Nov. 13 Poverty in Japan, Dec. 3 : Suzuki Daisetsu-- Zen and America

Dear friends and members of the Fellowship,

It is with pleasure that i announce a young person as the speaker for our next meeting.

November 13, 3:00-5:00

International House

--Near Azabu-Juban and Roppongi stations (call 3470-4611 for details)

Roy Takahashi will talk about " Poverty in Japan Today".

Currently still a student at Tokyo University, where he just won the prestigious President's Award for his topical writing for the Japan Times newspaper and participation and leadership in the the G8 Youth Summit (http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/stu01/h12_03_j.html).  I am sure  he will bring not only some interesting data about the topic  but enthusiasm and energy to our discussion.

Peggy Kanada, moderator

ps On Dec 11th  Prof. Miriam Levering (our own member) will talk about "Suzuki Daisetsu-- Zen and America."

Denver Unitarian's visit

     On Saturday October 15, 2011 ten members and friends of the Denver Unitarian church choir, under the leadership of Steve Comstock, were guided by your moderator, Peggy, and joined briefly by member Miriam Levering, through a long day of exploring Japanese religion and culture. The group was on a  visit to Japan that  included Takayama and Hiroshima and they spent three days in Tokyo.

Traveling and eating lunch together we had a little time  also to talk about some of of their Unitarian practice and community activities.  First we attended the Rissho Kosei-kai big ceremony (including gagaku music) in honor of the Historic Buddha in the Great Sacred Hall. We then had a chance to see the exhibits about RK founders and the photo of Niwano Nikkyo and UUA president Dr. Greeley (and Homer Jack etc.) in the founder's museum.  Then off to Kamakura to be impressed most by the 14th century Great Buddha. What do modern Japanese believe? what is Buddhism? Amida? Shakyamuni? what is a religion, a cult? How can we work together for peace? I wish more of you from the fellowship could have joined in the discussion.  peggy kanada, moderator

Correction - Meeting Time Sept 11

An update for the meeting time and ceremony time for Sept. 11.

We will met at 9:40  and the ceremony will start at 10:00  (NOT 10:30)

Peggy
Sunday September 11th

Repeating original message below with correction.

   (1) Won't you join me to represent the fellowship at an English-language memorial service for the victims and bereaved of 9/11 on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. We Unitarians will offer a prayer and join in the chanting meditation (in English) of the Lotus Sutra led by a group from the Sumida Dharma Center of Rissho Kosei-ki.

10:00 at the Iredo (Tokyo Memorial Hall and small park/musuem--that memorializes the victims of the 1923 Great Earthquake and of the Fire-bombing of Tokyo in Jan and March 1945).

     Meet:  9:40

     Place: Exit A3 of Oedo Line Ryogoku station. (If you come by JR Sobu line to JR-Ryogoku station walk around Edo Tokyo Musuem to the east side to find A3).

After the ceremony and a brief tour we plan lunch ("viking style") at the Dai-ichi Ryogoku hotel with a commanding view of Sky Tree and Sumida River.

Please contact me by email or at 080-5077-5515 if you can come.



   (2)  3:00 at International House

We will  hold Our Regular Monthly Meeting as usual on Sept 11th --  Topic -- let's share our experiences and possible solutions for the random acts of violence against civilians that have plagued our world in our lifetime often in the name of religion.



Peggy Kanada, moderator

Sept 11 Activities - Next meeting

Sunday September 11th

   (1) Won't you join me to represent the fellowship at an English-language memorial service for the victims and bereaved of 9/11 on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. We Unitarians will offer a prayer and join in the chanting meditation (in English) of the Lotus Sutra led by a group from the Sumida Dharma Center of Rissho Kosei-ki.

10:30 at the Iredo (Tokyo Memorial Hall and small park/musuem--that memorializes the victims of the 1923 Great Earthquake and of the Fire-bombing of Tokyo in Jan and March 1945).

     Meet:  10:00

     Place: Exit A3 of Oedo Line Ryogoku station. (If you come by JR Sobu line to JR-Ryogoku station walk around Edo Tokyo Musuem to the east side to find A3).

After the ceremony and a brief tour we plan lunch ("viking style") at the Dai-ichi Ryogoku hotel with a commanding view of Sky Tree and Sumida River.

Please contact me by email or at 080-5077-5515 if you can come.

   (2)  3:00 at International House

We will  hold Our Regular Monthly Meeting as usual on Sept 11th --  Topic -- let's share our experiences and possible solutions for the random acts of violence against civilians that have plagued our world in our lifetime often in the name of religion.

Peggy Kanada, moderator

June speaker - Prof. Norman Havens, Shinto Expert

Dear members and friends of the fellowship,


Next Meeting June12th 3:00

International House Roppongi, Tokyo


At last i have confirmed our speaker Prof. Norman Havens, Kokugakuin Univ., and expert in the field of Shinto and Japanese religion. He will talk about some interesting aspects of Shinto.

He has been the longtime editor of the massive project ---Encyclopedia of Shinto, to be found on line under that title, as well as on the site of Digital Museum Kokugakuin.

You might want to check out some of the info on the site.

The meeting is open to anyone who is interested in the topic, or just some fellowship.
On May 8th we had an interesting talk by Doreen Simmons who it turned out had spoken to the fellowship nine times in the past.


