God’s People in Hokkaido: A Personal Reflection
God’s People in Hokkaido: A Personal Reflection
By Barbara Hiura
By Barbara Hiura
Space…the final frontier, these are the voyages….oh uh…wrong story line!!! But indeed space…trees, rivers, lakes, marshlands, mountains, deer, bears and foxes!!!…I mean real space where animals and humans can roam in quiet and aaahhh, peace. Where are we? Pinecrest Lake? The fjords of Norway? Nooo…I’m describing Japan…not the Tokyo area or the major cities teaming with people, skyscrapers, high tech, and shopping, but Hokkaido, the island in the north.
Hokkaido
A group of 29 ventured to Hokkaido, this past June with Rev. John and Carmen Cook leading. Hokkaido…where the air is fresh, the water, very blue, and the weather a mixture of sun and rain, is open and quite spacious with a very country feel. We were called the Wesley Hokkaido Japan Tour of 2026. This is the third Japan trip in around six years. The first was to Kyushu and Okinawa in 2022, the second to Honshu, Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, and finally this one to Northern Japan. And unlike the island of Honshu, we visited NOT one temple or shrine, formally, and basked in the glory of onsen, or hot public baths (sorry, my guilty pleasure.)
What an adventure where we tramped through mud and rocky trails to visit wonderful sights….like the Blue Lake in Shirogane, the milky blue color of the water is due to the aluminum particles spewed from the volcano mixing with sunlight in creating this gorgeous hue. Or the yellow rocks made up of sulphur vents we witnessed at the base of the volcano, Mt. Io or the wildlife, vicious brown bears and tame deer prancing among the trees in this mountainous area where there are lakes, refreshing water falls at the Shiretoko Five Lakes National Park also created by volcanic action of Mt. Io. Along with these refreshing vistas were diary and produce farms, rice and wheat fields, flowers of lavender, and Japanese gardens.
This is somewhat of an illusion, this beauty we witnessed, because in winter, it all freezes over with very severe weather. We had a visit to the Drift Ice Museum atop Mt. Tento in Abashiri to get a small sampling of the severity of this weather and the very little time needed to actually freeze to death in this unforgiving climate. So, indeed less than idyllic and no, I don’t wish to move to Hokkaido.
While there, we ate and we ate well. Amidst the array of wonderful food, along with Japan’s mouth-watering rice of course, I had sashimi at the fish market (best I’ve ever had), a kaiseki dinner, miso ramen, the famous Hokkaido curry soup and oh my, their ice cream, so rich and creamy…a must have as part of one’s daily diet. Their cantaloupe melons are to die for…they are by far the sweetest, tasty, and the best in the world. It’s amazing as ice cream too.
We didn’t get a lot of history of the Ainu people and their culture and that’s too bad just knowing that they, like all original people all over the world, have been eradicated from their lands, forced to assimilate, or killed as invaders from outside took their lands. And it is to their credit that they resisted and were able to recover and preserve some of their ancient ways in-spite of colonization and have embraced capitalism so they can make a living selling their rituals, their crafts, and a variety of icons of who they are…as change for preservation are necessary for balance in changing times.
Creating a Family
What was most significant about our trip was the coming together of our group, as we were both diverse and complementary with a wide and varied character types. We differed widely in age, marital status, physical ability, faith, and travel acumen … but under God’s watchful eye, we meshed, we blended, and by the time we were ready to come home, we were family. That is what we really accomplished and what God would want of any gathering of the people.
The major highlight of this trip was our visit to the Yokohama Union Church where our missionary, Rev. Claudia Genyung-Yamamoto, is the pastor. She preaches the good news to a church full of ex-pats from the international community. The spoken word is English and it is non-denominational…in fact open to anyone of any faith or non-faith tradition who can and wishes to attend. On this day, Rev. John brought the message, “A Journey Toward Servanthood,” on his “calling” to serve Jesus’ people and being a servant of God. We were welcomed and embraced. We broke bread together in Communion, we “passed the peace,” and we felt community. This is an historic church having come into existence in1863 and survived an earthquake and a thorough bombing by the US during World War II. It was never a Japanese-speaking church but there to serve the European community living and working in Japan. Rev Claudia showed us around Yokohama, talked some history, and led a beautiful service. God’s presence was felt and cascaded over us.
