First days in Japan
To broaden and deepen himself in preparation for his mission, True Father went to study in Japan. On March 31, 1941, he departed from Seoul Station and took the Hikari line train to Busan. On April 1, he sailed to Japan on the Shokei Maru, a liner operating between the port of Busan and Shimonoseki. At the beginning of April, Father enrolled in the Waseda Technical High School, which was attached to Waseda University, and began his studies in electrical engineering. 1 From childhood I held the thought, "If my country (Korea) were stronger than Japan, its fate would have been different." This was its problem. I felt deeply that my country's weakness, especially the weakness of its external foundation, was the reason it could not avoid a miserable fate. Studying the countries of the world, I learned that the most powerful country in the world at the time was the United States. As a child I already knew that. I further thought, "The United States is a much larger and more powerful country than Japan, but it's just the same there. Doesn't it also try to take advantage of weak nations for its own benefit? Is there any righteous country anywhere which, as the representative nation of the world, protects and lifts up weak countries? If there were such a country, what would it look like?"
As a child, I thought that what had been historically impossible for human beings would be possible for the Creator. I thought that if He truly existed, He could do it. Therefore I resolved, "If the Creator, the Absolute Being, exists, I will partner with Him to do the work of saving my country and liberating its oppressed people." But first I needed an answer regarding the existence of God. For this I searched within religions. I thought that if God really exists, then I must find a way to meet Him. As I was passing through my teens and approaching my twenties, I agonized over many issues on my journey of faith. I thought, "I have to go to Japan and then to the United States. I need to experience sorrow and persecution there as a representative of a people whose power is smaller and weaker." (199-213, 1990/02/17) 2 As I began my journey to Japan and was crossing the Han River Bridge, I shed many tears. I felt as if I were leaving the Korean people behind, like orphans. It seems it was only the day before yesterday when those tears poured down my face. On the train to Busan I wept bitterly all the way while covering my head with my coat. A Japanese woman saw me crying and said, "Young man, did your father or mother die? Everyone goes through that kind of sorrow." She tried to comfort me, but my sorrow was something that sprang from a heart completely filled with love for my country. I tell you, people who cannot love their country cannot truly love heaven. (039-062, 1971/01/09) 3 On my way to Japan I traveled from Seoul to Busan on the Hikari line train. While riding that train I asked myself, "What is it that I should learn in Japan?" Then I resolved, "I will liberate my country, and I will pave the way for the next generation to have hope and to prosper in an independent nation." I still remember shedding tears as I held on to a handrail while crossing the Han River. At that moment I resolved, "By the time I return, I will no longer be shedding tears." (199-185, 1990/02/16) 4 In Busan I boarded a ship bound for Japan. I still remember vividly how I continuously shed tears on the way. As Korea was under Japanese rule, I thought, "Who will liberate this poor nation from its shackles?" I gazed at the stars throughout the night and longed for the day of my country's and my people's liberation. I tearfully prayed to God, "Now I am departing my country. 0 God! Please protect my country until I return." That time is still fresh in my memory, as if it happened yesterday. (039-062, 1971/01/09) 5 I attended evening classes at the technical school at Waseda University so that during the daytime I could work as a laborer to help other Korean students pay their tuition. You do not know all the difficulties I went through in Japan. Japanese people who are now alive must appeal with tears for their nation to be forgiven. Otherwise Japan cannot stand. Japanese people need to apologize for the shameful way they treated Korea and the other nations of Asia. (590-145, 2008/05/20) 6 I had many Japanese friends when I was living in Japan. I treated them with utmost respect. Whenever they were in difficult situations, they came to see me to discuss their problems. Sometimes they asked out of concern, "How is Korea doing?" I did not want to be outdone by any of my Japanese friends. So when they spoke one word, I spoke two words. I generally speak very fast, but when I spoke with Japanese people I spoke even faster. I studied how to speak fast and trained myself to do so. I resolved I would someday lead Japanese youth and mobilize them for the sake of the world. So I practiced to gain the ability to discuss issues better than Japanese people could, by gaining deeper and broader knowledge in all fields. (205-069, 1990/07/07) 7 In my childhood I used to speak slowly. However, after coming to Japan, as I was learning to speak better Japanese every day, I competed with Japanese people to see who could say more in one minute. If I was ever defeated I could not fall asleep, so I trained myself to speak even more rapidly. If in 30 minutes I could say 1,000 words speaking normally, by speaking faster I could say more than 2,000 words. When learning a language it is important to train yourself through practice. (055-056, 1972/04/23) |