The Aftermath of World War II
Once it was over the sisters had to think of survival. Money was scarce and they didn’t know how long the situation would last. They sewed and worked in the fields. The villagers were very kind and helped them organize their material life. The sisters helped the villagers organize their spiritual life. Despite the cruel situation they did not lack the essentials and the sisters all agreed they were happy; happier than when they had everything. In the beginning there was little they could do by way of apostolate, but they soon began to give catechism classes helped by some alumnae of the Sacred Heart that provided them with contacts. One of the teachers from Kofu was one of the first to receive baptism and more baptisms followed after the war.
On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb fell on the city of Hiroshima, and there was fear it would also fall on Tokyo. On August 10, someone told the refugees at Ichimiya that peace was being negotiated and foreigners would not be safe, but it turned out quite differently. On August 15, after the baptism of one of the teachers from Kofu, a meeting was called by the authorities. They announced at the meeting that Japan had been defeated by the Americans, and told them not to show hostility against the Americans. All obeyed. The war was over.
The sisters had no contact with Spain for two years, so the first thing they needed to do was to contact them. But true to the Mercedarian spirit, the difficulties following the war did not frighten them. With their Fourth Vow, they were ready to give all for the conversion of the Japanese, and in one letter to Spain they said: “We have enough courage and enthusiasm to share and we are more encouraged than ever to work until death for those whom God has entrusted to us and to rebuild our school.” And there were many more letters in which they repeat this desire to give their lives for the salvation of souls in Japan.
They wanted to continue contacts with the schoolgirls, and since Koen had been completely destroyed and most places in Tokyo decimated, it was a difficult task. They finally found a house which was in bad shape near the old school. It was small, but they pieced things together to begin school again, and called the house Nazareth.
The rest of the sisters stayed in Ichimiya despite the cold winter setting in. They felt tied to the Buddhist temple because the catechesis they had begun was reaping abundant fruit. At the end of the war, there were many more facilities for the apostolate which could be done publicly, in contrast to the previous period. The sisters had a good group that studied catechism and were preparing for baptism. It was difficult to abandon their missionary work in Ichimiya, so they continued it even after moving back to Tokyo. By 1947, the Mercedarians concluded their presence in Ichimiya at the Buddhist temple, where they suffered so much, but also found much joy in God’s work.
The MMB community still needed a house. The Mother Superior came to Tokyo to look for a house where the whole community could live. After numerous searches, they finally found one in Nakano, near Koen. There was a vacant house where a couple lived only when they came to Tokyo from their residence in Nagata. So, they reached an agreement with the owners to rent part of the house. They stayed there until the owners had to sell the house because of taxes imposed by the government.
The biggest task was rebuilding the school. But here again Divine Providence lead them on. The school was foreboding. The windows were only large holes, the walls were black from smoke and the burning of all the school materials. There was so much water they had to use a boat and umbrellas. But little by little, doors, windows, and school materials were added. They lacked everything. From the end of January till July 1946 the sisters took numerous steps to obtain material from the government from things left over from the war. Not only the materials, but also the means to transport it was a gift. Nevertheless, it was a costly and difficult job. Mr. Yamasaki, who had been the director of the school previously, wanted to retire and be free from managing the school. So, they accepted his resignation and Sr. Begona Dochao became the directress again.
That same year Koen became independent of the School of Futaba of the Sisters of St. Maur and acquired legal status. On July 10, 1946, the Minister of Education approved the legal status of Koen Joshi Gakuen. In this way, the school of Koen, burnt and in ruins but getting along as best it could, obtained its complete legal status. Thus, they decided to rebuild upon the ruins of the former Koen. What was built first was a kind of barracks, begun at the end of 1946 and dedicated in March 1947. It was still crowded, but the same year they introduced the Primary Grades (Koto-Gakko) and on April 15, thirteen seven-year old girls attended the opening ceremony.
How were they able to rebuild this first barrack pavilion? It seems that they received a great help from the insurance that was paid for the burning of Koen. The rest was funded by bazaars, help from Spain and the generosity of donors. And despite the post-war situation they were able to pay The Sisters of Saint Maur, compensate Mr. Yamasaki for his retirement and build the barracks. The Lord had been at work all along and the sisters wrote: “So by natural means, directed by His Providence, the Lord helped improve our financial situation which had been very critical although we never lacked the necessary means to sustain life…” In 1947 the school was installed and the community of sisters divided up between what is today the Regional House, and the small house of Nazareth, where there were still some sisters living until 1950.
Moving from War to Present Day
When Mother Cecilia, who succeeded Mother Margarita, learned that the school had a scarcity of personnel, she was prompted to send three more sisters from Spain. At that moment the house in Japan was described as having one postulant, four novices, two juniors, and one tertian. The rest had already made perpetual vows. One sister who entered right after the war, Rosa Tokase, died on January 3, 1948, as the result of tuberculosis, and in 1949, Loreto Zubia, who led the sisters through the most tumultuous of times, died after so much suffering. She was a true missionary, who gave all, and showed an exemplary spirit to those whose lives she touched. In April of 1949, Sr. Anunciacion Usandizaga, one of the newly arrived sisters, became Superior of the House in Japan, and was instrumental in restoring Koen. The inauguration of the new school in Koen took place March 9, 1950, and the sisters living in the House of Nazareth again took up residence in Koen, leaving the house to be used as a novitiate.
Over the years, more improvements took place in Koen until the school reached what is the present day Koen Joshi Gakuin. Today, the school continues to offer girls a high quality of education in grades Kindergarten thru High School. Sr. Maria Teresa Sekido, Directress of Koen, said that currently there is a total of 1,590 students, 86 full-time and 60 part-time teachers with 15 full-time and 23 part-time support staff.
Throughout the history of Koen, which means “Light and Salt” we first see God’s immeasurable Providence in all the twists and turns of history and then we see the work of the Mercedarian Fourth Vow in action. The self-denial, self-giving and perseverance to the point of death is astounding and the school in Koen stands today as a true testimony of God’s love and Mother Margarita’s answer to God’s call to found a house in Japan.
At present there remain 60 MMB Sisters in Japan in five cities, with a total of ten communities. Besides both formal and informal education their ministries include: pastoral ministry, a house of prayer, activities in solidarity with the excluded, migrants and Peace & Justice movements.
Mother Margarita allowed herself to be used by God to spread the Good News to Japan. The missionary spirit that she imparted to her MMB daughters continued even after God called her home to himself in 1934. The missionary spark entrusted to Berriz fanned out to the world and stands ready to be re-ignited even today.
Women of faith, moved to respond to a missionary call in their own lives are encouraged to visit a Mercedarian community of sisters or learn more about the community online at mmberriz.org (Click to English translation, then MMB Asia-Pacific, MMB Philippines.)
Sources:
HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE
First Foundations: China, Japan Saipan, Ponape and Truk
By Ma. Isabel Artadi, MMB
HISTORY OF THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE
From the Letters of Mother Margarita
THE CONSTANT TRAITS OF A SPIRIT
M. Margarita Maturana
