Gathering in Shirone

Posted on January 24, 2009 by James Japan

Shirone Ladies

The fruit of my hitch-hiking adventure on January 15th was being invited to a new year’s party in Shirone, a town now incorporated into Niigata city, by the former deputy mayor of the town, Mr. Tsubokawa. I met his friends, mostly ladies, and one gentleman by the name of Mr. Makiguchi. Two of the ladies are Christians who attend the local Lutheran church. All were former English students who like foreigners and especially Americans. Mr. Tsubokawa invited me visit Poland with him and his friends after he learned that my grandparents are Polish! I told him I have no money whatsoever to travel. He said he and his friends would foot all expenses in return for being their interpreter! Let’s see if it happens. :-)

Mr. Makiguchi

I also met Mr. Makiguchi who is the director of an agricultural firm that turns vegetables into bio-ethanol. He seemed quite interested in what I had to say about politics in the USA.

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3 comments on “Gathering in Shirone”

1. Mike Tauser on October 10, 2009 at 11:38 am said:

   I lived in Shirone back in 1993-95. I worked at Shirone Lutheran Church, and knew the Makiguchi’s very well. I still exchange calendars with them. It was awesome to see their pictures here.

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   • Marlys Taege on August 4, 2010 at 4:13 am said:

     Mike,
     Were you a youth volunteer at the church? If so, did its Sunday School get rejuvenated?
     When I was in Japan in 2005, I was told there were no children attending Sunday School there any longer, but the people were praying and believed that when their youth volunteer arrived, children would again attend. Meanwhile, four adults were coming every Sunday to teach each other so they would be in practice.

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     • James Japan on August 4, 2010 at 8:30 am said:

       I’m 60 years old and have been a missionary for Jesus Christ in Japan since 1974. You can read my profile on
       http://jamesjpn.net/index.php/about/

       I never been to the church in Shirone.

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