generally—the whole religious viewpoint of the Japanese—make Christian missionary effort extremely difficult and uncertain as to result. While very many things can be said in regard to those truly ambitious, energetic, and alert -people, it must be admitted by all who have anything like a fairly intelligent conception of Japanese character that they are as a general proposition a quite self-contained, self-satisfied, and egotistical nationality” “World Loaders?” "In their great and perhaps monumental egotism,” said Mr. Mannix, "there are millions of intelligent Japanese who believe truly that Japan is destined ultimately to be tile real world leader, not only in commercial, indus trial, and economical affairs, but ? also ip religious thought and action. There are very many thoroughly '.well-informed men in Japan who . say that sooner or later Japan will present to the world a religion which will be the embodiment of the best things in the Christian religion and in Shintoism, Confucian ism, Mohammedanism, and the other great religions. . . . Aly honest opinion is that, notwithstanding the wonderful and perhaps commendable optimism of missionaries generally in Japan, they are not hopeful for the future. I have had the pleasure of meeting many missionaries in Japan, and I have discovered evidence of a somewhat disheartening state of mind over tho whole missionary effort. To put it plainly, all Christian missionaries in Japan, when discussing the situation calmly and honestly, admit that Japan is a very hard nut to crack.” In a Trappist Monastery. Mr. Mannix was for some months in a Trappist monastery, in a secluded mountain district in the southern end of Hokkaido, which is'the northern island of the Japanese Archipelago. The priests at the monastery are French, and there are several Dutch brothers and 25 or 30 Japanese brothers. "They have a farm of 1200 acres,” said Air. Mannix, "which is tilled by the priests and the monks, and during the busiest times in the harvest season they call in Japanese help from the nearest village. The rules of hospitality of Trappist Friars ere conspicuous; and they welcome all visitors to their wonderfully interesting institution, located quite away from noise and civilisation, and most beautifully and romantically situated in a picturesque mountain section of the island. While tho Japanese have no special interest in the Trappists as religionists, nevertheless, with that curiosity and disposition to inquire and learn that is the conspicuous characteristic of the Japanese mind, thousands of natives, generally men, visit the monastery annually. . . . While I was at the monastery, a famous Buddhist leader and priest, head of a very large and important monastery located in Hokkaido, 50 or 100 miles from the French Trappist monastery, made the trip to the latter for the purpose of going into retreat. The kindly prior of the Trappists was naturally interested and amused over the unusual circumstances, and asked his distinguished caller why he desired to associate with Christians. The Buddhist replied that he was not satisfied with the work that was being done by the 200 Buddhist monks with whom he was associated, and thought that by spending a few weeks with the French priests he might, upon returning to his own institution, inspire his co-ivorkers to more zealous effort.” A Long Trip. Tn addition to visiting Japan, Air. Mannix had been to Cochin China, the Philippines. Straits Settlements, Malaya, British India, the Dutch East Indies, and some of the South Sea Islands, and he is now engaged in an effort to determine how it is or why it is so many apparently intelligent and discriminating people speak of New Zealand as "God’s Own Country.” He is going to the South Island, after which he will visit Melbourne and Adelaide, proceeding by way of the Trans-Australian railway io Perth and Fremantle. A visit to South Africa will follow. "I have still a year and a half to meander,” said Mr. Mannix smiling, "but I am not much on arranging itineraries. and I have no idea where I will go after leaving South Africa.”