Christian in the Buddhist country (novel) ①
This is the English translation of my Japanese Christian novel.
Part one of three.
Its about a little home church
in a basin of Shinshu.
And a man with feudalistic old
family background forsaking all
to follow Jesus Christ and
be crucified to the world.
And plus, a very unromantic love story.
“I'm glad to have you here as a reinforcement.”
Said Maki san as he welcomed me at the grand entrance hall of his huge historic home. I was quite taken by this great old mansion I unexpectedly stepped in. I knew it to be a home church but this is a mansion! From the big entrance, a dark hallway leads deeper and deeper into this Japanese traditional house. All of this made me feel like a little girl required of her best behavior, so I bent down to neaten colorful shoes scattered on the entrance floor.
He took me to fine big Japanese rooms with a sunroom adjacent to it. The sliding screens to devide rooms are taken away, and the floor mat covers the tatami, to protect it from damage. On top of it were bibles, bags, and a projector scattered messily. Then the international members, unlike the traditional Japanese room.
“So glad to see you, Yae-chan! So good to have you here!”
Sister Chen, a Chinese sister came and hugged me. There are many faces I was familiar with at my home church’s camp meeting. But there are only about six people in this wide space. It feels like there is a lot more for the scattered belongings.
A missionary, Paulo san came to shake my hand. He is the one who asked me to come here as reinforcement. Paulo san who came from America is still studying Japanese and needs an interpreter for preaching. He persuaded me several months ago, that he needs someone who can interpret and help out with the church stuff, and I felt like I should go. There are enough hands at my home church, there will be others to fill my place. I felt like helping this small new mission in a land surrounded by high blue mountains are the course I should take in my life.
Of course, there is an interpreter here already. Maki san, the owner of this house is interpreting but he has too many things to do. Maki san and Paulo san were best friends in America and that caused Paulosan to come to Japan as a missionary. I heard of their stories many times in my Tokyo church.
Suddenly, Maki san was standing beside me, and a whisper fell to my ears from above.
“Would you interpret today? Or is it too soon?”
“I’m sorry, not today… I'm too new around here.” I said in a fluster.
Maki-san graduated from American University and spent twenty years there. I am just a young girl with little ability compared to him, which makes me wonder why should I be an interpreter beside him. But then if I won’t interpret, I wouldn’t be reinforcement to them at all. I may be an observer today but I came here to help out Paulo-san and Maki-san.
The service begun, Paulo-san stood at the back part of the room, Maki-san sat in front of an upright piano at the far side. Everyone stood up by twos and threes and started to sing. It was easy English songs so Japanese, American, Chinese, and Philipino can all sing together.
"What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and grieves to bear."
It was simple but heartfelt worship. With only the piano as an instrument, and the preacher leading the worship without a microphone. But I felt the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit surrounding this room. I raised my hands to thank the Lord for taking me here.
I knew Maki-san plays the piano very well. We were aquinted with each other because we’ve met several times already at big meetings at my Tokyo church. Have I asked the Lord about him? Though it’s embarrassing to admit it, yes. From the first look, I knew that he is a real Christian, in whose heart dwells Jesus. I think those who have the same Holy Spirit attract each other. Maki-san is more than a dozen older than I, but he is tall and handsome, a nice gentleman with clear almond eyes. Every time I see him, my heart beats faster, asking God, “Perhaps?”. It’s no use hiding it. Everybody tells me my thoughts are so loud on my face.
While my thoughts were astray like this, short worship ended and the testimony time has begun. There are only seven people here, including me. Paulo-san the American, Sister Chen the Chinese, Brother Aaron, and Sister Marian a couple from the Philippines, A Japanese sister I’ve never met before (Takada-san, in her fifties), Maki-san and I, that’s all.
“Does anybody have testimony or praise?”
Takada-san raised her hand and started speaking gently. Maki-san interprets her words in English. It seems like Takada-san is a distant relative of Maki-san. She is now a housewife of an apple farmer, but she graduated from a Christian college and was familiar with the bible since then. She always felt like she is being called by an unseen God. But after she got married, she lived among Buddhist rituals and traditions and was smothered by them.
One day, she heard a rumor of the heir of Honke, an origin family to her side of the family. The heir of Honke, who was living in America, came back home after the old mistress passed away. But he has become a Christian and proclaimed to his relatives that he will not keep the Buddhist home shrine nor do any ancestral duties. Moreover, he called in foreign missionary in the Honke’s mansion. And hold meetings there with foreigners. Takada-san remembered Honke’s young master. She visited Maki-san to warn him of the rumor at first.
