A Summary of the Life of Reverend Aso

Posted by United Japanese Filipino Children on August 3, 2010 · 1 Comment 

Reverend Toshifumi Aso was born in Japanese Occupied Korea in 1940. He was raised until he was five in Chingjin, an area now part of the territory of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea. This brief period was special to little Toshifumi; it had carved a place in his heart for Korea as one of his parent countries. This particular bond with the Land of the Morning Calm would remain unbroken even as Reverend Aso’s family had to flee the country after Japan’s defeat to the Allies in 1945.

Their escape was fraught with danger. The younger generation of Koreans were enraged against the Japanese for all the years of colonization and were hunting down those who were escaping into the mainland as revenge. Reverend Aso’s family encountered danger several times over during the journey. During a particular junction, his father had to look for food and told their mother to commit suicide with the children if he hadn’t come back after three days. He returned after two. The Aso family were only able to dodge peril after peril through the generosity and compassion of old Korean women who hid their whereabouts and helped them on their way.

Unfortunately, the trip was not one without heartbreak as Reverend Aso’s sister died of hunger only a few days before they reach port. She is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Korea to this day.

When the Aso family reached the shores of Japan, they were welcomed by a time of hardships. All of their assets were in Korea. They had nothing in the country of their origin.

Reverend Aso’s parents, however, were survivors. Mr. and Mrs. Aso sold candies and roasted sweet potatoes for a living. When they had enough resources, they started their own store.

Reverend Aso would grow up to be a young man in this environment of little blessings and simple abundances. His parents sent him to the nearby Christian school for his education. During his high school years, the teachers there invited him and his classmates for a gathering in the local church. Seeing how the people there worship and talk to God was a revelation to the young Toshifumi. This had led him to visiting the place of worship every Sunday hence. By the time high school was over, Toshifumi Aso already surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and decided to serve Him as a pastor.

By 1968, Toshifumi Aso was ordained against a backdrop of unrest. It was the days of the Student Movement. Various student groups rallied against the Vietnam War and Japan’s support of the United States campaign. These demonstrations had been violent as student groups clashed with other factions and with the police. Four years prior to the ceremony, Japan hosted the 1964 World Olympics signaling the country’s entry into the ranks of the first world countries.

One can say that Toshifumi Aso took his vows of service at an important crossroads in Japanese history. And it is these times that have profoundly influenced his ministry into one that embraced society, its problems and the future with humanity and openness.

Reverend Toshifumi Aso went on frequent trips abroad during his early days as a pastor. He fancied himself a traveler and his sojourns would take him to Thailand, Cambodia and all the other countries that have been affected by World War II. These trips opened his eyes to the realities of the communities that were devastated by the global conflict and the role Japan played in it. From then on, he began expressing his opinion that Japan apologize for the war.

It was inevitable that his trips would lead him to the Philippines. By 1970, Reverend Toshifumi Aso went to Davao to see the condition of the banana plantation workers there. One day in his visit, one of the workers called his attention to the plight of Japanese Filipino children. These children were being raised by their mothers in poor living conditions. Their fathers have abandoned them. The reverend felt for the children and vowed action after he returned to Japan.

Months after his arrival, the reverend raised the plight of the JFC to his church and to various citizen’s groups. Together with journalist Yayori Matsui, Reverend Aso would form various networks including the Citizen’s Network for Japanese Filipino Children (CNJFC). They coordinated with the BATIS Center for Women in the Philippines to focus on helping Japanese Filipino Children and their mothers cope with their situation. Today, the CNJFC has meaningful partnerships with the BATIS Center for Women and the Development Action for Women’s Network (DAWN), assisting these other NGOS with the livelihood and guidance of the intercultural families under their care. The CNFJC also has incarnation in the Philippines through the Maligaya House, a Non-Government Organization tasked with providing legal assistance to Japanese Filipino Children.

When not fighting for the cause of Japanese Filipino Children, Reverend Aso espoused other causes in his spare time. He was a member of Second Harvest, a group which aims to lessen hunger by repackaging the excess, unserved and unspoiled food restaurants throw away at the end of the day. These repackaged goods are then provided free to the poor.

The good reverend also adopted runaways at a farm he called Cosmo Plantations in Ryugasaki City. He guided them and taught them agriculture. These unwanted teenagers healed through his guidance and the loving environment in his domicile. There, they learned the value of working as they eat the crops they grow.

Reverend Aso continued his deeds well into his last days. His actions, his advocacy and his love for Japanese Filipino Children were the reasons why he was dubbed as “the Grandfather of all JFCs.”

The good reverend died last Saturday, July 31, 2010 at the age of 69. He is survived by his wife Michiko, his son and daughter-in-law, his three grandchildren, his protege’ Mr. Cesar Santoyo, the people of his church, his colleagues at the United Church of Christ of Japan (UCCJ), the volunteers of CNJFC and his Japanese Filipino “grandchildren” numbering 200,000.

KTI 03/08/2010

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