She talked about of a couple of experiences of finding "the sacred"

incuding at Delphi in Greece and of shugendo training (mountain asceticism based in esoteric Buddhism). Among many things she said that she was always open to other experiences and respectful of others beliefs and practices, while never implying to others that she would give up her own Anglican faith from which she has not wavered since age 20 or 21.

A bit of sad news: i have just learned that our member Ella Rutledge decided (too suddenly in April for us to say farwell) to retire from college teaching and move back to the states. She is now in Maine, at least for the moment with her son's family. Please ask me for her address/email if you would like to contact her. We will miss her quiet comments and Unitarian oriented advice, for example about summer retreats at Star Island (New Hampshire).


peggy kanada, moderator



Remember-- no meetings in July and Aug at International House.

July 10 Pot-luck Open House at Peggy Kanada's in Iidabashi

(Kagurazaka) anytime from 3:00.

Please contact me for detailed directions or to let me know what

you can bring. Or just bring yourself and make a Yen contribution to

drinks.

May 8 Meeting Doreen Simmons - Religion in Japan

Dear members and frieds of the Fellowship,

We had a lot of participants turn out for our April meeting.
Jim Dorsey, a Dartmouth professor on sabbatical in Japan, made an excellent presentation about the Japanese folk song movement of the 1960's which was thought-provoking about issues related to society at that time (and now) and such themes as the anti-war movement.

His presentation with photos and videos/sound was made possible by our member Chuck Olson's investment in a projector/speakers, which he will loan to us in the future too. Thank you Chuck from all of us.

Next meeting comes early in the month --- Sunday May 8th 3:00 p.m. Internationa House. (Intl House reception for any quieries is tel 3570-4611)

Our speaker will be long-time Tokyoite and early member of our fellowship from the time that founder Ken Woodruff was our leader -- Doreen Simmons. You probably know Doreen, who has been active under many hats and enriched the lives of so many of us English speakers in Japan. She has been the commentator/expert on Sumo. Formidible actress. Singer including in the British Embassy Choir and a stallwart member of St. Alban's Anglican Church. Contributor to many groups and causes (for which she modestly refuses recognition).

She will speak about her experiences of religion in Japan.

Peggy Kanada, moderator

Folk songs of the 60's in Japan - April 10th topic

Dear members and friends of Unitarian Fellowship of Tokyo,

Fellowship Meeting

Sunday April 10th

3 o clock (with dinner afterwards)

International House, please call them at 03-3470-4611 (24 hr front desk) if you have any concerns about possible cancellation

While the Fukushima radiation leakage problems are still far from resolved, many of us in the Fellowship who are long term residents of the Kanto area--whether expats or Japanese--are trying to return to our usual habits of work and spirituality, and to move forward with our lives.

It seems to me important this month that we make extra effort to join together at our monthly meeting in order to support each other, share our experiences and concerns, and confirm our friendships in these difficult times.

Thanks to Chuck we have an interesting and what looks to be enjoyable talk by James Dorsey on the folk songs that developed in the 1960*s-- looking at the politics and causes, history,censorship and technological changes of the era that gave birth to some great songs, many of which we know so well.

This should be a welcome change of pace. For a taste see: http://www.youtube.com/user/bandanaRamaMan

Our meeting in February with Doi Kanae, lawyer and graduate of Todai and NYU, was on the weightier topic of human rights and how her organization with a newly opened office in Tokyo seeks to combat rights abuses, looking at problems such as asylum seekers, refugees, and human trafficking in Japan. Her organization--Humanrights Watch annual fundraising dinner has been postponed until July 5th. Please contact me if you are interested.

We may be able to have someone from Polarisproject --who were our planned speakers for the cancelled March meeting --come speak later this year

Peggy Kanada, moderator

ps i urge those of you who are searching for ways to help those affected by the Quake and Tsunami to support Second Harvest. You will remember the inspirational talk that Charles McJilton (still running Second Harvest) gave to the fellowship a couple of years ago.Their site is www.2hj.org

March topic Human Traffiking in Japan - Speaker from Plolaris Project

On March 13, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. at the International House of Roppongi we plan to have Nancy Roberts, a speaker from the Polarisproject Japan office. She is an intern who is just finishing her project about the Polarisproject in Tokyo this March. She will be joined by Kazu Funato (staff) who will help her to talk about the positive steps to curb human trafficking and the explotation of children and young women in Japan. 　More can be learned about the Polaris Project at http://www.polarisproject.org/

The meeting will be held at 3:00 p.m. on the fourth floor of the International House in Roppongi. Anyone is welcome to join both the meeting and our dinner in the I-House restaurant afterwards. This time of year, the surrounding garden is a joy to see.

At our February meeting, we enjoyed a lecture from Kanae Doi, Japan Director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, an organization that investigates abuses of human rights around the world and pressures goverments to reform through exposure and persuasian. As a newly minted lawyer, she went to Eritrea to help with the writing of laws and constitution when that country was newly independent from Ethiopia. She focused her presentation on recent activities and successes by Human Rights Watch in the Congo. You will frequently see HRW quoted in the news about the current struggles for democracy in the Middle East.

Human rights watch - February meeting

Dear Friends and Members of the Unitarian Fellowship,

Reminder:

February 13, Sunday 3:00

International House

Our speaker--HumanRights Watch, director of the Japan office, Kanae DOI.

Peggy Kanada, moderator