Lost in Japan

Like many countries in eastern Japan, it has very few Catholics, and therefore, very little to tell you as a pilgrim.

Japan is above all Shinto and part of the population is Buddhist, but it has a small portion of the population that practices Catholicism.

Our trip started in part to know the house of Judo in the world. That is to say the Kodokan Judo Institute, headquarters of the Judo of the world (sport that I practiced many years of my life and that I still love). As part of a tourist visit we decided one day to dedicate each one to what he liked, then I went to the institute Kodokan not to bore the rest.

I will not tell here details of what happened in the place, but if someone is interested you can write to me and I will gladly do so.

After a long visit I dedicated myself to other things that I liked and towards the end of the day I decided to look for the Salesians in Tokyo.

Being that during my childhood I was attending a Salesian institute, I remembered a video that had been shown to us about our peers in Tokyo, and I wanted to see it.

I looked for it and found I went there without knowing what I would find or if I could talk to someone. When leaving the bus (thanks Google Maps) I find that the street where the income was located was called Salesian Dori, which made me feel a bit like home. The school was closed, so I looked for someone and found two Japanese secretaries who only spoke their language and as they imagined, I did not.

I was in front of them trying to explain that I was a Salesian and Argentine alumnus but it was impossible, until Maria Auxiliadora helped me. I always wear a medal on her neck and it occurred to me to show it to her. They understood something, I’m not sure what, but they signaled me to wait. In the minutes one of these ladies arrives with a Western priest, Italian more accurately and with it the conversation was more comfortable. Immediately he understood that I only wanted to know the school and to tell him that I was from Argentina (where the Salesian missions began) Father told me that there was an Argentine priest there, and that he wanted to take me to where he was. We toured the whole school, which by the way was equal to many Salesian schools in the world, that is, a playground and classrooms around, but the game as the main element of education and evangelization.

The Argentine father was Don Cosme, an 83-year-old priest who had lived in Japan for more than 50 years. Don Cosme was worshiping the Blessed Sacrament in an internal chapel of the house, he invited me to worship with him, becoming a unique moment. Then we were talking with Don Cosme a good time, it was one of those times that one realizes that he could meet an Angel on earth. There I photographed myself with Maria Auxiliadora as if to treasure that moment and that gift in my heart. But our trip included Kyoto, and the Lord had prepared for us one more surprise. This trip coincided with the commercial premiere of the film Silence, which tells the story of two Portuguese Jesuit Father Martyrs in Japan. Just this movie we could see it before the trip then we knew something of what happened there. Returning to the trip in Kyoto our hotel was just 50 meters from the Catholic Cathedral of Kyoto, which is about as small as a chapel in some parish, but we insisted with Andrea to know her.

As it was almost always closed we went several times until we could enter. The temple itself is very simple, but the secretary was so kind that she took us to an internal adoration chapel where Maria had another gift for us. In the inner chapel was the image of Mary that had been brought by the Portuguese Jesuit fathers (Rodrigues and Garupe – those of the film). That was a sublime moment, the secretary left us a few minutes in the place that we took advantage of to thank mommy for that beautiful gift.

Finally, I would like to comment on my experience in holy places of Shintoism and Buddhism.

As a Christian we know that we must respect others and love them as they are. Know or not our only true God. The Japanese believe a lot in luck but they are also very religious. He has a habit of visiting his temples several times a day, sometimes to ask and many others to thank.

We have seen a lot of devotion, and respect for each person who adored, the person who waited his turn did so in the deepest silence, a unique spiritual experience and from which we can learn a lot. We enjoy seeing brothers of other faiths worshiping their God, in such a spiritual way that it only leaves our heart to emanate absolute respect. Many of the rites include ablations, and incense, like other Abrahamic religions.

Travel Tips

• Japan is beautiful, enjoyable but you can also be a pilgrim there.
• There are several Catholic churches in the country, including one dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, one of the founders of the Jesuit order along with Saint Ignatius of Loyola. San Francisco Javier was martyred in Japan.
• There is also the sanctuary of Santa Maria de Akita, which is considered as a continuation of the apparitions of Fatima and Our Lady of All Peoples.
• Unfortunately these two holy places I could not go, if anyone knows them and wants to share their experience we appreciate it.

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