Maki-san knew them all. And said, I am being crucified, but there is no other way. When he said that, his face shone with tranquil glory. She wanted to know what drives him to do such things, so she started to read the bible with Maki-san and Paulo-san. Takada-san saw Christ under brighter light, the Christ she was hiding in her heart and was already familiar to. They went to a lake to baptize her.
Takada-san spoke with modest but clear and astute words. As she finished speaking, she smiled, and looked into my eyes. She spoke it for me as a newcomer. While Takada-san spoke about Maki-san, he interpreted those words like a robot, killing his emotion as if it has nothing to do with himself.
Paulo-san’s preaching started. But my thoughts were still on the words of Takada-san. I grew up in a Christian home in Tokyo. And I know nothing about feudalistic village society except from books. I have never been looked at coldly, talked about for being a Christian. I realized that I stepped into such a world and looked around the room. I didn't know Maki-san was a master of an old family. His mansion is so grand and dignified, so big that it is hard to believe he is living here by himself. The family must be very prestigious. I haven’t found a Buddhist home shrine. Is he really being persecuted by the local people?
As my thoughts wonders away once more, I felt the eyes of Maki-san, who was interpreting in front. He noticed that my thoughts are flying somewhere and are not on the words Paulo-san is preaching. I brushed at the reproving eyes and straighten my back.
“The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
As I listen to the preaching, this word echoed in my ear. Have I ever experienced persecution or isolation like that? The thought came to me as if Christ is opening a way of thorn and suffering toward me. I am just a very blessed young girl, but I know how precious it is to follow Holy Spirit and suffer. With much emotion, I said Amen to Jesus in my heart, saying I will follow you.
As I amened to the preaching with zeal, Paulo-san looked at me delightfully. I'm so sorry, I'm not much of a reinforcement. But I want to suffer with them, thought I.
When the service ended, everybody started cleaning and the room was full of commotion. Sister Chen and Maki-san disappeared somewhere in the back.
I helped Sis Marian put the tables. She is about the same age as me and because she is a cousin to my pastor’s daughter, which is my best friend, we were already friends. Every time I see her, I feel like a cat drawing close to a favorite person. I know she likes me also. It’s not just because we are communicating in English, in which it is easier to say affectionate words, I don't know why but it is so visible.
Maki-san and Sister Chen appeared with pots of curry and rice. We served them on plates. Paulo-san beckoned me to interpret as he talks with Takada-san. Paulo-san goes to a language school so he can manage small talks in Japanese but seems like the conversation got out of his hand. Bro Aaron and Maki-san are having some deep conversations on the other side. I felt like I am a part of a small family and felt happy.
“Where do you live?” Sister Chen asked me.
“My mother’s family lives near here, so I’m staying there.”
“That’s good! Yae-chan, I’m glad you came. Many people are in Tokyo church, but here not much.”
I love Sister Chen also. She was exiled from China for being a Christian twenty years ago, and we went to the same church for many years. But she recently moved here for her job. I feel like loving people is my favorite thing to do. I feel like that is my job since I was filled with Holy Ghost. Sister Chen is a bit fierce by Japanese standards, but you can feel her love straightly. Brotherly love doesn’t feel much difficult when you are surrounded by those people.
“So it’s Yae-san’s welcome party today!” Marian-san said it in English.
“We should celebrate it with coke or something.”
“Sorry, I don’t have coke.” Said Maki-san.
“But I have apple juice.”
So we got apple juice and seven of us cheered. With a glass cup in my hand, I hummed “La Traviata” in a small voice. Maki-san laughed at me saying how inappropriate.
“Yae-san, your turn to make a speech.”
Paulo-san pushed me. I stood up wondering what to say.
“God led me here. I’m now a freeloader at my granny and uncle’s house. I was always longing for the fog over the blue mountains in the plains of Tokyo. I am so happy now that I feel like you took me into your little family. Thank you.”
Everyone mercifully clapped for my incomprehensible speech.Then we started cleaning and went home two by three. As I stood up to leave, Maki-san called and stopped me.
“Yae-san”
“Yes, sir?”
Can I have a moment, Maki-san said and asked me into his library. The room was built adjacent to the entrance. It must have been a drawing-room, to begin with, but now it was filled with bookshelves and antique desk and chair on an old oriental carpet. The desk was surprisingly a bit messy. Newspaper, accounting notes, bible, and I even saw a book “Tax guide for suburban landowners”. I felt like I saw his other side.
