Here is an ads of Akasaka Hospital, Tokyo, on January 1898.
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| 『基督教名鑑（明治30年11月調査）』 教文館 1899 より |
http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/824326/157
A Fine Christian Work in Tokyo.
by Rev. J. H. Deforest, D.D., Sendai [仙台], Japan [*1].
If you should go to the great capital of Japan, Tokyo, you would see, as you ride over the vast city, the Greek cathedral high up on Suruga Dai [駿河台], the Catholic cathedral at the other end of the city [*2], spires of smaller Protestant churches here and there, an occasional Christian school, and frequent sign-boards with Chinese characters on them meaning, “Christian Preaching Place.” These are some of the signs of missionary activity in Tokyo. But these are not all. Among the best pieces of missionary work in the whole East is that of Dr. W. N. Whitney, who belongs to no missionary society, but of whom it can be said that Christianity is his whole business and medicine is his means of carrying it on.
When I first became acquainted with him, many years ago, he was the interpreter of the United States Legation, where he served through the terms of several ministers, publishing several works, among which is, “A Dictionary of the Principal Roads, Chief Towns, etc., of Japan.” But while carrying on his Legation work he established a Christian hospital near the Legation, in 1886, in memory of his sainted mother. “We endeavor,” he says, “to seek the spiritual good of the patients. Many of them have never heard of the true God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Not a few have, we thankfully believe, responded to the gospel message and have become true Christians. It seems to us that although there is undoubtedly a high standard of native medical skill in Japan, yet there is just as much need for medical mission work here as in London or New York.”
One would think that the Legation and hospital work would be enough for an ordinary man, but Dr. Whitney is a big man and his manifold work corresponds to his size. He felt that he could do more. So, believing that the early Christians of Japan should be rooted and grounded in Bible truths, he started the Scripture Union Readings [*3] ― a printed schedule of daily readings for the entire year. Strange, is it not, that none of us regular missionaries should have thought of that? Its success is unique, for over 10,000 copies sell annually. Then, in order to make the readings more profitable, he started a monthly magazine in Japanese, with explanations of the daily lessons and other kindred matter, and this magazine has kept up as high a paid circulation as any other Christian periodical in Japan.
Many times the question came up as to what his life work should be. Legation interpreter is a pretty sure berth, being a permanent appointment, with fair salary and good social position. But, with his medical education, he decided to leave official life and support his family and carry on his work by his medical practice.
It is astonishing how many lines of work a Christian man with organizing power can evolve and carry out. Riding all day in the cars once to Sendai, he loaded his pockets with tracts and Bibles, and made it a point to see every station master and give him some Christian reading. Then he started the Railroad Mission. Miss Gillett [*4], from England, has come to assist in this branch. One of the pastors of the Presbyterian church [*5] has long been the superintendent of this work. Station masters, guards of trains, and other employees are being reached. He has added another Japanese monthly magazine to his work for this class of people, and it costs subscribers only twenty-four cents a year, and there are about six hundred subscribers.
But the Doctor always seems to have room for one more endeavor in his heart. So he started another Christian magazine, this time for the police. I saw a report of this movement the other day which says there are over one hundred Christian policemen in Tokyo! A lady missionary who has recently come to Tokyo was called upon by one of these policemen. She was somewhat alarmed at an official call, lest she should have unwittingly violated some regulation. But her fears vanished when the policeman told her that he, too, was a Christian, and kneeled down with his sword by his side to ask God's protection on that home.
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| Willis is at back row, second from the left. Woman in the front row, far right, Miss Jessie Harrison |
By this time it will not surprise you to know that the Doctor runs a Post and Telegraph Mission [*6] also, and all his work goes on in faith that God, who has put these things in his heart, will provide all necessary means. Friends in England and America who have seen his work, or learned about it through friends (for the Doctor is a kind of Quaker [*7]), assist to some extent, and Christian people, regardless of their shade of Christianity, gladly make occasional offerings; yet it pained the Doctor, at the beginning of this year, to have to cut off, from lack of funds, a gift of 1,500 copies of his Scripture Union Readings to the great prisons of Hokkaido, where a most interesting work of grace has been going on for several years.
