Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
by Fabio Beretta
Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) - "Dialogue is the key to stability". This is what Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo, says, who will be created Cardinal by Pope Francis at the upcoming Consistory on Saturday, December 7.
In a detailed interview with Fides, the future cardinal, who is also President of "Caritas Internationalis", shares realistic and non-conformist considerations on the present and future of Japanese society, which is characterized by an aging process that can only be stopped by the influx of migrants.
The 66-year-old Archbishop of Tokyo, who belongs to the Society of the Divine Word Missionaries, also speaks about the origins of his missionary vocation that led him to spend much of his priestly ministry in Ghana.
In an interview with Fides a few months ago, you said: "To be a good parish priest, I had to listen to people". And to be a good Cardinal?
To do this, I also have to be able to listen to all people, not only members of the Catholic Church, but also the wider community in society.
How did your vocation come about, which led you to join the Society of the Divine Word and become a missionary?
I was born as a son of a catechist and our family was living with a Swiss Missionary in the mission station in northern part of Japan. So I was raised with a foreign missionary and it was very natural that I also wanted
to be like him, a missionary with whom I spent much time together.
Returning from his trip to Asia and Oceania, Pope Francis said that we are used to seeing the Church in a too Western light. Do you agree with this statement?
Catholic Church or Christianity used to be seen as representatives of European culture. People love European culture through paintings, food and music. So the Church was also recognized as one of the provider of such foreign culture to general public in Japan. But these day are gone. Nowadays people have started to recognize the Church as an oasis where to take refuge from everyday problems in their life. Regarding the Pope's words, yes, in many parts of Asia the Church was seen as a representative of Western reality, and the Church itself used to try to be more Western than based on local culture. Our effort for inculturation has not been enough and sufficient.
Among Japanese youth, psychological problems are manifested in impressive forms, and the suicide rate is high. Can the Church do something for them?
To begin with, Japanese society is aging, and there are very few children. The older people try to educate the young based on their experiences, but the social reality today is very different. The economy is experiencing a recession, and in many communities there are no jobs for the young people. The traditional social system that supported them and helped them to develop no longer exists. Young people in Japan today need communities to which they feel they belong. The Church could be one of these communities, to support them and make them feel that they belong to a much larger reality that can accompany them in their lives.
And then there are the migrants... How does the Japanese Catholic community respond to this phenomenon?
Without migrants, an ageing society like Japan will not be able to survive. The government knows the situation but is hesitant to fully accept migrants for fear of entering a new "world" that Japan has never experienced before. Japan has been a very homogeneous country.
But without migrants, today's society cannot sustain itself. And this is a fact. It is true that migrants come with all kinds of visas. But due to the reluctance of institutions, many migrants sooner or later face bureaucratic problems regarding their visa. For the Japanese in general, one could say that migrants are a problem in society. In the Church we also say "migrant problem". We have a number of people assisting migrants, but we ourselves use the term "migrant problem". I think migrants are not a problem, but a hope for the Church. They offer the Catholic community an opportunity to grow with young people and to proclaim the Gospel even in areas where there is no Church. In a way, they give the Japanese Church an opportunity to become more active. And that is a hope for us.
According to the latest data, Japan has approved a 16.5 percent increase in defense spending (around $56 billion) for 2024. You yourself have said, with regard to nuclear weapons, "They do not provide any real protection, so you are just throwing money in a garbage can." Does it help that this year's Nobel Peace Prize is being awarded to a Japanese anti-nuclear organization?
Yes. Anyone who seriouslt analyzes the political situation in Asia knows that dialogue is the key to stability, not the threat of weapons. Investing more money in weapons, especially nuclear weapons, which nobody wants and which cannot be used to resolve conflicts, is really a waste. These weapons were created to destroy this world, not to solve problems. The Church in Japan, especially in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, will continue to work with some bishops in the United States to demand that both Japan and the U.S. government abolish such weapons as soon as possible.
In a country like Japan, which is at the center between great powers such as China, Russia and the United States, how important is dialogue with these states? And with the two Koreas?
Dialogue is the key to stability. There is no question about it. We have to to talk to each other. Dialogue is not only talking, it is also building relationships. And synodality is needed in this area too.
How is the Holy See's action perceived in Japan in the context of the major crises in the world?
The Holy See's initiatives, especially those of the Pope on issues such as ecology and climate change, are appreciated by many and the Pope is expected to continue to call everyone to action. At the same time, since the Church is an absolute minority in Japanese society, the influence of the Bishop of Rome on international politics is underestimated or not known. In general, here in Japan, many wonder why a religious leader talks about politics. Therefore, not everyone appreciates the initiatives of the Holy See. But this is a normal reaction in many other parts of the world. (Agenzia Fides, 20/11/2024)
