Chapter 2
House of Justice 10: Letters and Cables to Miss Agnes B. Alexander, 1923-1957 [Letter of January 27, 1924] [Letter of July 16, 1927] [Letter of October 12, 1927] [Letter of October 22, 1927] [Letter of October 31, 1927] [Letter of December 30, 1927] [Letter of March 13, 1928] [Letter of March 29, 1928] [Letter of May 20, 1928] [Letter of November 14, 1928] [Letter of December 21, 1928] [Letter of April 19, 1929] [Letter of January 5, 1930] [Letter of April 18, 1930] [Letter of October 8, 1931] [Letter of January 25, 1932] [Letter of February 11, 1933] [Letter of June 8, 1933] [Letter of November 1, 1934] [Letter of April 17, 1935] [Letter of July 6, 1935] [Letter of September 23, 1935] [Letter of November 3, 1935] [Letter of May 11, 1936] [Letter of November 3, 1936] [Letter of November 19, 1936] [Letter of January 24, 1937] [Letter of June 3, 1946] [Letter of July 23, 1946] [Letter of June 28, 1947] [Letter of May 31, 1949] [Letter of October 6, 1950] [Letter of November 15, 1951] [Letter of May 22, 1952] [Letter of September 29, 1952] [Letter of August 15, 1953] [Letter of May 3, 1954] [Letter of May 5, 1954] [Letter of May 27, 1954] [Letter of May 27, 1954] [Letter of March 1, 1955] [Cable sent March 29, 1957] [Letter of April 14, 1957] [Cable sent January 4, 1971] 11: Letters and Cable to the Baha'is of Japan in the Early Days, 1922-1931 [Letter of January 26, 1922] [Cable dated December 15, 1922] [Letter of December 17, 1922] [Letter of May 10, 1923] [Letter of May 22, 1923] [Letter of October 22, 1925] [Letter of January 12, 1930] [Letter of December 24, 1930] [Letter of March 5, 1931] [Letter of June 20, 1931] [Letter of January 9, 1932] 12: Letters and Cables to Administrative Institutions [Letter of April 1957] [Cable of April 29, 1957] To National Spiritual Assemblies To the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia--1957 [Cable dated May 2, 1957] [Letter of May 20, 1957] [Letter of July 15, 1957] [Cable dated August 27, 1957] [Letter of October 20, 1957] To the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, 1951-1956 [Letter of February 29, 1951] [Letter of November 20, 1955] [Letter of December 27, 1956] To the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia [Letter of July 19, 1957] To the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran [Letter of January 6, 1957] To Local Spiritual Assemblies, 1948-1957 [Letter of September 21, 1948] [Letter of December 20, 1951] [Letter of April 14, 1952] [Letter of August 30, 1952] [Letter of July 24, 1953] [Letter of November 26, 1953] [Letter of March 2, 1954] [Letter of May 29, 1954] [Letter of June 7, 1954] [Letter of June 8, 1954] [Letter of July 19, 1954] [Letter of September 26, 1955] [Letter of April 24, 1956] [Letter of June 11, 1956] [Letter of April 19, 1957] To the Local Spiritual Assembly of Hyogo-ken (prefecture] [Letter of January 2, 1956] 13: Letters to Individuals Excerpts from letters to Japanese believers, 1947-1957 [Letter of October 15, 1947] [Letter of October 6, 1950] [Letter of March 21, 1952] [Letter of April 22, 1952] [Letter of October 5, 1953] [Letter of December 30, 1955] [Letter of September 19, 1957] The following excerpts are from letters to pioneers to Japan and Korea, 1948-1957 [Letter of January 21, 1948] [Letter of October 16, 1948] [Letter of December 20, 1949] [Letter of September 17, 1950] [Letter of February 27, 1951] [Letter of September 21, 1951] [Letter of November 12, 1952] [Letter of May 25, 1953] [Letter of July 10, 1954] [Letter of October 19, 1955] [Letter of November 23, 1955] [Letter of May 3, 1956] [Letter of March 18, 1957] [Letter of August 18, 1957] [Letter of October 18, 1957] 14: Shoghi Effendi Writes to Emperor Showa of Japan 15: Message from the Universal House of Justice to the North Pacific Oceanic Conference, Sapporo, Japan, September, 1971 Afterword
[FRONTISPIECE]
Japan Will Turn Ablaze!
Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha, Letters of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, and Historical Notes About Japan
(Revised Edition) Compiled by Barbara R. Sims Baha'i Publishing Trust of Japan, 1992
(C) Copyright 1974 by Barbara R. Sims
First Edition 1974 Reprinted 1975 Revised Edition 1992
[Photograph with the following caption: Hand of the Cause Miss Agnes B. Alexander (Circa 1900)]
"Your name will forever remain associated with the rise of the Faith and its establishment in Japan and the record of your incessant and splendid endeavors will shed on its annals a lustre that time can never dim." (Shoghi Effendi, June 8, 1933)
INTRODUCTION
As early as 1903 and for years thereafter, 'Abdu'l-Baha urged Baha'is to travel to Japan to spread the Message of Baha'u'llah. On occasion He said He Himself would like to go to Japan, and also to some other countries.
In 1908 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote to an American believer, Mr. Howard McNutt(1), "A trip of the believers of God to the Orient is of the utmost importance and it will become the cause of great connection between the two regions... Perchance, God willing, in Japan, you may lay the foundation for the Kingdom!"
In 1910 He said to the first two Baha'is to visit Japan, "Blessed results will appear from the Holy Cause established in that land. I have sent your letter regarding the work in Japan to Mr. McNutt in New York, that he may spread the word for some of the American Baha'is to go to Japan, and there serve and teach the Cause. It is very good for teachers to travel, and, through the love of God, give life to the people. American Baha'is should go to Oriental countries as teachers."
The first Baha'is to make the long voyage, Mr. Howard Struven(2) and Mr. C.M. Remey, 1909; Mme. Aurelia Bethlen, 1911; Mr. and Mrs. Dreyfus-Barney, 1914, stayed for brief periods of time and continued around the world. Dr. George Augur and Miss Agnes Alexander both arrived in 1914--Miss Alexander shortly after Dr. Augur. They sailed to Japan with the intention of residing there for some time. All these believers traveled in response to the wishes of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Besides Japan, He also encouraged travel in those early days to China, India, Persia and other Asian countries.
In the Tablet of the Divine Plan written to the Baha'is of the United States and Canada, Japan is mentioned six times and the Japanese language itself once. In those Tablets 'Abdu'l-Baha again urged travel. "How good would it be were there any possibility of a commission composed of men and women, to travel together through China and Japan..."
In 1919 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote to Mr. Roy Wilhelm(3), "Attach great importance to the Japanese people. Mrs. Magee should continually communicate with them." And again, later in the year to the same believer, "Convey to Mr. Nasu(4), the Japanese, my greeting and say:
The world of nature is darkness but the heavenly Sun dissipates by its light this darkness that prevails over the world. Likewise the world of mind and of souls is a dark one and nothing will illuminate it save the rays of the Sun of Truth. My hope therefore is that thou mayest be the cause of the shining of the Divine Teachings in Japan, that thou mayest vivify the dead. The people of Japan are intelligent but they are in need of a leader that he may awaken them. I hope that thou mayest be the cause of their awakening and may vivify them."
To Mr. William Randall(5), in 1920, He wrote, "The association which has been formed for promoting the relationship and love between America and Japan, will, God willing, be confirmed and assisted. This association is important. It will unquestionably, bring forth great results."
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"These are His very words, that still keep ringing in my ears: 'Japan will turn ablaze!'"
The title of this book was taken from 'Abdu'l-Baha's prophecy of the spiritual future of Japan as quoted by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, in his first letter to the Baha'is of Japan, January 26, 1922.
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We have taken the liberty of adding a few words, for the sake of continuity, and also that the reader, knowing something of the individuals and circumstances might better observe the creative power in the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi as reflected in the lives and actions of the recipients.
For further information on the history of the Baha'i Faith in Japan, we recommend to the reader History of the Baha'i Faith in Japan 1914-1938 by Agnes B. Alexander, and Traces That Remain, (A Pictorial History of the Early Days of the Baha'i Faith Among the Japanese) by Barbara R. Sims.
Barbara R. Sims Tokyo, Japan 1992