Archbishop to visit Japan
Wednesday 15th July 2009
As part the150th anniversary celebrations of the Anglican Church in Japan, the Archbishop of Canterbury will be making a week-long visit to Japan during which he will visit Anglican churches, universities and schools, as well as the city of Nagasaki.Dr Williams will preach at the service to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Anglican Church in Japan (known as Nippon Sei Ko Kai) and will be joined by other bishops and Primates from around the Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop will begin his visit in Tokyo where he will spend some time at the Anglican educational institutions of Rikkyo Gakuin, which was established as a small school in 1874 by the Episcopal missionary Bishop Channing Williams, and has since grown to become a prestigious university. He will spend time with staff and students before receiving an Honorary Doctorate and giving a lecture "The Mission of the Anglican University in our Present age". The Archbishop will also travel to Osaka to visit the Momoyama Gakuin University where he will be presented with an honorary degree and take part in joint celebrations of the University's 50th Anniversary and the 125th Anniversary of the Momoyama Gakuin (St Andrew's) educational institutitons.
Dr Williams will travel to Nagasaki where he will offer prayers at both the epicentre of the atomic bomb, as well as at the site of the martyrdom of the 26 Christian martyrs who were crucified in 1597.