■ 2002 December

The Set-up Committee of "Thanks the Earth Day"
On 6 December, the set-up committee to establish "Thanks the Earth Day" held the board meeting in Tokyo and selected Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister's Designated of Konko Church of Izuo, as a permanent executive.

This committee was established in 1999 by Ms. Mari Fujioka's, a naturalist, proposal on the occasion that she had visited "Thanks the Earth Hill" in Kyushu where massages from 20 religious leaders in domestic and abroad are carved, in order to develop the campaign to a national movement. There are a lot of civil and economic persons attend the campaign not only those who are from religious world.

The committee aims to familiarize the spirit of Statement for Human Environmental Quality to the public in the world, that was adopted at the UN Human Environmental Summit on 5 June 1972. Therefore they are collecting one million signatures in Japan.

Meeting with Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
On 6 December, Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Executive Director of Konko Church of Izuo, attended "the round table talk with Prime Minister of Sri Lanka" held at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake attend the meeting on behalf of the Most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake, Senior Chief Minister as a permanent executive of World Conference of Religion and Peace (WCRP) Japan Committee. Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake exchanged opinions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on ethnic issues in Sri Lanka.

On the previous day, 5 Dec., it was reported from Oslo that "the introduction of federal system" was agreed between Sri Lanka government and Liberation Tiger for Tamil Eeelam (LTTE), the armed group of ethnical minority, Tamil, at the 3rd Peace Process meeting of Sri Lanka Conflict. The Peace Process was sponsored by Norway government that has been contributing to the peace process by establishing trustful relationship between the parties with the unique style.

On the same day, Japanese Prime Minister Jun'ichiro Koizumi announced after the summit meeting with Prime Minister Wickremesighe that they had agreed that the supporting nations meeting for restoration of Sri Lanka would be held in the next spring in Tokyo. At just such moment, the discussion was held between Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and Japanese religious leaders who had promoted to establish the peace and develop the society in this Buddhism country for long time.

Rev. Miyake and Prime Minister shook hands

There attended Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, Mr. Yasushi Akashi (the Chair of Diplomatic Protection Forum and the former UN Under Secretary General) as a special representative of Japanese Government, and religious leaders from WCRP members such as Tendai-shu, Hosso-shu, Rinzai-shu, Nichiren-shu, Jodo-shu, Izuo Church, the United Christian Churches in Japan, and Rissho Kosei-kai, and other religious organizations such as Jodo Shin-shu Hongwanji-ha, Soto Zen, Nempo Shinkyo, etc.

Japan is so sensitive to separation of religion and politics that it was little reported that WCRP/Japan made a great effort to invite Patriarchs of four major sects of Sri Lanka Buddhism for the international meeting at Bangkok, Thailand in May 2002. It was agreed at this meeting to solve the conflict peacefully by establishing trustful relationship between the parties and promote the support for social development under cooperation of international society including Japan. The agreement is the base of this "framework for peace process of Sri Lanka."

Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake put questions to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe

The round table talk was started by Mr Akashi's briefing report on the peace process, and then Prime Minister Wickremesinghe delivered a speech expressing appreciation for Japanese contribution and explaining further strategy. Following his speech, he exchanged opinions with Japanese religious leaders conducted by Ven. Gijun Sugitani, Chief Priest of Toeizan Kan'ei-ji Enju-in, as Secretary General of WCRP/Japan. First, Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake put questions to Prime Minister how to make a friendly settlement with the much miner Muslims who are out of the agreed federal frame, although he approved the agreement with LTTE. He also asked if there is possibility that Islamic fundamentalist terrorism network such as Al-Qaeda accesses to Muslims in Sri Lanka. Prime Minister answered to each question.

Konko Church of Izuo has long and deep relationship with Sri Lanka. The late Rev. Toshio Miyake, the former Senior Chief Minister of Izuo Church, who was one of the founders of WCRP, was well known for his aid activities for victims of conflict by establishment of "Miyake Foundation" in the country. Therefore the first President of Sri Lanka, Dr. Jayawardene visited Izuo Church with the First Lady in 1991. Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister's Designated, who serves as President of Asian Youth Center of World Federalist Movement (AYC), visits Sri Lanka often and holds meetings with Prime Minister Bandaranaike and her daughter, the former President Kumaratunga. Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake met Mr. Akashi also in November, at the occasion of UN Association Japan Kansai Headquarters.

WCRP/Japan Decided to Participate in World Water Forum
On 10 December, World Conference of Religion and Peace (WCRP)/Japan's Development and Environment Committee (Chair: Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister's Designated of Konko Church of Izuo) was held at Atsuta Jingu Shrine in Nagoya. They discussed how the committee contributes to the 3rd World Water Forum that will be held in March 2003 in Osaka, Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures.

