Elsewhere I said that I was in Tokyo. I’m still in Tokyo. I am here with a great group of guys for some R&R.
On the evening of my arrival, one of the key figures of Una Voce Japan graciously met me at the airport. I am deeply grateful to Augustin-san! When I was settled at the hotel, we met two more Una Voce members and went out for tori nabe, a good way to get to know each other.
My view from my room. I look west and a bit south. I was hoping that in the morning I might be able to see Fuji-san.
The next morning, I was picked up and whisked away to the chapel where the TLM is usually offered.
Alas, the photos I was sent were small, so this is the largest of them. However, Augustin-san told me that videos of the whole Mass will be posted.
UPDATE 23 Jan:
Here are links to the videos which the great Augustin-san sent this morning.
1 Sprinkling of Holy water to Graduale
4 Offertory to Consecration of the Host
5 Consecration of the Chalice to Holy Communion
6 Holy Communion to the end of Mass
Here is the great and well-known Fr. Ikeda, 90 years young, who often says the TLM. This Sunday he heard confessions.
Fuji-san!
And again.
We went for sukiyaki at a place in the Ginza area. They do transcendent things with tomato.
Everything that is cooked passes through your small bowl which contains a beaten egg.
Sake… dry… cold.
We also have had shabushabu. The word comes from the sound the food makes as you swish it in the boiling broth. One the brethren was shy.
And… yes… I do love my PASMO.
At the Hokusai Museum, I found the best image for the Women’s March I have ever seen.
From the One Hundred Ghost Stories, c. 1983, a demoness holds a freshly-severed child’s head covered in blood.
That just about sums it up.
Below, from a drawing manual by Hokusai, images of lib writers, especially of the Fishwrap, Amerika, etc., trying not to write the truth.
Onward. To the great Sumo Stadium and the January basho.
If you haven’t seen sumo you are missing something terrific.
Anyway, that’s a partial catch up on what is going on in Tokyo.
My still injured foot is really slowing me (and my friends) down. But, I am managing.
UPDATE:
Augustin-san sent an update to one of the videos. HERE
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Any chance of a visit to Akita?
That food is WOW! Have a wonderful time, Father!
FASCINATING! Thank you for sharing! Praying for you!
Thank you for sharing Fr. Z. ! The photos are wonderful!
I am so happy to hear of the Latin Mass culture in Japan!
Our local ICKSP Oratory has a priest from Japan. It’s lovely to hear French inflected Latin with a Japanese accent. Truly a universal Church.
Any sightings of Godzilla-san?
[If I happen to meet up with Godzirra, I’ll probably use “sama”, at least until I’ve cleared the area.]
You got to see a sumo honbasho??? *Loses mind and does a ton of hand-flap stims, as Father has accidentally stumbled upon one of her aspie fixations* One of the guys you would’ve seen, Aoiyama, is actually a Christian (probably Bulgarian Orthodox, since like 80% of Bulgarians are, but not sure.) Have you ever been to Nagasaki? It’s on my to-visit list, but for now I’ll have to settle for a documentary on its hidden Christians that NHK World will be airing this weekend (Saturday evening, US time, and if anyone’s interested, the channel can be streamed online for free. They also air sumo ;p )
Looks like a beautiful place to be. Enjoy it Fr. Z.
OMGosh! I know her! She’s the director of our local abortion clinic!
*1883
Wow … you really get around Father. Thank you for taking your shining light all around the world!
Great photos! Any chance you will be coming to Kyoto? You can do it on a day trip from Tokyo via Shinkansen. Better yet, spend a couple or more days in Kyoto. But your foot! Visiting Japan means walking a lot.
I wonder how the TLM is doing in Japan.
Perhaps you can ask your hosts and do a short blog post on this subject?
In Kyoto we have no TLM at all. Una Voce Japan organized a TLM 2 years ago and the priest had to come from San Jose, California.
The Japanese language Novus Ordo mass attendees are quite old. Here and there you see some young families. In Kyoto, a university town, many of the attendees are foreign students from Vietnam and other Asian countries whose mother tongue isn’t English. There are English masses in the big church in Kyoto twice a month but it’s filled with tourists and it’s a guitar mass (with 1970s music).
Julia,
Although a year old, a TLM was held in Kyoto; perhaps some time in the future? Contact Una Voce.
Cheers,
–Guy (sometimes in Tokyo …. never in Kyoto)
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https://uvj.jp/mass/7635/?lang=en
G r e e n with envy, specially at having been at the basho. Were you able to visit the museum downstairs?
Julia_Augusta,
I’ll be visiting Kyoto as a part of a Japan trip this summer. Do you have recommendations for a place to attend mass in Kyoto?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the photos and links from Japan, this is great. God bless Fr. Ikeda and the parishioners. One wonders if those are Daniel Mitsui altar cards in the video.
Justasinner and KateD: *chuckle*
JesusFreak84: A documentary on hidden Christians and also sumo wrestling on NHK, interesting. Maybe EWTN can add to their programming the arts of fencing and brewing beer.
majuscule: Good point.
Amazing photos Fr Z, thank you for sharing them.
I hope you enjoy your trip! (I am suitably jealous, haha!).
How wonderful to see a TLM in Japan.
Love the homily!
[Thank you!]