When the small town of Fuchu, on the western edge of Tokyo, first came to the attention of the brethren as a potential site for gospel work the population would not have been more than 100,000 souls. By Japanese standards, even in the late forties, it was not impressive and it acted more as a dormitory town for the nearby metropolis. It did, however, have four features that where somewhat unique. There were a penitentiary housing about 3,000 convicted criminals; a very large brewery; the nation's main horse racing track where the annual "Derby" was held; and the headquarters of the American Fifth Air Force where hundreds of service personnel were stationed. That none of these were conducive to the preaching of the gospel is self evident.
The late Mr Tom Hay and two pre-war Japanese brethren were exercised regarding the town. Of the two local brethren, Mr Waterfield had spent almost four years in the penitentiary because of his refusal to engage in emperor worship. He also had a younger sister, a widow and an unbeliever, living in the town and, probably, these were factors contributing to his exercise. In due course he had the joy of seeing his sister and her daughter saved and brought into the assembly.
Two gospel meetings each week were commenced in a rented building which, while having some historical import, was in a state of extreme disrepair. Prior to each meeting the brethren stood in front of the railway station preaching the Word. That street meeting, with the distribution of literature, has continued at the same spot, at least once each week, for about fifty-nine years. Confessions of faith and subsequent baptisms in the river just outside the town brought about the formation of the assembly in early 1949.
At the time, post war shortages of many commodities were still being felt. One of these was electricity, causing some of the factories to curtail their work days. A few hours at the factory on Sunday mornings left a Mr Hillfield at a loose end during the afternoon. Induced to come in under the sound of the gospel he became one of the very first believers to be eventually added to the fledgling assembly. Now 96 years of age he is by far the oldest believer in the assembly, attending the meetings on Lord's Days when his failing health permits. On occasions still he engages in what is his greatest joy, making known the gospel to which he has remained unwaveringly faithful.
One Sunday evening a motor cycle with sidecar pulled up in front of the little hall, which by this time had been erected by brother Waterfield, mentioned earlier. After buying a small piece of property I was able to give him $2,000.00, a lot of money at the time, and he, a builder of sorts, donated his time to the construction of a very plain hall, 12 x 20 feet (3.7 x 6.2 metres) in size. The motor cycle carried a missionary couple belonging to one of the evangelical missions who were about to be transferred to another part of the country by their organisation. They had with them a girl of 17 years of age who was completely crippled by polio contracted some years before. The girl, after becoming fully acquainted of the seriousness of her condition, became embittered especially towards whoever or whatever had brought her to such a state. Unable to attend school for a period of time she listened a lot to radio programs, one of which was "Christian". An offer was made of literature including a free copy of the New Testament. Having received a copy she gave herself to reading through the Gospels and the Acts with little or no reaction until she got as far as Romans 9.20. The words, "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?", struck her like a bolt from the blue with a resulting sincere interest in the gospel of Christ. The program sponsors put her in touch with this missionary couple. The wife had had connections with an assembly on the Canadian Prairies while young and, now, being sent to another location sought a suitable "church" where their young friend would hear the gospel. In the process of time Miss Forrestfield professed faith in the Lord Jesus, was baptised, and was added to the assembly where she still remains to this day. In the intervening years she has studied by correspondence to university level becoming an extremely capable editor, attending to all our publications until her retirement last year.
Young men and women brought up in a Christian home here in Japan, or in most other lands, often are less than appreciative of the blessing that is theirs. One such was a young man whose parents, older brother, and sister-in-law were in the assembly. After years of Sunday School and gospel meeting attendance he found them somewhat irksome while fields further away beckoned. Leaving the small town where he was raised he headed for one of the larger centres where opportunities for employment and entertainment were more prolific. One Sunday afternoon, perhaps in search for one or the other of these, he walked down a long flight of stairs in the main railway station. At the entrance way some of the believers were distributing tracts. The young man, Mr Kudoh (untranslatable), received a tract and recognised it as one of those used by the assembly in his home town. So began his attendance once more at the meetings. Saved, baptised, and faithful for many years he now has the pleasure of seeing his son and daughter-in-law shouldering some of the responsibility in testimony for God.
Rarely do the long haired, guitar playing, rock and roll type of individuals show an interest in the gospel but "with God all things are possible". One such young man has given a great deal of joy and has proved to be a real asset to the work of the Lord here in Japan. Again, the first contact was at the street meeting but his later attending the meetings on a regular basis was more of a surprise than anything else. As far as Japanese society is concerned it offers every type of entertainment and worldly pleasure conceivable.
By comparison there is nothing that appeals to a worldly appetite in the assembly's gospel efforts. Two hymns and, after prayer, 45 or 50 minutes of setting forth the simple message of the gospel is the usual format. Yet, from the beginning the young man, Mr Goodpart, was impressed and moved so that, in rather a short time, he had made a clear confession of faith in Christ. Since the darkness of those who come in off the street is so dense we expect that months, sometimes years, are needed to bring such to a full understanding of what the work of Christ is all about. This particular young man is a native of Okinawa, an island chain far to the south of the mainland. The folk from these islands speak with a slightly different accent from those in and around Tokyo and they look upon themselves as being different. Many of them come north for work and in a few short months seven or eight of them were led to the Lord as the result of our brother's testimony. For six or seven years they proved very faithful in their service for the Lord, but later decided as a group that they should return to their own islands and take the gospel to friends and relatives. Today there is an assembly of some forty believers gathering on the outskirts of the city of Naha and our brother has been commended to the work in that part of the country.
Fuchu, now enjoying the status of a city, currently has about 230,000 inhabitants who enjoy every manner of convenience. The assembly numbers almost fifty in fellowship housed in a four storey building on the original piece of property purchased so long ago. Four or five other assemblies in close proximity offer us the warmth of brotherhood, while five or six of our brethren are invited to different parts of the country to help in the ministry or the preaching of the gospel. In recent years an interest has arisen with regards to the gospel being furthered in other lands, and now at least six countries are being remembered in prayer and for practical help as well.
The grace of God in allowing the work of planting assemblies through the gospel in this benighted land surely calls for much thanksgiving, and prayer, on our part. While a wide open door is presented to us with no hindrances whatsoever, the Macedonian call "come over and help us" may still be heard by those who have a listening ear.
Concluded.
