Meet Higuchi-san

Kaz Higuchi and John

.......TUC sexton, a man who wears many hats…..from spotlessly maintaining the church facilities, making sure that the large rice cookers are prepared for fixing the meals for the homeless, , singing in the church choir and the Tokyo International Chorus with his rich bass voice,, as well as manning the sound and computer booth on Sundays, setting up the phone, DVD and Internet connection in our apartment, and ably explaining other electronic mysteries to us!

After getting a DVD set up in our apartment on July 16, (after two trips back to the church in very hot weather) we invited him to stay for a glass of lemonade and some “Trail mix”, getting to know him better.

He has been the sexton at Tokyo Union Church for 10 years, and lives in a 2 room space at the church. His wife lives in a village some ways from Tokyo, and he goes to spend time there once a week. They have a daughter who is married, lives in Tokyo, and recently gave birth to their first granddaughter, of whom he is very proud!

He was born into a Buddhist family, where there was a small family alter, at which each morning, a small portion of rice or whatever newly cooked or given to the family, is placed on the alter (a traditional form of respect done by all Buddhist families). This was his job as the son in the family.

As a young man, he realized he had desires and stresses in his life which he could not control. A friend invited him to a Christian church, and slowly thru the work of the Holy Spirit, he began to read the Bible, and after a long period of time, realized that this God of the Bible, could help give his life limits and direction. He became an intentional Christian, received Jesus into his heart, and realized that he needed to worship only one God, and could not participate in the Buddhist alter in his home.

He has married a Christian woman, and has a good relationship with his parents, but they are not happy about his leaving Buddism,. (Often when someone leaves the Buddhist faith, the family will not allow that person to be buried in the family plot, or be considered the son to carry on the traditions. Higuchi has a nephew who has been selected to take his place.

In asking him the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism, he said that many Japanese practice both: having Shinto idol figures to worship in the upper parts of their rooms, and also having an alter in the home to practice Buddhism. Shinto worship includes many “gods”, who are in most everything—nature, rocks, idols, trees, and appearing at the shrines dedicated to successful military or political figures. At the Shinto shrines there is the water cleansing ritual, following with two loud hand claps. Buddhist temples are more quiet as they honor, worship, and pray for ancestral persons and their returning spirits.

Higuchi said it is difficult for those coming from a Shinto or Buddhist background, to completely renounce other gods, and to love and worship the one God of the Christian faith.

We had such a rich time with Higuchi, who is fluent in English, and continues to study English. We shared with him some of the Japanese phrases we have picked up from books, and found that sometimes we were not always saying words the proper way!!! He explained also, the hierarchy of respect that is shown in the Japanese culture.

May God continue to bless and use Higuchi in his ministry at Tokyo Union Church!!