Our Trip to Northern California

　　　My family and I went to San Jose to attend a Japanese Spiritual Training Seminar sponsored by Seicho-No-Ie Northern California Missionary Area from September 26 to 29. I was invited as a guest speaker at that event. About 50 people participated the seminar at which we've got a lot of inspiration and wonderful memories. At the last part of the seminar, there was a time for every participant to make a resolution. That many of them resolved to propagate the teachings more enthusiastically really impressed me. Thank you very much for the hospitalities and kindness that provided us.

　　　Other than the seminar, one of what I noticed was the foods they served at the seminar were very similar to the foods what we ate in Japan. In other words, the Japanese foods we eat in Hawaii are a little bit different from the ones we had in Japan. To tell the truth, just after I came to Hawaii, I was disappointed with the Japanese foods because they were not exactly what I expected. To me, it was even the fly in the ointment. However, as I made an adjustment my life in Hawaii, I came to understand the fact that the Japanese foods are deeply rooted in the culture of Hawaii. That is why a taste is fine-tuned suited to people here. From a perspective of a globalization of the Japanese foods, it should be highly appreciated.

　　　I think a similar thing is applied to religion. Let us consider a case where a religion originated in country A is passed on to country B. If that religion is not changed at all, it means the religion is not taken root in country B. On the contrary, if that religion is fine-tuned and changed in accordance with the needs of people in country B, although their core messages are not changed, it means the religion is appreciated to people of country B. This is the reason why we need to change in rituals and ceremonies, which are the peripheral elements of religion, according to people, time, and places.

　　　By the way, after the seminar, on our way to the Hotel we stayed in San Francisco, Rev. Kawakami, Chief of the Missionary Area at that time, took us to Golden Gate Bridge. It was a windy and cold day.

　　　We appreciate to have such a priceless experience this time.




-TA