June topic Tagore--'Poet of a Defeated Nation'

Dear friends and members of the Unitarian Fellowship of Tokyo,

      

      Our next meeting>> June 10  3:00 at International House

       We are pleased to have as our speaker Vivek Pinto, an old friend of the fellowship, who is a professor, journalist and long term resident of Tokyo from India.

 He will speak about R.Tagore (1861-1941) --the great Bengali poet and composer, writer,educationalist, anti-imperialist and supporter of  Indian nation-building (and the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913).   Tagore was an important figure in introducing Indian culture to the west and other nations. Pinto in a recent paper (from which he will base his talk to us) examined the  visits and connections Tagore made with  Japan especially during the years when imperialistic Japanese were rushing headlong into  disastrous war and ultimate defeat. 

Rabindranath Tagore--'Poet of a Defeated Nation'.

Link to his paper:

 "Rabindranath Tagore and Japan: A Poet's Propehcy," on Sophia Univ. document website.

Step 1: Please access the following URL: http://repository.cc.sophia.ac.jp/dspace/handle/123456789/4943

Step 2: Once you come to the home page, then type 29 (in numerals) in the box SEARCH.

Step 3: This will bring up the current issue of The Journal of Sophia Asian Studies, vol. 29, 2011.

Step 4: Scroll down to find his paper.  On the right there is an icon OPEN. 

 And it is with great pleasure again this year to invite all to a "Potluck." 

 Let's meet together  for another leisurely summer Sunday of good conversation and good food.

Date: Sunday July 8th

Place: the Kanada's home

Near JR Iidabashi Station (west exit); Yurakucho and Namboku lines Iidabshi station (Kagurazaka-shita exit); Kagurazaka station on Tozai line; and Ushigome-Kagurazaka station on the Oedo Line. Contact me for detailed directions.

tel 03-6240-1990

Time: "open house style"--which means come and go as you wish--anytime after 4:00 until 9:00 or so.

Please contact me and tell us how many are coming AND what you would like to bring--so that i can co-ordinate the food.

 If  bringing something is inconvenient for you NO PROBLEM --please just contribute 500 to 1000yen towards drinks. 

NO PEANUTS please.

Peggy Kanada, moderator

May 13 Talk - Tristam Ivory on "Sub-Saharan Africans in Japan

Dear members and friends of the Unitarian Fellowship,

   At the April meeting, our member Chuck Olson (unfortunately Stan Yukevich could not come at the last minute but Chuck used Stan’s notes along with his own) made some interesting points and led a lively discussion about the economic unfairness in our societies. Among the data/graphs he presented the steep rise since the mid 1970’s in income disparity has stuck in my mind.

  Miriam Levering extended, along with the moderator, our apologies for miscommunication about the planned meeting on March 4 with Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (North America), which is our fellowship umbrella organization. We will try to update our email/phone numbers especially for emergency contacts.

In the end, the fellowship could not have a private lunch with Morales, but Levering and Donovan and the Murata family were able to attend the Sunday service at Dojin Kuristo Kyokai (Japanese Universalist Church) and spoke with him there. UUA is gearing up for the General Assembly this summer in Arizona—and Morales has taken on (as a priority for UU’s) the issues of immigration and racial/cultural discrimination, especially relating to Hispanics in the USA.

For our fellowship these issues are relevant in our own experiences too.  We can relate Morales’ concerns to how we think about human rights and nationality/ legal issues here in Japan. Join us for the May meeting with Tristam Ivory who will talk about one group of ex-pat/short and long term residents.

Unitarian Fellowship NEXT MEETING:  May 13    

 3:00 at International House

Stanford University researcher, Tristam Ivory, will discuss "Migrant Human and Social Capital Investments: The Case of Sub-Sahara Africans in Japan" which will also include something about religious support networks.

Also we are pleased to announce JUNE 10 Fellowship Meeting with Vivek Pinto--  Rabindranath Tagore and Japan:  'The Poet of a Defeated Nation.’

Our June speaker (Vivek Pinto)'s essay can be found on the Sophia University website

Step 1: Please access the following URL (Uniform Resource Locator): http://repository.cc.sophia.ac.jp/dspace/handle/123456789/4943 --then type in "29" as the title for "search".

 

TELL (Tokyo English Life Line-- phone and counseling support in English) has sent us the info about their big annual fundraiser—the TELL Run/Walk (your moderator always walks!) around the Imperial Palace.

9:00 Saturday May 5^th  (meet along moat in front of British Embassy)

Registration (donation 4,500) gets you a T-shirt. See their website.

April 8 discussion - Income Inequality

Dear friends and members of the Unitarian Fellowship of Tokyo,

   

Our next meeting (as usual) will be the second Sunday of the month.

April 8th 3:00 at International House

Our stalwart members Stan Yukevich and Chuck Olson have rescheduled their March talk for this date.

     ---The Wealthiest 1%, Fairness issue or distraction?--

This turns out to be Easter Sunday and so i hope many of you can join us for what should be a great discussion. Two related topics that I hope will enter our discussion include financial managers compensation and a consideration of how all of "us workers" might do better with stronger unionization-- including the example of very poor women's organizing under SEWA in western India.

Peggy Kanada, moderator

March 11 - Occupy Wall Street - March 11 memorial

The Tokyo Unitarian Fellowship will be meeting at 3 p.m. March 11 at the International House in Roppongi.  The topic for discussion considerations of the issues raised by the concentration of wealth on politics as raised by the occupy wall street movement.

When this topic was chosen for March we were not conscious that the date would fall on March 11, a date that changed us all, and we will certainly be thinking of all the people lost that day and all the deep changes that have happened or our happening in Japan.

Stan Yukevich will lead the OWS discussion.   Hope to see you there.

Feb. 12 "What Ballam's Ass Said, and What the Women Answered

Next meeting:  February 12

3:00 at International House

Unitarian Barbara Beach (joined by her husband Kim): "What Balaam’s Ass Said, and What the Women Answered”

Kim will speak briefly about "Balaam’s  Ass" work he has been doing.  Barbara will talk about her February activities(and about Unitarians)  in the Philippines (primarily in Negros) as well as about  the forthcoming gathering of Unitarian women in Romania (Transylvania) in October. Barbara after a career in business and consulting has become the president and powerhouse behind the International Convocation of UU Women which seeks to more efficiently (especially thru the internet) link up women's social activism and insights to empower women across the globe. She was the dynamic keynote speaker at the International Ass of Liberal Religious Women in Kerala, India in September 2010.  

Peggy Kanada, moderator

     

PS  Your moderator had to reread about Balaam.  

While not wishing to spoil the intriguing title and their presentation here is a little background. Although there are several interpretations of the story of 'Balaam and his Ass [or Donkey]' found in the Old Testament/Torah (Bk of Numbers) it is told that Balaam is an evil non-Israelite diviner [some scholars say with possible links to Zoroastrianism]  who  attempts to curse the Israelites but Yaweh (God of Israel)  instead puts blessings/affirmations in his mouth making him nearly as famous a prophet as Moses.

In this episode--greedy Balaam (riding his ass) is on his way to collude with another tribal king to hurt the Israelites when angry God sends his Angel to stop him. At first only the donkey can see the Angel [truth] and refuses to go forward. Balaam beats it mercilessly. The ass is given divine power to speak [power of truth] about the Angel's sword about to cut them down and suddenly Balaam can now see the Angel who tells him it was only thanks to his ass's hesitation that he was not killed.  Balaam repents for the moment. 

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