1
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:02,209
Hiizu (Hide) Kuniya

2
00:00:02,209 --> 00:00:05,780
was one of the earliest Japanese
Seventh-day Adventist ministers.

3
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,420
Kuniya was born in Japan in 1872.

4
00:00:10,990 --> 00:00:13,860
When he turned 20, 
he was called for military service.

5
00:00:14,755 --> 00:00:17,135
In the military, he was led 
to become a Christian

6
00:00:17,135 --> 00:00:18,780
through the influence of a friend.

7
00:00:19,455 --> 00:00:23,455
Then he met an intern military doctor 
named Mokutarou Kawasaki.

8
00:00:24,075 --> 00:00:28,615
Kawasaki attended English Bible studies
presented by William Calhoun Grainger,

9
00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,340
the first official Seventh-day
Adventist missionary to Japan.

10
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,740
Kawasaki invited Kuniya 
to attend the studies with him.

11
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:39,570
Kuniya accepted the invitation.

12
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,125
Studying the Bible fervently,
he became convinced

13
00:00:43,125 --> 00:00:45,802
that the Adventist message 
was the biblical truth

14
00:00:46,075 --> 00:00:48,195
and that Jesus was coming soon.

15
00:00:48,895 --> 00:00:51,075
Soon, he and Kawasaki were baptized.

16
00:00:52,275 --> 00:00:56,055
Following his baptism, 
Kuniya became engaged in outreach.

17
00:00:56,660 --> 00:00:59,620
He preached on the street,
began colportering,

18
00:00:59,620 --> 00:01:01,180
and helped with the editorial work

19
00:01:01,180 --> 00:01:04,866
of the first Seventh-day Adventist 
Japanese language periodical.

20
00:01:06,530 --> 00:01:08,230
In the summer of 1900,

21
00:01:08,485 --> 00:01:12,158
Kuniya supported the opening 
of the small "Kobe Sanitarium"

22
00:01:12,158 --> 00:01:13,748
for poor Japanese people.

23
00:01:14,085 --> 00:01:16,345
This led the way 
for a church to be planted.

24
00:01:16,565 --> 00:01:18,128
According to Kuniya,

25
00:01:18,128 --> 00:01:21,210
although the establishment 
of the church had growing pains,

26
00:01:21,210 --> 00:01:24,670
for a while it was the center
of the Japanese missionary work.

27
00:01:25,050 --> 00:01:28,190
In 1904, Kuniya met two Korean Christians.

28
00:01:28,710 --> 00:01:30,910
He told them 
about the Seventh-day Sabbath,

29
00:01:30,910 --> 00:01:33,690
and they accepted 
the biblical truth and were baptized.

30
00:01:34,365 --> 00:01:37,267
This became the first Adventist work 
for Korean people.

31
00:01:37,595 --> 00:01:41,035
Kuniya went to Korea and engaged
in the missionary work there.

32
00:01:41,035 --> 00:01:42,895
In 1907, he was ordained

33
00:01:43,195 --> 00:01:47,535
and became one of the first Seventh-day
Adventist Japanese official ministers.

34
00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,740
Kuniya attended 
the 1909 General Conference Session

35
00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,020
and reported about his ministry
and experience in Japan.

36
00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,129
Like the Apostle Paul,
Kuniya had a conviction

37
00:01:59,129 --> 00:02:00,250
that it was his mission

38
00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:02,831
to proclaim the gospel 
in unreached places.

39
00:02:03,851 --> 00:02:05,423
While doing colporteur work,

40
00:02:05,423 --> 00:02:08,075
he established churches 
in many Japanese cities.

41
00:02:08,585 --> 00:02:12,925
In 1918, Kuniya was called
to advance the missionary work in Tokyo.

42
00:02:13,465 --> 00:02:15,130
As a result of his ministry,

43
00:02:15,130 --> 00:02:18,188
the church grew significantly 
in this capital city.

44
00:02:18,980 --> 00:02:23,770
During World War II, the police arrested
42 Japanese Seventh-day Adventists,

45
00:02:23,770 --> 00:02:24,920
including Kuniya.

46
00:02:25,710 --> 00:02:27,960
He was incarcerated for about six months

47
00:02:28,210 --> 00:02:31,080
when it was discovered 
he had both kidney and heart disease

48
00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:33,075
and was sent to a hospital.

49
00:02:33,530 --> 00:02:35,920
Fortunately, he recovered 
from his health ailments.

50
00:02:36,305 --> 00:02:39,365
Kuniya was exempted 
from prosecution and went free.

51
00:02:39,905 --> 00:02:42,251
After the war, 
he immediately began visiting

52
00:02:42,251 --> 00:02:45,765
scattered believers and seekers 
in local regions to encourage them.

53
00:02:46,870 --> 00:02:49,850
Pastor Hiizu Kuniya died in 1962.

54
00:02:50,470 --> 00:02:53,590
His faithful service to God
laid a solid foundation

55
00:02:53,590 --> 00:02:55,610
for the Seventh-day 
Adventist Church in Japan.

56
00:02:56,257 --> 00:02:58,437
For more stories 
about pioneer missionaries,

57
00:02:58,645 --> 00:03:01,785
visit encyclopedia.adventist.org