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Japan's new role in Asia

Trade War Ahead?

The gathering storm clouds of trade war are already on the horizon. There are growing grumblings against U.S. trade restrictions. Retaliation is being hinted at.

Kokoro Uemura, vice-president of the Federation of Economic Organizations, warned that Japan "would not buy farm products from the United States" if U.S. trade protection bills were enacted into law.

Kazupaka Kikawada, president of Toyko Electric Power Company, added, "The U.S. will face retaliatory measures from Japan and many of its other friends."

Ryokichi Minobe, mayor of Tokyo, warned, "Japan's present monopoly-dominated economic and political system contains the seed of Fascism . . . I was in Berlin when Hitler emerged. When small enterprises here face similar situations they will support Fascism."

"All that is needed to start pressure building to a similar explosion [as was seen in the nationalism of World War II] is a new issue that can engender enough anger to enable those with the political know-how to step in and manipulate it to suit their purposes" (James Cary, Japan Today; Reluctant Ally).

Despite their high literacy rate, the Japanese are stirred more through an emotional, rather than intellectual, appeal. Cary estimates that 90 percent of the student demonstrations have no political reasons but are motivated by sheer emotion.

There is no greater proof of this fact than Japan's newest radical religious movement — Soka Gakkai.

 

Soka Gakkai

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Japanese claim to belong to some form of organized religion, there is in reality a definite religious vacuum in Japan today. Japanese historian Kazuo Kasahara of Tokyo University estimates that 70 percent of the Japanese are totally indifferent to religion.

Buddhism is a dead religion, tainted with vice and corruption, totally out of touch with the modern world. Competition and religious in-fighting have shattered the confused Buddhists in the more than 3,000 different sects!

Buddhism's powerlessness is widely known to most people in Japan. As a result, many people have become disillusioned and are abandoning the mainstream of Buddhism and joining a dynamic new "lay organization" at a record rate.

This new organization is called Soka Gakkai (value-creation society), which was founded in 1930 and now claims approximately 20 million members and a fantastic growth rate of 200,000 new converts per month. While these estimates may be somewhat exaggerated, no one can deny the fact that this new movement is saturating Japan and growing astronomically.

Though it claims to be Buddhist, Soka Gakkai is more than just another Buddhist sect. It combines both religion and politics. Its political arm is called Komeito, which presently holds 20 seats in the 250-seat House of Counselors and 25 seats in the 486-seat Lower House. Despite the small representation, it is presently the third largest party in Japan, and the fastest growing of all. Don't forget — Nazism had an identical beginning in prewar Germany.

Militant organization and rabid participation characterize the Soka Gakkai crusade. Thousands of meetings are held throughout Japan every night. Rallies, torchlight parades, concerts, athletic tournaments, and religious classroom studies are commonly sponsored by and heavily attended by Soka Gakkai followers.

Rabid proselytizing is the keynote of the phenomenal growth of Soka Gakkai.

It is reported that every new initiate must be responsible for personally adding two new converts each month or forfeit his membership in the organization. Soka Gakkai members are "persuading" fellow Japanese to join their glorious movement by Shakuburu, the Japanese term for a never-say-die method of religious intimidation and persuasion. Financial failure, mental upset, and constant harassment by Shakuburu are just a few of the curses that are threatened to come upon those who do not bend the knee.

The Shinshuren, the Japanese equivalent of the National Council of Churches, is strongly opposing Soka Gakkai, publicly warning: "It is possible that Soka Gakkai may take the dangerous steps which the Nazis took in the past."

Definitely this is a movement that bears close watching.

 

Japanese Counterfeit "Kingdom of God"

The confessed ambition of Soka Gakkai is to convert Japan and then the world. It "would like to be the one religion in Japan," says historian Kazuo Kasahara.

This daring new movement is promising the world an AGE of PEACE — a pseudo-millennium — Japanese style. This new age is called Kosen-Rufu or the Third Civilization. This new civilization spoken of in such glowing terms at Soka Gakkai rallies will be replete with material luxuries and international prosperity as well as the spiritual blessings of Buddhism.