The books on the shelves were diverse. There are many English books for he was abroad for many years, but there are pieces of Japanese literature too, worn out by often reading. As I read the names on the shelves, I admired his good taste for books. To know someone, you have to see their bookshelves. Maki-san’s taste for books agrees with mine.
“Do you have anyone you have promised for?”
Maki-san said to my back as I study his bookshelves.
“Pardon?” I look back with a huge question mark on my face.
“Well, you are pretty and talented. I’m sure boys won’t leave you alone. I thought I have to check that out first.”
“No, I don’t have anyone though……” My face blushed. Maki-san clouded his well-featured face and span a word by word.
“I was asking the Lord about you since we first met in Tokyo. Paulo called you here knowing all this. But I never thought you would really come.”
“You are like a little butterfly and are cherished by everyone around you. I was afraid to ask you because I am fifteen years older than you, just a middle-aged man. But because you came all the way down here, I feel like the Lord has given me some hope for it.”
“Maki-san?”
“Yes?”
“Is this a proposal?” I looked away and said it jokingly.
“No. If I sell myself to you without enough commodity explanation, you might want to cancel me later, so this is a request for courtship.”
He continued the words.
“I’m forty now. I’m not sure if I'm allowed to use such words.”
“I am sure it’s okay, I am still in my twenties!”
I was delighted at the fact I am teasing him in such a situation. But Maki-san was a grown-up so he disregarded my childish teasing. He looked down at me and quietly started speaking.
“Yae-san, will you court me with marriage in mind? You are still young and don’t know the suffering. You don’t understand my situation in this rural society yet.”
“The hardship I am in now is unbearable alone. So I want to warn you before I involve you in it. I was in America for so long so it’s kinda odd for me to say it, but you don’t know what persecution the Christian in Buddhist country faces. I saw your environment in Tokyo, so I can imagine that.”
“Are you being crucified, Maki-san?” I looked into his long almond eyes.
“That sounds like an exaggeration, but I actually am. Can you imagine how terrible it is for rural people, to hear that the heir of Honke (the origin family) disposing of Butsudan (Buddhist home shrine)? Your family has no Butsudan, right?”
“No, we don’t.” I said it sheepishly.
“Well, this is getting out of courtship proposal but this is the size of what I am making you involved in. That’s my only concern.”
“Doesn’t the bible say, Rejoice when you suffer according to His will?”
“It does. Though it sounds like a bit mixed of this and that.”
“God is the one who took me here, so I should gladly accept joy or suffering!”
Maki-san scratched his head and said, you are so young. I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?
“You may not have been through the fire. But I’m sure you can endure it fine. So Yae-san, what would you like to do with the commodity? An old mansion comes with it, would you like to have that?”
I looked around and saw this fine historic mansion, “The tax guide for the suburban landowner”, nice taste books on his shelves, and a master of Honke, Maki-san who was a bit odder than I expected.
“…….I think I will take it as a trial campaign.” I said nonchalantly.
“Great. If you refused, it would have been too embarrassing, I thought I might exile to America again.”
I'll see you out, said Maki-san and opened the door. When we came out to the entrance, Paulo-san was sitting on the entrance floor looking very bored.
“Your Japanese are too difficult, I couldn’t understand.”
I blushed my face, and Maki-san glared at him.
“I’m just a chaperon,” said Paulo-san.
“Next time, let us talk in old Japanese epistolary style.”
Said Maki san. I don’t think I can talk in an epistolary style.
Translation note
In Japan, like Mr or Mrs, we put "san" at the end of one's name. We don't call first name as easily as American. "chan" is more endearment form of it.
Honke is in Japanese peculiar ie system, means origin family. Usually required to follow many customs especially in rural part of the country.
"La Traviate". An opera by Verdi. Yae hummed a famous "Brindisi". Song for toast (not breakfast). Maybe not a song to sing at church fellowship.
Butsudan, home buddhist shrine. When someone dies with Buddhist funeral, it will haunt you. It's a drawer size shrine, and they say your ancestor dwells in it. So you have to worship it daily. Japan is a country of ancestral worship not just idols. Butsudan is something heir have to inherit, and keep it and worship. Because Maki refused to inherit it and do ancestral worship, he is disfellowshiped by his clan.
Japanese epistolary style, in other name, solo-bun. Its a style of writing used in old days. Very difficult. Used mostly among educated man.
↑Part two↑
↓The beginning of the series. While Maki was still in America, City of refuge from his destiny to be master of old family.
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