RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Japan
direction. The connection of this mission with Russia, and the relations of Church and government in that land have made it the object of much suspicion. The large cathedral in Tokyo occupies one of the most conspicuous sites in the city, and stands on ground leased in the name of the Russian legation, facts which have caused considerable illfeeling, and even given rise to threats of destruction. Bishop Nicolai has, however, gained the respect of all; when war broke out in 1904 between Japan and Russia, he left it to his followers to decide whether he should remain in Japan or return to his own land. They urged him to stay with them, and this he did, to the general approval of the public. The statistics for 1907 show 265 churches, 30,166 members, 37 ordained Japanese priests, and 129 other evangelists. The contributions of the churches for the year amounted to 10,711 yen (15,355.50). Workers for the Church are trained in a theological seminary and an evangelists' school. The former gives a liberal education and teaches theology in the Russian language; the latter is of a lower grade, and uses only the Japanese language. There are two boarding-schools for girls and several day schools, while three periodicals are published. In 1907 Nicolai was made an archbishop, another Russian being sent out as bishop.
3. Protestant Missions: The treaty made by Japan with the United States in 1858 provided that in July of the next year certain ports 1. Begin- ghould be opened for the residence of ni«^Qln American citizens; also that "Americans in Japan shall be allowed the free exercise of their religion, and for this purpose shall have the right to erect suitable places of worship. No injury shall be done to such buildings, nor any insult offered to the religious worship of the Americans." This treaty was followed by similar ones with other Western nations. Though no permission was given for teaching Christianity to the Japanese, it was believed that this would soon become possible. Soon after the treaty was signed, Chaplain Wood, U. S. N., Dr. S. Wells Williams, the well-known missionary and diplomatist, and Rev. E. W. Syle met in Nagasaki. As a result of their conference, they decided to write to the Episcopal, Reformed (Dutch) , and Presbyterian Boards in America urging that they send missionaries to Japan. Within a year all three societies had done this. In May, 1859, two months before the time set for opening the ports, the Rev. J. Liggins, of the Episcopal Board, was in Nagasaki, where he was followed a month later by the Rev. (afterward Bishop) C. M. Williams. In October, J. C. Hepburn (q.v.), of the Presbyterian Board, reached Kanagawa, while the next month saw the arrival of three missionaries of the Reformed Board — Rev. S. R. Brown and D. B. Simmons, M.D., at Kanagawa, and Rev. G. F. Verbeck (q.v.) at Nagasaki. The next April, Rev. J. Goble, who had been a marine on Perry's expedition, came to Kanagawa under the American Baptist Free Mission. At first the missionaries labored under great difficulties. They were surrounded by spies and were in danger of attack from those who hated all things foreign, and especially the Christian religion. One man became Dr. Hep-
burn's teacher with the intention of assassinating him. Japanese who showed any inclination toward Christianity were in danger of arrest. The teaching of English gave some opportunities for exerting an influence over young men. Even before missionaries came, Chaplain Wood, U. S. N., had held classes, and though extreme caution was necessary, the questions asked by students about words found in their books could be answered only by telling something concerning Christian beliefs. In 1861 the Shogun's court itself sent several persons to the missionaries for instruction in English. As many of those who were gathered in such classes afterward held places of influence, the honor in which they held their teachers and the ideas that they received concerning morals, politics, education, and religion had much influence in shaping the course of events in which these men became leaders. It was a great help to the propagation of the Gospel that educated Japanese could read Chinese. Their curiosity to learn about Western ideas led them to purchase not only works on geography, history, and science prepared by missionaries in China, but also those dealing directly with Christian truth, and even the Bible itself.
In Jan., 1866, a meeting held by Christian believers of various nationalities living in Yokohama
issued an address to the Christian 3. Alterna- world asking that special prayers be ting Ad- offered for Japan. It mentioned among vance and encouraging changes that the mission- Reaction. aries were no longer watched by spies,
but were in some instances employed by the goverment as school-teachers, that students of English no longer uttered the name of Jesus with bated breath, but manifested a readiness to talk about Christianity; and that some of them went daily to the missionaries " to read the English Bible, preferring this to the study of school-books." At Yokohama in 1864 occurred the first Protestant baptism in Japan. In 1866 at Nagasaki a high official from Saga was baptized with his brother. The greatest secrecy had to be observed, as the new converts were liable to capital punishment. Up to the spring of 1872 only ten persons had been baptized. Soon after the restoration of imperial power in 1868, the attempt to revive the Shinto religion was accompanied by a renewal of strong opposition to Christianity. The new government posted edicts against it almost identical with those of the Shogunate. One of the few baptized Protestants was cast into prison. In 1870 and 1871 two teachers of missionaries were arrested under suspicion of being Christians, and one of them died in prison. Knowledge of these persecutions made other persons afraid for a while to visit the missionaries. Yet even before the removal of the edicts in 1873, it became evident that the government was becoming more liberal, and in Mar., 1872, the first Japanese church was organized in Yokohama with eleven members as a result of the work of the Reformed and the Presbyterian missionaries. Though this church has since become connected with the Nihon Kirisuto Kyokwai (Presbyterian), it at first had no denominational name. The next two churches, those of Kob6 and Osaka, organized
Japan