Swami Vivekananda's 145th Birth Anniversary Celebration in Tokyo

The Vedanta Society of Japan (Nippon Vedanta Kyokai) held it's annual public celebration of Swami Vivekananda's Birth Anniversary in Tokyo's Ikebukuro City in Toshima Ward on 10 June. This year's event, marking Swami Vivekananda's 145th Birth Anniversary, was again held at the Toshima Kokaido, a large public hall with theatre seating, a production-sized stage, sub-level dressing rooms and a roomy foyer, conveniently located near the JR (Japan Railway) Ikebukuro Station.   

Planning for this biggest of the Society's yearly events takes place throughout the year by a 21-member Celebration Committee, an association of the Vedanta Society of Japan and the Nichi-In Bunka Kyokai (Japan-Indo Cultural Association). In a prepared statement the Committee said it is '... thankful to the patrons, donors, advertisers, well-wishers and all volunteers who have given their support and labours of love in to making the programme a success. Thanks are also due to the speakers, interpreters, musicians and, above all, the audience.'

Heavy rains from the night before abated somewhat in the morning hours allowing for the unloading of video and sound equipment, decorations, flowers, banners and all the bookstore items brought in by vehicles all the way from the Zushi Centre and K's Studio in Yokohama. Specialized volunteers were already busy at their tasks by 9 a.m. and as rains again abated and visitors began to arrive, these volunteers had already been fed a tasty Indian style home cooked meal.

Again this year at the entrance foyer visitors were met by tables of cheerful greeters who asked attendees to register as they passed out a published programme and event questionnaire. No entrance fee was charged again this year. As in past years, the bookstore commanded most of the foyer with Japanese- and English-language publications along with CDs, cassettes, photographs and incense.

Entering though the theatre doors, one's attention is immediately drawn to center stage and the commanding photo-portrait of Swami Vivekananda, looking much as he may have in addressing the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 in the turban and coat fashioned to exemplify his Indian heritage and the trousers and shoes of western sensitivities. Above this portrait hangs a banner in English and Japanese bearing the title of the day's function, to the right and forward the panelist table and on the left the speaker's podium. Dominating the centre of the large seating area, at the midway point, is the large audio and visual command center.

An audience of well over 200 had gathered by 2 p.m. as the panelists took their seats and Ms. Hirano, the emcee, announced the commencement of the event in both Japanese and English. The first order of business was the offering of Vedic peace prayers led by Swami Medhasananda from the Vedanta Society of Japan.

His Excellency Shri H. K. Singh, Ambassador of India, guest speaker for the event was then requested to offer a bouquet to Swami Vivekananda, release the special publication of the Universal Gospel and release a special CD (Vol. III) on songs from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Ambassador Singh then gave a brief address.
 
Swami Medhasananda then led a guided meditation in Japanese and English.

Three distinguished panelists presented their views from a Hindu, Buddhist and Christian perspective on these words from Swami Vivekananda: "This is the gist of all worship; to be pure and to do good to others." Presenting a Hindu perspective was Swami Dayatmanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, United Kingdom; a Buddhist perspective was addressed by Professor Yotsuya Kohdoh of Komazawa University in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; and Professor J. Eduardo Perez Valera, Professor Emeritus, Sophia University, Tokyo, offered a Christian view. (Talks on the Hindu perspective by Swami Dayatmananda; the talk by Professor Kohdoh on the Buddhist perspective; and the talk by Professor Valera on the Christian perspective are available in the archive in the Guest Speaker folder.)

The moderator for the event again this year was Professor Tsuyoshi Nara, Professor Emeritus, Seisen University, Tokyo. Professor Nara also handled all necessary translationsduring a lively Q&A session. Mr. A. P. S. Mani, Secretary of the Celebration Committee, gave a brief thanksgiving again this year to an audience that had swollen to more than 300.

This was followed by a brief recess and snacks as the many singers, musicians and stagehands prepared for the nearly two-hour Cultural Programme that concluded the day's ceremonies. This year's performances included two original Japanese devotional songs by written and arranged by Kaori Izumida, assisted by devotees Keiko Suzuki, Toshimi Ito and Tomoko Miyake on vocals. These songs have become familiar favorites, requested at many of the Vedanta Society's events.

The second part of the programme featured a shakuhachi (traditional Japanese bamboo flute)  'crossover' recital of Indian ragas by Mr. T.M. Hoffman, a longtime resident of Japan, lecturer in Ethnomusicology at Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo and founder of the Indo-Japanese Music Exchange Association. Hoffman's performance, accompanied by the Mishra instrumental ensemble, was a masterful presentation of the versatility of the shakuhachi.

The Cultural Programme then concluded with a vocal recital featuring the renowned Indian Classical vocalist Vidyadhar Prasad Mishra from the Banaras Gharana tradition, with Rishi Mishra on supporting vocals, Sandeep Mishra on sarangi and Amit Mishra on tabla. Presenting both traditional folk and sacred songs, the lilting, yet, powerful dynamism of Vidyadhar Mishra's exciting performance held the enthusiastic audience spellbound.
 
This second part of the Cultural Programme was cosponsored by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) and the Indo-Japanese Music Exchange Association, with additional support from the Government of Japan, Agency for Cultural Affairs. ･