The President of Soka Gakkai stated in a youth rally on November 19th, 1967, "Our sacred cause must never be defeated. We cannot retreat even a single step. If our great mission of world peace and individual happiness is defeated, this will no doubt mean disaster. The happiness, prosperity, and harmony so desired by all mankind will be destroyed."

He continued, "Soka Gakkai has stood alone and has challenged all forces of evil. All that we have done is for the sake of saving Japan and the people of the world from falling into the pit of Hell."

Once again we are strangely reminded of the Nazi promise of German peace during a "Thousand Year Reich." Soka Gakkai is also intent on enforcing world peace — Soka Gakkai style. It claims to be the one true religion, the only hope of bringing world peace.

There is now reaching maturity in Japan, as in West Germany, a new generation which is less willing than its parents to wear the sackcloth of the 1945 defeat. Those Japanese who were in their infancy or yet unborn in 1945 have no war guilt. They do not know the bitter fruits of Japanese nationalism. They are unwilling to listen to the voice of experience.

These are the people, mainly young adults under thirty, who are being converted to Soka Gakkai.

In the final analysis, Soka Gakkai is nothing more than a subtle form of religious nationalism — or, in other words, Fascism.

 

United Asia in Prophecy

"The prime desire for most Asians . . . is to write 'Yankee Go Home' on every wall . . . we are trying to build a substitute for the United States — a UNITED STATES OF ASIA — that's our dream now," wrote a leading Thai journalist.

Many of the nations of Asia are looking for a substitute for the U.S. and the most logical candidate is Asia's industrial supergiant — Japan.

Japan has been identified in Bible prophecy! Prophecy shows that Japan is destined to play a vital role in the future of Asia.

Japan is the Tarshish of Asia in Bible prophecy. As the number one shipbuilder in the world, the modern "Ships of Tarshish" figure prominently in today's prophesied world trade. A full explanation of Japan's identity was presented in the "Question Box" section of the December, 1967, issue of The PLAIN TRUTH magazine. If you did not receive that issue, you may write and request this information in reprint form.

Despite its many national, religious and political differences, Asia will ultimately be welded together into a common power bloc. It will ultimately send its military muscle into the Middle East at the return of Jesus Christ. This prophecy is recorded in Revelation 16:12 and 16. Japan will play a vital role in this battle.

A great military crisis between the Western and Eastern power blocs will precipitate the return of Jesus Christ to this earth to prevent total annihilation of human life as a result of this insane power struggle. Jesus Christ must return to stop man from destroying himself (Matthew 24:22).

This battle does not, however, totally crush the Asian power bloc. Even after Jesus Christ has returned and the Kingdom of God has been established, and modern Israel has been brought out of captivity and placed in the land of Palestine, there is yet another attempt on the part of the Asiatics to achieve their dream of world conquest. We read of this in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

God inspired Ezekiel to write, "And the word of the Eternal came unto me, saying, Son of Man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him . . ." (Ezekiel 38:1-2).

The marginal reference gives the words "chief prince" as "chief of Rosh." This is RUSSIA. Joined with Rosh is Meshech (who settled the area of Moskva or Moscow) and Tubal (modern Tobolsk) — the Great Russians. Allied together are "Gomer and all his bands [of Central Asia]; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters [Siberia], and all his bands; and many people with thee" (verse 6).

These verses refer to the Soviet Union and every major Oriental and Asian race in existence. The minor nations of Southeast Asia are included in verse 6: "all his bands and many people."

Notice another name added in verse 13: TARSHISH!

Japan will be allied with this Soviet-dominated power bloc.

In their attempt to arrogate to themselves world rule, five sixths of the Asian horde will be annihilated, and burial troops work seven months (Ezekiel 39:12) to bury the millions of dead.

From the ruins of this crushing defeat will emerge a truly NEW JAPAN — a NEW ASIA — and a NEW WORLD. The wonderful WORLD TOMORROW!