A Japanese Encounter with Christianity: The Memoirs of Takeda Kiyoko (1)

By: Takeda Kiyoko

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Synopsis: Ch. Takeda Kiyoko (1917-2018), better known as Takeda Kiyoko, was a remarkable woman, whose life-course defied the stereotypes of modern Japanese women. Her memoirs focus on encounters—with the individuals whom Takeda met in her travels to Asia, the United States and Europe; through her involvement in organisations such as the YWCA and World Student Christian Federation (WSCF); and with the progressive Japanese thinkers that were the focus of her research (the response of thinkers of the modern period (from 1867) to Christianity). Some of these encounters were fleeting, others were more sustained. Regardless, the influence was enduring., Takeda Kiyoko's intellectual world expanded through her involvement with Christian organisations such as the YWCA and the WSCF, and when she went to the United States as an exchange student and worked at WSCF headquarters. Her involvement with the World Council of Churches also entailed extensive travel in Asia as well as Europe, and much engaged discussion on the future of ecumenicism. In the 1950s, she contributed to unofficial diplomacy between Japan and other Asian nations and to restoring friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japanese and other Asian people, including Chinese, Filipino, and Indian.