■ 2003 June
Have a Talk with the Former Prime Minister
On June 30, Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister’s Designated of Konko Church of Izuo, was invited to the party of Mr. Takuji Yanagimoto, a member of the House of Representatives. He presented as a distinguished guest with Mr. Yasuhiro Nakasone, the former Prime Minister, Mr. Shizuka Kamei, the former chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, Mr. Takeo Hiranuma, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ms. Fusae Ota, Governor of Osaka Prefecture, Dr. Takafumi Isomura, Mayor of Osaka City, and so on.

Rev. Miyake toasted with Mr. Nakasone, Mr. Kamei, and other guests

Mr. Nakasone and Izuo Church had had a relationship since 1994 when the former Senior Chief Minister Toshio Miyake gave a prayer at the front of H.H. Pope John Paul II. Mr. Nakasone delivered a commemorative lecture at the 6th World Conference of World Conference of Religion and Peace (WCRP) in Italy. On meeting Rev. Miyake’s brothers, Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Chief Minister of Kasugaoka Church, and Rev. Osamu Miyake, Chief Minister of Kobe-Nada Church, who also came to the party, Mr. Nakasone talked them wistfully “ We’ve not met all together at once since we met in Vatican…”

from the left, Rev. M Miyake, Mr. Kamei, Rev. Y Miyake, and Rev. O Miyake

Mr. Kamei who had made a lecture at Izuo Church on July 15, 2002 expressed appreciation to Izuo Church for the support and understanding to his political activities.

Semiannual Appreciation Service
On June 30, Konko Church of Izuo had a special service to appreciate the safety of the first half of the year and reflect the delinquency or fault during the term.

Rev. M Miyake purifies Kekkai*1

Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister’s Designated, who conducted the service, purified Kekkai and believers attended the service with Onusa*2.

*1 Kekkai: the sacred area where a reverend mediates with Kami-God and people
*2 Onusa: a device used to purify something in Shintoism ceremony

WFM Kinki Regional Consultation
On 26 June, Kinki Regional Consultation of World Federalist Movement (WFM) held General Conference of 2003 at Konko Church of Izuo.

At first, the most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake, Senior Chief Minister of Izuo Church, delivered an opening address as President of the consultation. Kinki Regional Consultation of WFM is a unique organization with members of several mayors and governors, that was established responding the rise of World Federalism campaign among municipalities as well as religious people and civilians.

Rev. Miyake delivered an address

They talked about their activities in free form, and then discussed about the finance in 2002 and strategy on budget and activities in 2003.

The 76th Assembly of Youth Association
On June 22, Youth Association of Konko Church of Izuo had the 76th Annual Assembly. Following the Service leaded by Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister’s Designated, the assembly was opened with an opening address and a song. Then two representatives made a speech.

Prof. Okuno made a comprehensible lecture

Dr. Takuji Okuno, professor of social science at Kwansei Gakuin University, made a commemorative lecture under the title of “How to live in the electric media world.” He defined that a new technology changed human lifestyle not only made it easy, taking ancient agricultural revolution that had established city-states and Industrial Revolution that had developed the modern society for example. Moreover he illustrated how to live in the new lifestyle being created by information technology. It was not enough to understand IT as “useful technology” like the government defined.

young members listening carefully to the most reverend’s prayer

Following the commemorative lecture, Mr. Sakuji Higashi was awarded as the member of the year, and then the most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake, Senior Chief Minister, gave a prayer. After the ceremony, they had a reception and enjoyed bingo game at the hall with a lot of former OB/OG members’ attendance.

30th Anniversary of WCRP/Japan Youth Committee
On June 21, World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) Japan Chapter Youth Committee had the 30th anniversary ceremony at the Fumon Hall of Rissho Kosei-kai in Kyoto. The most Rev. Tatsuo Miyake, Senior Chief Minister, Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Minister’s Designated, and 30 young members attended the ceremony from Konko Church of Izuo.

the most reverend and boar members

The commemorative ceremony was opened with an address by Rev. Taketsugu Hayashi, the Chief Priest Designated of Yumiya Hachiman Shrine, and H.E. Seiichi Cardinal Shiroyanagi, then they performed Japanese drum, showed a film of their activity, and Rev. Munemichi Kurozumi, Patriarch Designated of Kurozumi-kyo, delivered a commemorative lecture.

WCRP board members

The distinguished guests and former representatives made a speech at the reception following the ceremony. Then Rev. Mistuo Miyake gave a toast as a former President of WCRP Japan Youth Committee.

Symposium on Interfaith Dialogue
On June 14, Shinto Society for Current Matter Studies held a symposium “Interfaith Dialogue, Encouraging from Shinto” at Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo. Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, Executive Director of Konko Church of Izuo, attended as a panelist and stimulated the discussion very much.

a lot of audience attended the symposium

At first, Rev. Yasuhiro Tanaka, Deputy Chief Priest of Meiji Jingu, gave a welcome address, and Rev. Fumihiko Katayama, Chief Priest of Hanazono Jinja Shrine, conducted the symposium. Rev. Yoshihide Majima, Director of Meiji Jingu Research Center, made a speech emphasizing that Meiji Jingu as an international cultural communication field took the function to express Japanese traditional culture in Tokyo.

Then Dr. Simon Nakamura, docent of Ohu University, who had lived in Israel for 10 years since he was 18 years old, explained religious lifestyle of Judaism that Japanese had little knowledge, in order to give suggestive lecture about the relationship between the nation and the religion.

Then Rev. Miyake followed as the panelist from Izuo Church that had overwhelming experience on inter-religious dialogue. He delivered an impressive opinion that seemed to deny the theme of symposium. He insisted that the interfaith dialogue was impossible, i.e. it was just a misunderstanding even if those who did not have the same sense of value discussed and arrived at an agreement. He took an easy example for attendees’ understanding, and then he attracted every attention with his new methodology that the only solution for this issue was to implement “common language system” like “money” in the international business.

Rev. Miyake greatly stimulated the discussion

The last panelist was Rev. Takahiro Miwa, Chief Priest of Hiyoshi Jinja Shrine serving as a docent at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, who added on Rev. Miyake’s opinion. He introduced the international organizations on inter-religious dialogue such as International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) that the late Rev. Toshio Miyake, the former Chief Minister of Izuo Church, had greatly contributed on the establishment, and World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP). He insisted that it was important to solve secular matters like economic disbalance and human right oppression that was breeding ground for fundamentalists.

It was a fruitful symposium with a lot of questions and comment from the audience stimulated by panelists’ so radical opinion that they could not hear at the other religious symposium.