Dateline: Saniku Gakuin College in Ōtaki, Chiba, Japan; September 20, 2012--When one plants an apple tree, it is with the greatest anticipation of someday being able to gather fruit from its now unpromising branches. You tend it like a child, pouring your all into its maturing. You realize it will take at least two years, often more, before your labors are rewarded. Thus it is with the schools Uchee Pines conducts in conjunction with Nihon Kensei Kyokai here in Japan.

The schools (we start a new one every year) ideally take two years, summers inclusive, to complete. For three summers the classes meet for a one week intensive before heading home with a year's worth of homework. Two retired college professors teach the anatomy and physiology section. Though elderly, they are as capable as any young professor. In one trip to Japan, we will hold at least one session for all three summer Phases. 

Our most recent dedication (graduation) took place at Saniku Gaukin. Five students had completed their studies, received their certificates, and returned to their homes to continue working. You might wonder how they can continue their work since normally at graduation people are only just beginning. No so here. From the first year the students are required to put into practice the things they have learned and to bring back the following year evidence they have indeed been working. Special forms are given to each student which they in turn give to those to whom they minister. Whether it be a massage, a counseling session, or a public lecture, we want them evaluated by an outsider.

As you can see from the photo, it is not your typical photo of graduates. No caps and gowns but a garland of gray around the temples, if not covering the entire pate. This class included a successful businessman, an osteopath, a widowed pensioner, a city councilwoman, and the wife of a major university professor. It is exceedingly hard to interest the young people in this work because is carries little prestige (for now), promises a paupers remuneration (down here), and basically demands that the practitioners also be the practicers of the lifestyle we teach. Most people today feel as though this is too great a restriction. One need only view the documentary Forks Over Knives by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., to understand that a healthy lifestyle is  an imperative, not an option.

This year we also conducted our first seminar for cancer patients with the purpose of focusing on the element of faith as an integral part of the healing process. Using the remarkable work of Drs. Daniel J. Benor and Randolph C. Byrd as a springboard, we sought to instill within the women (they were all women) a confidence in a Supreme Being who loves them infinitely. Two were in stage 4 which makes such a seminar all the more vital.

A number of years ago the college here in Chiba paced me on their teaching staff in anticipation of becoming a four year college. One of majors at the college is nursing and they wanted the students to have an opportunity to learn something about hydrotherapy and the scientific validation of simple remedies. Last year was the first class I was able to teach. This year ten students elected to take this three day very intensive course. Seven hours of teaching and practice a day for three long days. When and where the information will find expression is not up to us; circumstances will sooner or later dictate the change to using readily available natural remedies. As I lay in bed a few nights ago and felt two waves of earthquakes rock my room like it was driving over railroad tracks, I felt a sense of urgency for this work here in Japan. Japan is a tough field to work.

But there is an island of hope in this sea called Japan; fruit is maturing. This week two of our graduates assisted the nursing course. One had just been dedicated on Monday. The load lifted from our shoulders (my translator and me) was tremendous. But even greater, to see our graduates going right to work is so heartening. It is time for Japan to carry its burden and some willing and capable hands have been strengthened for the work through this simple Lifestyle Educator course.