Another highlight and quite memorable for us, was Ellen Takeuchi, Roy’s daughter-in-law’s story. We came to learn that Ellen spent several childhood years in Yokohama when her father took a job there. It was, in fact, quite emotional for her as we walked past Saint Mair International School and she recalled what it was like back then. Three of us walked around the neighborhood that had changed very little since her time spent here. What a blessed moment she shared.
After fellowship time, we walked to the largest Chinatown in Asia which is somewhat of a surprise and the area was wall-to-wall people purchasing Chinese food and wares. We dined at Rev. Claudia’s favorite Chinese restaurant. What a treat. The banquet meal was quite different from what we’d find here with its, a stir-fried shrimp dish, a stylized sizzling rice soup, Peking duck (complements of Rev. John) which is now a rare find around our environs, garlic stir fried greens a fried crab ball on a stick, and a few others that I don’t recall. This was all made special with the presence of Rev. Claudia who talked story with all of us. This shared meal was yet another special moment.
Our vacation was full. We over-ate, we saw and experienced quite an adventure that also included not just vistas, but we did glass blowing and experienced Japanese style tie-dying as well. We were so blessed to be able to do all that we did, take a mountain of photos to share with one another, and just be thankful for how fortunate we are to be able to travel like this. It’s truly a blessing.
My thanks and hats off to Carmen, who spent over a year planning this trip with Kintetsu, gathering the adventurers, working on all the arrangements, the itinerary and during our time in Hokkaido and Tokyo, ensuring that everyone was well attended to and that all their travel needs were met. And, she even had a good time too. We thank Rev. John too for sharing this time with all of us, and intentionally helping us become a caring tight-knit group which was well accomplished.
Hokkaido
A group of 29 ventured to Hokkaido, this past June with Rev. John and Carmen Cook leading. Hokkaido…where the air is fresh, the water, very blue, and the weather a mixture of sun and rain, is open and quite spacious with a very country feel. We were called the Wesley Hokkaido Japan Tour of 2026. This is the third Japan trip in around six years. The first was to Kyushu and Okinawa in 2022, the second to Honshu, Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, and finally this one to Northern Japan. And unlike the island of Honshu, we visited NOT one temple or shrine, formally, and basked in the glory of onsen, or hot public baths (sorry, my guilty pleasure.)
What an adventure where we tramped through mud and rocky trails to visit wonderful sights….like the Blue Lake in Shirogane, the milky blue color of the water is due to the aluminum particles spewed from the volcano mixing with sunlight in creating this gorgeous hue. Or the yellow rocks made up of sulphur vents we witnessed at the base of the volcano, Mt. Io or the wildlife, vicious brown bears and tame deer prancing among the trees in this mountainous area where there are lakes, refreshing water falls at the Shiretoko Five Lakes National Park also created by volcanic action of Mt. Io. Along with these refreshing vistas were diary and produce farms, rice and wheat fields, flowers of lavender, and Japanese gardens.
This is somewhat of an illusion, this beauty we witnessed, because in winter, it all freezes over with very severe weather. We had a visit to the Drift Ice Museum atop Mt. Tento in Abashiri to get a small sampling of the severity of this weather and the very little time needed to actually freeze to death in this unforgiving climate. So, indeed less than idyllic and no, I don’t wish to move to Hokkaido.
While there, we ate and we ate well. Amidst the array of wonderful food, along with Japan’s mouth-watering rice of course, I had sashimi at the fish market (best I’ve ever had), a kaiseki dinner, miso ramen, the famous Hokkaido curry soup and oh my, their ice cream, so rich and creamy…a must have as part of one’s daily diet. Their cantaloupe melons are to die for…they are by far the sweetest, tasty, and the best in the world. It’s amazing as ice cream too.
We didn’t get a lot of history of the Ainu people and their culture and that’s too bad just knowing that they, like all original people all over the world, have been eradicated from their lands, forced to assimilate, or killed as invaders from outside took their lands. And it is to their credit that they resisted and were able to recover and preserve some of their ancient ways in-spite of colonization and have embraced capitalism so they can make a living selling their rituals, their crafts, and a variety of icons of who they are…as change for preservation are necessary for balance in changing times.
Creating a Family
What was most significant about our trip was the coming together of our group, as we were both diverse and complementary with a wide and varied character types. We differed widely in age, marital status, physical ability, faith, and travel acumen … but under God’s watchful eye, we meshed, we blended, and by the time we were ready to come home, we were family. That is what we really accomplished and what God would want of any gathering of the people.
