October 14, 2013
Translator Lymhwa Kim
True Mother addresses the crowd in Sapporo
The following is a translated article posted on October 15, 2013 on Tongilgyo.org about True Mother’s speaking tour in Japan. The first event was held on October 14, 2013 in Sapporo, the chief city on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.
The rally honoring the 55th Anniversary of the arrival of Unificationist Missionaries to Japan was held on October 14, 2013 at the Gato Kingdom Sapporo Hotel on Hokkaido. About 3,200 people gathered at this event, which included church members, former- and current congressmen, local leaders, leaders of civic groups and social organizations, religious leaders, peace ambassadors and VIPs.
Church members from Hokkaido listen to True Mother speak.
This event was held to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the founding of Japan’s [Unificationist] mission. It was especially meaningful because True Mother visited and launched a speech tour in Japan, her first since True Father passed away last September [2012]. Japan is the first foreign missionary country [for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification]. Missionaries were sent out on July 15, 1958 and one year later, in 1959 Japan’s church headquarters was inaugurated.
Before the opening ceremony, the Sapporo church’s middle- and high-school student choir, the ‘Peace Angels,’ performed, Asahikawa high-school and college students’ danced, and the choir called ‘North Hill Choir,’ selected from 14 churches in Hokkaido, performed.
The head of the North Hokkaido parish, Mr. and Mrs. Yasda, presented flowers to True Mother as she entered the hall to a warm applause.
Mr. Eiji Tokuno announced the opening of the event, declaring, “This event is to inherit True Father’s will with which he devoted his life to world peace. This will be the opportunity for us to start fresh with one heart centered on True Mother.”
A choir comprised of young Unificationists performs during the Hokkaido Rally.
After singing of the Cheon Il Guk anthem, Mrs. Honda Eriko gave a report prayer, and VIP introductions followed. The VIP’s included Mrs. Yeon Ah Choi, vice president of the Women’s Federation for World Peace; Dr. Chang Shik Yang, international president of Universal Peace Federation; Mr. Yong Cheon Song, president of the National Blessed Family Association and Mrs. Hea Ok Lee; as well as many VIPs from the Tohoku region.
After the VIP introduction, the video titled ‘True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind and Japan’s Unification Movement’ was shown. A VIP gave the congratulatory message, and Mrs. Suzuki Geiko sang accompanied by her family members.
Left, Mr. Eiji Tokuno, right, Mr. Yong Cheon .Seong
In the greeting message, Mr. Yong Cheon Song, representing the Japanese Church, expressed his appreciation to True Mother for greatly leading the Unification movement after True Father’s Seonghwa. “I wish you to start anew for the victorious Vision 2020 on Hokkaido, which is the head of the Japanese Archipelago.”
Afterwards, a video featuring one of True Mother’s recent speeches was shown to the audience, moving some to tears.
During True Mother’s keynote address she said, ““On this 55th anniversary, we must again recognize and appreciate the fact that the mission to Japan is fully mature. Japan stands as a Mother to the other, younger missions around the world. Now, Japan has the responsibility to achieve the national providential mission. You are living in the Cheon Il Guk era that True Parents inaugurated. It was your ancestors’ dream and hope. Japanese Unificationists and blessed families should create the [ideal] eternal environment for the world.”
She also emphasized the importance of witnessing and sharing God’s blessing, “We should not holding the huge blessing that God gave us just for our own families, but we need to give it to people and to the nation.” She asked the participants to become God’s true children who bring forth new spiritual lives, “What makes you happier than helping others to be reborn through you?”
The participants showed their appreciation to True Mother by offering a painting of a crane, presented to her by the peace ambassador committee. The Hokkaido rally successfully finished with three cheers of Eok Man Sei by Mr. Yabuki Gyoichi.
True Mother plans to tour Saitama City on Oct. 16th, Nagoya on Oct. 18th, Nagano-Shin’etsu on Oct. 20th, and Kobe on Oct. 22nd.