WCRP/Japan also decided to hold a symposium to consider relationship between water and life at Heian Jingu Shrine in Kyoto on 5 February 2003. It will be discussed from the religious viewpoint by three panelists, Dr. Yukiko Kada, Professor of Kyouto Seika University serving concurrently as Advisor of Lake Biwa-ko Museum, and Rev. Kazuhiro Takai, Chief Priest of Kibune Shrine serving concurrently as Chair of the committee aiming to preserve the ancient forest in Kyoto, and Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Executive Director of Izuo Church, how important water is, moderated by Rev. Minoru Sonoda, Chief Priest of Chichibu Shrine who is Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University.

Roman Catholic Father visited KCI
On 12 December, Father Tiziano Tosolini visited Konko Church of Izuo from St. Xaverian Missionaries of Japanese Roman Catholic Church to meet Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Executive Director. He takes responsibility to "Program to understand Japanese Religions" for Catholic missionaries who come form European countries newly every year. Although Roman Catholic Church has more than 450 years missionary history in Japan since Father Francisco de Xavier came to Japan in the middle of 15th century, there are much fewer believers in Japan compared with other Asian countries. Therefore, the program was started aiming to provide a hint to Western missionaries for mission by learning Japanese religious tradition and culture. Fr. Tosolini came to ask Rev. Miyake to deliver a lecture at the seminar held on 12-14 January 2003.

Kabuki Dance Master visited KCI
On 13 December, Mme. Sakon Murayama visited Konko Church of Izuo. She is Grand Master of Murayama style of Kabuki (the traditional musical) Dance which is descended of the origin of Kabuki. Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister's Designated, showed him around Izuo Church.

Master Murayama, who has had friendship with Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Executive Director, was going to demonstrate a Kabuki program to dedicate for centennial of Rev. Toshio Miyake's birth on 5 January 2003. She looked around Izuo Church with Dr. Chiyono Suzuka, Associate Professor of Kobe Women's University, who has a great knowledge of art.

IRFO Held the 4th Board Meeting
On 20 December, International Religious Fellowship of Osaka (IRFO) held the 4th board meeting of this year. The Most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake as Chair of executives and other 11 members attended the meeting at RIHGA Royal Hotel in Osaka to receive annual reports about activities and accounting, and to discuss about plans in the next year. They also had year-end banquet deepening cooperative relationship each other.

CORMOS
On 26 and 27 December, the 47th CORMOS　(Conference On Religion and Modern Society )　was held under the theme of "Beyond Allergy to Religion: What can religious education do?" with more than 70 distinguished scholars and religious leaders including the Most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake, Senior Chief Minister of Konko Church of Izuo, as a permanent executive and Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Executive Director of Izuo Church, as a research member.
CORMOS is a unique organization established in 1970 by the late Rev. Toshio Miyake, the former Chief Minister of Izuo Church, the late Prof. Keiji Nishitani of Kyoto University, and the late Prof. Toshimasa Doi of NCC's Center for the Study of Japanese Religions in order to tackle with the present day's social problems by exchanging opinions between prominent scholars and religious leaders. Izuo Church has supported the management of CORMOS serving as a permanent executive charging in finance field since it was founded.

the Most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake expressed his opinion

On the afternoon of 26, the meeting was opened by an address given by President Hideyasu Nakagawa, Chair of Otsuma Gakuen University, and then Dr. Tetsuo Yamaori, Director of International Institute of Japanese Culture, conducted the lecture. They invited tow lecturer; Dr. Tamito Yoshida, Vice President of Japan Science Council, and Dr. Mamiko Okada, Professor of Himeji College of Technology.

Following the lecture, they had a deep discussion in three groups. At the General meeting and board meeting held after dinner, Dr. Nakagawa and Ven. Shozen Kumoi from Tendai-shu, were appointed to honorary president after long year serving as President and Vice President. Dr. Shizuteru Ueda, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University, and Dr. Yoshiya Abe, President of Kokugakuin University, were elected as the successor of each of them. Then only the Most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake was appointed as Advisor, the new position, among four resigning permanent executives.

the Most Rev. Tatsuo MIyake talking with the Most Ven. Koshin Otani, Patriarch of Jodo Shin-shu Hongwanji-ha

On the next day, they had a panel discussion, group discussion in the same group as the previous day, and the general discussion at the end of the meeting.

New Years Eve Service
On 31 December, Konko Church of Izuo served New Years Eve Service leaded by Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister's Designated. Believers were purified unluckiness and unfavorable behavior of the pasting year to have New Year with refreshed mind. After the service, Izuo Church was specially decorated for New Year.