IWA's 30th Meeting 17th July, 2014

IWA’s 30^th meeting in Goshono was a lovely evening, enjoyed by ten altogether, including two new international visitors.  Apologies from five ladies.

The talk, in English, by Professor Mark Williams, Vice President of Akita International University, who is an authority on Shusaku ENDO, who wrote SILENCE, was very enlightening.  According to Professor Williams  Endo ‘sensei’s’  work is better known by the 45 and over age group and by the original film in 1971, which Endo sensei didn’t like. 

Prof. Williams believes it to be one of the greatest novels as it deals with Endo’s personal struggle with religion and identity and also deals with the period in Japanese history during the 17^th Century.  During the Tokugawa and Iyasu eras when Christianity was kicked out of Japan and forbidden.  By 1614 there was officially no Christianity in Japan.  However, there were many Christians practicing their religion in secret and called ‘kakure Christian’.  FUMIE was a regime where suspected Christians were told to step (fumu) on an image of Christ and denounce their religion.  If they refused/wouldn’t they were deemed to be Christian and killed.

Endo sensei born in Tokyo in 1923 went with his parents to Manchuria where his father was a banker.  However, after his parent’s divorce, mother and Endo returned to Japan.  Destitute with nowhere to live Endo’s aunt offered accommodation in Nagasaki.  The tradeoff was that they both had to become Catholics.  From whence Endo’s struggles with Catholicism began.   Bullied at school for being different and called ‘Amen Samma” he grew up an outsider in his own country.  (Presently, only 1% of Japan’s population of 124 million is Christian.)  Endo spent the rest of his life trying NOT TO BE CHRISTIAN.  

After the war he studied French and went to Paris on a scholarship. He spent four weeks on a boat going to France with very little money and still trying to understand Christianity.  He found a huge gap in European and Japanese cultures and felt France a very alien culture.  Becoming very ill, depressed and stressed he returned to Japan.  He began to write and established himself as a writer and wrote constantly about his near death experience and Christianity in Japan.

The famous book SILENCE touches on all these points of Religion in Japan and perhaps mirrors Endo’s own struggle with Christianity. 

At the end of the book there is the crucial point of whether God would say ‘fundemo ii’ = permission to STEP, or ‘Fumuga ii’ = you’d better STEP.  There are disagreements as to the interpretation of this meaning.

Apparently, the English translation is misleading and that is why Endo Sensei didn’t like the English translation or the 1971 film.

There is now a new version of the film being made by Martin Scorsese with Ken Watanabe, Daniel-Day Lewis and Liam Neesan taking the major roles.  We MUST look out for this film, I’m sure we shall now appreciate the story line so much more.

Another ‘thank you’ to Professor Mark Williams for his very enlightening talk.

A delicious potluck supper followed the talk and questions and conversation continued until 10 p.m.!!

Countries represented at the gathering were:  UK, USA, Japan, Thailand, Italy, India, Philippines, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia.

I would like to thank all the ladies for their wonderful potluck dishes.  THANK YOU.