---4
12 A
MONDAY, NOVKMBlill 18, 19KJ
MbDKUtU) MAIL TKIHUNE. MGDKORD, OREGON
Soka Gakkai Discussed by
American Student in Japan
(Editor s note: This u an
other in series of articles
from Fred Lorish, son of Dr.
and Mrs. Fred C. Lorish, 830
Minnesota Ave., Medford, who
, is studying at Kelo University
in Japan.)
By FRED LORISH
Recently I came across a copy
of the Sept 10 edition of "Look
Magazine, in which the cover
article dealt with Japan. The
cover itself was quite enough
to gam a few extra readers
"JAPAN: Prosperity beauty ug
liness and an alarming new re
ligion which wants to conquer
the world.
I am sure the journalistic
world has an appropriate word
which is used to express the use
of such a headline: perhaps
"sensationalism is close. Nev
ertheJess. "Look" has taken i
number of rather innocent words
and blown them up in such a
way as to completely miscon
strue the meanings.
I will not go so far as to say
that the "Soka Gakkai," the
above mentioned religion, does
not want to conquer the world.
But then, what religion doesn't?
Perhaps "conquer" is a little
too strong, but there is not a
major religion existent that
doesn't desire to "extend its in
fluence" to include the entire
workl. This Is true of Christian
ity as well as many other mod
ern Japanese religions iwmcn
are, in fact, equally as interest
ed in world domination as the
Soka Gakkai). Perhaps Chris
tianity hasn't the prophetic zeal
of this religion, but there was a
time during which Christians
utilized a great deal of "zeal"
combined with the machinery of
war to extend their influence
(need I enumerate). The Soka
Gakkai hasn't yet gone to this
extreme, though it does use
numerous strong-arm tactics.
The article mentioned that the
Soka Gakkai has attracted 10
million people. Considering that
Japan has a population of 100
million, this is a sizable portion
one-tenth.
William P. Woodard, the di
rector of the International Insti
tute for the Study of Religions
(and whose comments were
part of the "Look" article)
made a statistical study of the
entire spectrum of modem Ja-
pan s religions two years ago
among his findings, after re-
aucstine all the religions to in
struct him as to the number of
adherents, was the fact that
there were, in total, 140 million
adherents, but only 100 million
people.
Recently, a newspaper article
quoted a member of the Soka
Gakkai leadership as saying that
the number of converts numbers
about 3 million. I, in the course
of my research, have found fig
ures running from 1.5 million to
Look s 10 million, lhe dis
crepancy lies in the fact that the
Soka Gakkai membership is in
terms of families, so that if one
member joins, the others are
automatically counted whether
they believe or not. Even those
who upon becoming disillusioned
leave the fold of Soka Gakkai
are included. The number 3 mil
lion is probably closest to fact.
Drift of Article
The general drift of the article
semed to convey the feeling that
Soka Gakkai is in fact a great
problem in Japan, and that the
Japanese people fear this mil
itaristic, vociferous, intolerant
religion:
The air in Tokyo night or
day rings with the cacophony of
Soka Gakkai and shakubuku, the
endless chanting and the self-as
serting songfests reminiscent ot
prewar imperialistic Japan."
Awfully strong words, and
meaningless. I have yet to see;
hear, or even hear of a rally,
and I know that I am not the
only one.
The truth is that this is not the
first militaristic and intolerant
religion Japan has produced.
The prophetic zeal of the Budd
hist saint, Nichiren, whose re
ligion is the fore-runner of the
modern Soka Gakkai, during the
Thirteenth Century, was much
the same. It prospered by sinis
ter means, and finally lost its
prestige.
Run Same Pattern
Countless other religions or
religious sects have run the
same pattern. I doubt that there
are many Japanese who believe
the religion of the Soka Gakkai
will become the only religion of
Japan, and least of all. the
world. Though there is admit
tedly a great deal of concern,
and rightfully so, at present con
cerning the group s policies, but
it is gencrallv felt, I believe,
that it has reached its peak and
will soon be superseded by an
other of Japan's numerous re
ligions.
The impression one might
have gained from the "Look ar
ticle would be that another im
perialistic, militaristic influence
is again coming to the forefront
of Japanese political power.
Look" has, I believe, succeed
ed in presenting this picture
without really admitting any
thing. It is unfortunate that a
good magazine should present
an incorrect picture of a rather
touchy subject.
The Japanese have a remark
able culture (much of which she
has forgotten in favor of West
ern oriented ideals), from which
the West can learn a great deal.
Such publicity as "Look" pre
sented can only hinder the Inter
change of cultural ideals so
necessary for mutual understanding.
Dennis the Menace
, j.w . - : rrr
: J?
iws vi : si h
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Small Town Life
Not as Relaxing
As Some May Think
TECUMSEH, Mich. (UPI)
Life in a small town may not
be as relaxing as some people
would have you believe.
At least, that's what th' Uni
versity of Michigan .jund
during its long study oi this
southeastern Michigan commun
ity of about 10,000.
More than one big city busi
nessman, confronted with ulcers
and jangling nerves, has
had his physician tell him to re
lax and take it easy, perhaps
adding the suggestion that the
quiet life in a smaller commun
ity would prove the cure.
But eight years of study by
the U. of M. School of Public
Health indicates that life in the
small town may not be relaxing
after all. Almost the entire pop
ulation of Tecumsch took part
in the experiment. The univers
ity has now issued Its first re
port and some of the informa
tion is startling.
Heart Disease Evident
The report shows that "a re
markably high" Incidence of
heart disease in middlc-aeed
people was evident in Tecum
seh. The frequency of high
blood pressure, high blood ser
um cholesterol and high blood
sugar was also astonishing in
people over 50. Chronic diseases
in adults generally was well
above what the researchers had
expected.
The university set up the stu
dy in 1956 with the aid of a
grant from the American Heart
Association and the U.S. Public
Health Service. The first report
on the results were made last
week in Kansas City at a meet
ing of the American Public
Health Association. The report
was made by Dr. Frederick H.
WE HAVE the
FLEX'U
CRYSTAL CIEAK
CUT.TACK, SEWorSEAL
HUNDREDS OF USES
INDOORS OUTDOORS
Only
29j
Epstein of the U. of M. Cardio
vascular Research Center.
ine report showed, among
oincr mings:
One-fifth of the population
of Tccumseh above middle one
had abnormally high blood
pressure.
A striking climb, relative to
age, was found in the per
centage of people over 50 who
suuereo irom multiple disor
ders. Six per cent of the women
and 12 per cent of the men in
their 50s had coronary artery
disease.
-One-fifth of lhe middle-aoerl
people had high blood sugar I
and high cholesterol. !
Diabetes was delected in 3
per cent of the women and 2
per cent of the men in their ;
50s.
Chronic flionchltls 1
Eleven per cent of the men
and 2 per cent of the women in
their 50s have chronic bronchi
tis and 5 per cent of the wom
en and 1 per cent of the men
In the same age group have
rheumatoid arthritis.
To gather all the data, a clin
ic was set up in Tecumsch, a
city located about 23 miles
southwest of Ann Arbor. A com
plete medical historv wac tnken
of every resident taking part in
the study and each person has
an annual interview and medi
cal checkup.
The first program ot its kind
In the nation, the study is far
from finished. The university
spenas snout 250,000 a year to
pay tor the physicians, epidemi
ologists, public health nurses,
industrial hyoicnists. sanllarv
engineers, blostatlsliclans, soci
ologists and other specialists
taking part in the study.
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