Lots of important news and details about the entire situation in Japan is contained in the following email which was sent by Pastor Shigeru Takiura (pastor of the Keiyaku RPC near Kobe, Japan) to Dr. Jonathan Watt, Executive Secretary of RP Global Missions, located in Pittsburgh. We will any further posts from the RPC churches on the OPC continuing story on The Aquila Report site.

Thank you for your prompt move to help Japan.

At first, as you know, Kobe is safe. There were no lasting effects from the earthquake, and life is just as usual. The tsunami only resulted in about a rise of a foot in the sea on March 11. Kobe is about 400 miles South West from Tokyo. And the devastated area is still several or few hundred miles North from Tokyo, so quite far away. The Northern Japan Plate which the earthquakes occurred this time includes Tohoku (Sendai is the main city), Tokyo, and Nagano, But West Japan is on the Eurasian Plate, so it seems there is no direct effect of this massive earthquake beyond the difference of the plates. Mt.Fuji sits atop the intersection of these two plates.

We, the Japan Presbytery, established a Relief Committee on Monday, March 14, 2011, at our meeting. The Relief Committee’s aim is to support and aid various relief activities of the affected area’s reformed or evangelical churches, mainly Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s Mission and the Reformed Church in Japan.

Pastor Takiura called Woody Lauer of OPC in Numazu, Shizuoka prefecture this morning, where another earthquake hit last night. His family and the church are OK. He will be the coordinator of OPC relief mission. Pastor Takiura also talked over the phone to Missionary Cal Cummings of the OPC in Sendai, Tohoku. His house is in the midst of the devastation in Natori city, but thankfully his house and family are okay. He is trying to assess the situations of nearby reformed congregations. It is known that the Ishinomaki RCJ building was severely damaged by Tsunami. Pastor Takiura attended seminary (Kobe Reformed Seminary) with a number of pastors currently serving the Reformed Church of Japan in the Tohoku Presbytery. Pastor Shiratsu of Ishinomaki RCJ was one of Pastor Takiura’s classmates there.

Our RP Japan Presbytery Relief Committee is to solicit and send money, to gather and send clothes and other aid items, and is exploring the possibility of sending some manpower.

Presently the most needed things seem to be water, meals and warm clothes, and blankets. The electrical power, gas, and water are out, and today there it is snowing in Tohoku. It is so cold and people are having difficulty sleeping and are very uncomfortable
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One great problem is that of transportation. The roads are severely damaged, and also the main Highways are occupied for Governmental Rescue Forces. Some materials have been distributed by helicopters including from US Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan located near the coast of Tohoku.

In the snow, the Self Defence Arm of Japan and International Rescue Teams are now searching for people in many towns of the Pacific Coast of Tohoku where Tsunami hit. The government is struggling to control four atomic plants in Fukushima, but that is proving difficult to control. All people within 20 miles have been asked to evacuate.

The committee chair person is Pastor Katsunori Endo: His home town is Sendai, and he was originally a member of OPC mission church there before he came to Kobe Theological Hall and transferred into RPCNA Japan Presbytery. His sister lives in Sendai’s devastated area, but was safe partially because of her room is on the 7th floor of the apartment building. Pastor Endo is to take leadership of this relief activity. Pastor Takiura, Pastor Sakai and a deacon from each of the five RP congregations in Kobe area comprise the membership of this Relief Committee. Pastor Takiura has some experience of relief activity in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Pastor Sakai has various connections with RCJ.

Sincerely in His service,
Shigeru Takiura
Member of the Relief Committee RPCNA-JP

Locations of the five RP Churches near Kobe, Japan:

Higashisuma – 4-2-26- Oote-cho, Suma-Ku, Kobe 654-0013, Japan. Pastor Sumito Sakai
Kasumigaoka – 6-8-10, Kasumigaoka, Tarumi-Ku, Kobe 655-0039, Japan.
Okamoto-Keiyaku – 6-17-31, Motoyama Kita-Machi, Higashinada-Ku, Kobe 658-0003, Japan. Pastor Shigeru Takiura
Kita-Suzurandai – 1-4-10, Izumi-dai, Kita-Ku, Kobe 651-1141, Japan. Pastor Katsunori Endo
Mukonoso – 3-26-5, Mokonoso Honmachi, Amagasaki 661-0031, Japan. Pastor Hiroyuki Kanamori

Kobe Theological Hall & Covenanter Bookstore – Covenanter Center Building, 1-25-2, Nakayamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0004, Japan. Website – www.rpjapan.org/English