This is enough to introduce the man to you who may see this meager sketch. When you come to Tokyo, be' sure and call on Dr. W. N. Whitney, at the Akasaka Hospital. He may not be in, but you could leave your card and any filthy lucre you might have in your pockets.
Dr. Pettee [*8] of Japan adds an incident connected with Dr. Whitney's hospital, where about a year ago he met among the patients a sweet little Chinese girl perhaps thirteen years of age. As she understood almost no Japanese and still less English, it was very difficult for the doctors and nurses to show all her the kind attention they desired to show. One day a missionary, a true-hearted Christian Englishwoman, was sitting by the child's bedside holding her hand and bathing her head. It occurred to the lady to sing to the patient little sufferer one of whose feet had just been amputated. Her first or second venture was “Jesus loves me. This I know. [主われを愛す]” What was her surprise to see the girl start up in bed, express great pleasure and join with her in singing in broken English that old-time children's favorite. On making inquiry of her Chinese friends at the legation, it was learned that she had attended for a short time, some years before, a Christian Sunday school in China, where she had been taught this hymn in English. A more delighted girl it would be difficult to find anywhere.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.ah6n9k;view=1up;seq=485
[ Notes ]
*1 Rev. J. H. Deforest : Rev. John Kinne Hyde De Forest [Rev. J. H. De Forest], D.D, (1844-1911) デフォレスト. born in Westbrook, Connecticut. He entered Yale College as John Kinne Hyde. Receiving the DeForest Scholarship, added DeForest to his name. American Board missionary, came to Japan 1874 with Joseph Neesima [新島襄], worked mainly in Sendai, Miyagi and rests in Sendai. His daughter Miss Charlotte Burgio Deforest (1879-1973) was the fifth president of Kobe College [神戸女学院], Hyogo, Japan.
His name sometimes written as Rev. J. H. Forest, or Deforest. On official papers, John Hyde De Forest or John Hyde DeForest. About his life, See History of the Class of 1868, Yale College, pp.110-18.
*2 the Greek cathedral : Holy Resurrection Cathedral, generally known as “Nikolai Do (ニコライ堂)”, built in 1891 by Bishop Nikolai (1836-1912) of Russian Orthodox Church. It is still one of the greatest cathedral in Japan. The Catholic cathedral was built in 1878, located in Tukiji [築地] then.
*3 Scripture Union Readings : About Scripture Union of Japan [聖書之友], See :
1894: Annual Report of the American Bible Society, pp.163-65.
1898: 聖書之友 基督教名鑑 明治30年調査 広告
1900: Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan, p.924.
1909: The Christian Movement in Japan, pp.342-43.
1910: World Missionary Conference, Vol.3, pp.158-59.
*4 Miss Gillett : Elizabeth Rachel Gillett (1865-1954), ジレット, ギレット, the superintendent of Railway Mission (鉄道ミッション, not Railroad Mission), was a first cousin of Mary Caroline Whitney, whose mother was from Gillett family of Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. The fourth son of Willis and Mary C. born in 1890 named George Gillett. Miss E. R. Gillett arrived Japan by the same ship with the Whitney family and Miss Jessie Harrison (later Bible woman at Akasaka Hospital) on June 1896. About Railway Mission, See Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan, p.925.
*5 One of the pastors of the Presbyterian church : Unknown. Mr Akiyama Yoshigoro 秋山由五郎 (1865-1948) was likely, however, he was not a pastor nor Presbyterian.
*6 Post and Telegraph Mission : Correctly Postal and Telegraph Mission. See Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan, p.925.
*7 a kind of Quaker : Mary Caroline Whitney, née Braithwaite was born in a notable English Quaker family, and Willis actually became a member of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting on December 1889, also Mary C. transferred on April 1890. He was a genuine Quaker at the time.
*8 Rev. James Horace Pettee [Rev. James H. Pettee], D.D, (1851-1920) ペティ. American Board missionary, born in Hampshire, came to Japan 1878, worked mainly in Okayama [岡山].
Thanks for the those prepared the original data on the net.
Last updated 18 November 2016,
edited 12 November 2016
edited 12 November 2016
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