austraLasia #3128
Death of First Japanese Salesian Priest
BEPPU 1 September 2012 -- A week that has seen the death of some religious and Church 'greats' such as Cardinal Martini (Italy), Fr Dino Colussi (India, New Delhi Province), should not go by without mention of the passing of Fr Martino Akimoto, well-known amongst other things for his claim: 'Anch'io Salesiano' (I'm a Salesian too! And yes, he did speak some Italian). He is reputed to have been the first Japanese Salesian - he certainly was the first Japanese Salesian priest, and Fr (Monsignor, in fact) Cimatti's letters throw some light on the other claim.
Fr Akimoto was born on 11/11/1913 in Tokyo. He had been drawn to the early Salesian presence, which had begun in Kyushu, Miyazaki in 1926-7) and which had come to Tokyo in 1934 when work began on the novitiate with a view to attracting local vocations.
In December 1935 the first novices began - they included 5 from Italy and 6 Japanese, amongst which Akimoto. This much we have from Cimatti's letters and especially a letter he wrote to the Rector Major on 29 December, ten years to the day since he sailed from Genoa to Japan to begin the Salesian mission there, and the day after the novitiate began. Along with the opening of the novitiate, the studentate of philosophy and theology was also blessed and opened!
We also know from the same sources that on 29 December 1936 three Japanese of the six made their first profession. Given that his surname was Akimoto, our Martino might well have been the first in alphebtical order to make his profession, but we do not know that for certain. Another was Nishimura who, in 1941, was called to enlist in the army (Japan had gone to war with the United States that year). Cleric Nishimura died in Manila in 1945, a victim of that conflict. Many other young Japanese Salesian clerics also lost their lives having been required to enlist as the war intensified (Tokyo came under severe bombardment in 1944).
Interestingly enough, Akimoto was considered of weak constitution and medically unfit for the army (only fit enough to almost reach 99 which he would have achieved in November 2012!), so he entered theology alone, without his promising companion Nishimura. Fr Cimatti wrote to him that year: "With your Japanese spirit make every effort to carry out your duty well". That he did. In fact, because he was Japanese, and under Japanese law only a Japanese could be in charge of an official body operating in the country, he was made 'Head of the Council of Management' of the Salesians, in Tokyo while still preparing for ordination! The Salesian Society in Japan, under the direction of Japanese Salesians, with its Management Council based in Itabashi-ku, Shakuji, Minami Tanaka-cho 21, was formally known as the Japanese Catholic Volunteer Body for Work and Prayer.
Martino Akimoto was ordained priest on 25 March 1943; the first Japanese Salesian priest after 14 years of hard work of preparation by Cimatti and other Salesian missionaries. For the occasion, Fr Cimatti composed a hymn in Japanese, in English it would be "O happy day!". Two others were ordained as well, but neither of them were Japanese.
Cimatti's words in a brief letter to the about-to-be-ordained Akimoto, ran thus and remain a fitting epitaph:
My dear Fr Martino,
The goal is approaching. Seek to get ever more close to Jesus:
- in your thoughts, words and actions
- In your efforts to perfect yourself
- In total abandonment to his holy will.
They were words that Fr Akimoto cherished and lived till his dying day.
Death of First Japanese Salesian Priest
Fr Akimoto was born on 11/11/1913 in Tokyo. He had been drawn to the early Salesian presence, which had begun in Kyushu, Miyazaki in 1926-7) and which had come to Tokyo in 1934 when work began on the novitiate with a view to attracting local vocations.
In December 1935 the first novices began - they included 5 from Italy and 6 Japanese, amongst which Akimoto. This much we have from Cimatti's letters and especially a letter he wrote to the Rector Major on 29 December, ten years to the day since he sailed from Genoa to Japan to begin the Salesian mission there, and the day after the novitiate began. Along with the opening of the novitiate, the studentate of philosophy and theology was also blessed and opened!
We also know from the same sources that on 29 December 1936 three Japanese of the six made their first profession. Given that his surname was Akimoto, our Martino might well have been the first in alphebtical order to make his profession, but we do not know that for certain. Another was Nishimura who, in 1941, was called to enlist in the army (Japan had gone to war with the United States that year). Cleric Nishimura died in Manila in 1945, a victim of that conflict. Many other young Japanese Salesian clerics also lost their lives having been required to enlist as the war intensified (Tokyo came under severe bombardment in 1944).
Interestingly enough, Akimoto was considered of weak constitution and medically unfit for the army (only fit enough to almost reach 99 which he would have achieved in November 2012!), so he entered theology alone, without his promising companion Nishimura. Fr Cimatti wrote to him that year: "With your Japanese spirit make every effort to carry out your duty well". That he did. In fact, because he was Japanese, and under Japanese law only a Japanese could be in charge of an official body operating in the country, he was made 'Head of the Council of Management' of the Salesians, in Tokyo while still preparing for ordination! The Salesian Society in Japan, under the direction of Japanese Salesians, with its Management Council based in Itabashi-ku, Shakuji, Minami Tanaka-cho 21, was formally known as the Japanese Catholic Volunteer Body for Work and Prayer.
Martino Akimoto was ordained priest on 25 March 1943; the first Japanese Salesian priest after 14 years of hard work of preparation by Cimatti and other Salesian missionaries. For the occasion, Fr Cimatti composed a hymn in Japanese, in English it would be "O happy day!". Two others were ordained as well, but neither of them were Japanese.
Cimatti's words in a brief letter to the about-to-be-ordained Akimoto, ran thus and remain a fitting epitaph:
My dear Fr Martino,
The goal is approaching. Seek to get ever more close to Jesus:
- in your thoughts, words and actions
- In your efforts to perfect yourself
- In total abandonment to his holy will.
They were words that Fr Akimoto cherished and lived till his dying day.