The major highlight of this trip was our visit to the Yokohama Union Church where our missionary, Rev. Claudia Genyung-Yamamoto, is the pastor. She preaches the good news to a church full of ex-pats from the international community. The spoken word is English and it is non-denominational…in fact open to anyone of any faith or non-faith tradition who can and wishes to attend. On this day, Rev. John brought the message, “A Journey Toward Servanthood,” on his “calling” to serve Jesus’ people and being a servant of God. We were welcomed and embraced. We broke bread together in Communion, we “passed the peace,” and we felt community. This is an historic church having come into existence in1863 and survived an earthquake and a thorough bombing by the US during World War II. It was never a Japanese-speaking church but there to serve the European community living and working in Japan. Rev Claudia showed us around Yokohama, talked some history, and led a beautiful service. God’s presence was felt and cascaded over us.
Another highlight and quite memorable for us, was Ellen Takeuchi, Roy’s daughter-in-law’s story. We came to learn that Ellen spent several childhood years in Yokohama when her father took a job there. It was, in fact, quite emotional for her as we walked past Saint Mair International School and she recalled what it was like back then. Three of us walked around the neighborhood that had changed very little since her time spent here. What a blessed moment she shared.
After fellowship time, we walked to the largest Chinatown in Asia which is somewhat of a surprise and the area was wall-to-wall people purchasing Chinese food and wares. We dined at Rev. Claudia’s favorite Chinese restaurant. What a treat. The banquet meal was quite different from what we’d find here with its, a stir-fried shrimp dish, a stylized sizzling rice soup, Peking duck (complements of Rev. John) which is now a rare find around our environs, garlic stir fried greens a fried crab ball on a stick, and a few others that I don’t recall. This was all made special with the presence of Rev. Claudia who talked story with all of us. This shared meal was yet another special moment.
Our vacation was full. We over-ate, we saw and experienced quite an adventure that also included not just vistas, but we did glass blowing and experienced Japanese style tie-dying as well. We were so blessed to be able to do all that we did, take a mountain of photos to share with one another, and just be thankful for how fortunate we are to be able to travel like this. It’s truly a blessing.
My thanks and hats off to Carmen, who spent over a year planning this trip with Kintetsu, gathering the adventurers, working on all the arrangements, the itinerary and during our time in Hokkaido and Tokyo, ensuring that everyone was well attended to and that all their travel needs were met. And, she even had a good time too. We thank Rev. John too for sharing this time with all of us, and intentionally helping us become a caring tight-knit group which was well accomplished.
A group photo of Wesley Hokkaido Tour 2026 was taken at the sulphur geysers and geothermal spot at Akan Mashu National Park. With front row, from left: DeeDee Azuma, Joyce Yoshiro, Bev Acuna, Kathy Iyama, April Kawahara, Jan Yamaguchi, Ellen Takeuchi, Roy Takeuchi; middle row, from left: Carmen Cook Ann Cowels, Hiroko Itaya, Barbara Mulford, Marilyn Murata, Ernie Murata, Barbara Hiura, Paul Higuchi, Jim Yamaguchi; back row, from left; Doug Takeuchi, Gaylene Kaneko, Gloria Won, Joyce Yamasaki, John Won, George Yamaoka, Rev. John, Carl Miya, Greg Overton, Jim Higuchi, and Hector Acuna.
The Blue Lake of Shirogane
Good thing this Brown bear is running from us. It was safely taken from the bus.
Sulphur vents at Mt. Io.
Carl Miya’s Tie-dying masterpiece.
DeeDee Azuma’s glass blowing experience.
Jim and Jan Yamaguchi freezing with their frozen towels. It took about a minute or two in a minus 15.4 C room.
Ha! Ha! Me eating lavender ice cream.
Ryusei Falls in Sounkyo Gorge
One of the Shietoko Five Lakes beneath the volcano, Mount Io.
An 80-year-old Ainu women playing the traditional bamboo mouth harp musical instrument.
Rev. Claudia (far left) takes members of the group on a walking tour of the environs around her church shown here with our local tour guide, Paul Higuchi, Ann Cowels, Jeanne Katsuro, April Kawahara, Joyce Yamasaki, DeeDee Azuma, Greg Overton, Kathy Iyama, Hector and Bev Acuna, and Joyce Oshiro.
Rev. John giving the message above and Rev. Claudia doing Communion, below.
Ernie Murata and the congregation, passing the Peace of God.
Rev. John presenting Rev. Claudia and her church with a donation from our group.
Bev Acuna trying to make her way through Yokohama’s Chinatown.
Posted in Newsletter 2026-07-23