WEBVTT

00:00:01.160 --> 00:00:02.209
Hiizu (Hide) Kuniya

00:00:02.209 --> 00:00:05.780
was one of the earliest Japanese
Seventh-day Adventist ministers.

00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:10.420
Kuniya was born in Japan in 1872.

00:00:10.990 --> 00:00:13.860
When he turned 20, 
he was called for military service.

00:00:14.755 --> 00:00:17.135
In the military, he was led 
to become a Christian

00:00:17.135 --> 00:00:18.780
through the influence of a friend.

00:00:19.455 --> 00:00:23.455
Then he met an intern military doctor 
named Mokutarou Kawasaki.

00:00:24.075 --> 00:00:28.615
Kawasaki attended English Bible studies
presented by William Calhoun Grainger,

00:00:29.040 --> 00:00:32.340
the first official Seventh-day
Adventist missionary to Japan.

00:00:33.360 --> 00:00:36.740
Kawasaki invited Kuniya 
to attend the studies with him.

00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:39.570
Kuniya accepted the invitation.

00:00:40.080 --> 00:00:43.125
Studying the Bible fervently,
he became convinced

00:00:43.125 --> 00:00:45.802
that the Adventist message 
was the biblical truth

00:00:46.075 --> 00:00:48.195
and that Jesus was coming soon.

00:00:48.895 --> 00:00:51.075
Soon, he and Kawasaki were baptized.

00:00:52.275 --> 00:00:56.055
Following his baptism, 
Kuniya became engaged in outreach.

00:00:56.660 --> 00:00:59.620
He preached on the street,
began colportering,

00:00:59.620 --> 00:01:01.180
and helped with the editorial work

00:01:01.180 --> 00:01:04.866
of the first Seventh-day Adventist 
Japanese language periodical.

00:01:06.530 --> 00:01:08.230
In the summer of 1900,

00:01:08.485 --> 00:01:12.158
Kuniya supported the opening 
of the small "Kobe Sanitarium"

00:01:12.158 --> 00:01:13.748
for poor Japanese people.

00:01:14.085 --> 00:01:16.345
This led the way 
for a church to be planted.

00:01:16.565 --> 00:01:18.128
According to Kuniya,

00:01:18.128 --> 00:01:21.210
although the establishment 
of the church had growing pains,

00:01:21.210 --> 00:01:24.670
for a while it was the center
of the Japanese missionary work.

00:01:25.050 --> 00:01:28.190
In 1904, Kuniya met two Korean Christians.

00:01:28.710 --> 00:01:30.910
He told them 
about the Seventh-day Sabbath,

00:01:30.910 --> 00:01:33.690
and they accepted 
the biblical truth and were baptized.

00:01:34.365 --> 00:01:37.267
This became the first Adventist work 
for Korean people.

00:01:37.595 --> 00:01:41.035
Kuniya went to Korea and engaged
in the missionary work there.

00:01:41.035 --> 00:01:42.895
In 1907, he was ordained

00:01:43.195 --> 00:01:47.535
and became one of the first Seventh-day
Adventist Japanese official ministers.

00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:51.740
Kuniya attended 
the 1909 General Conference Session

00:01:51.960 --> 00:01:55.020
and reported about his ministry
and experience in Japan.

00:01:55.960 --> 00:01:59.129
Like the Apostle Paul,
Kuniya had a conviction

00:01:59.129 --> 00:02:00.250
that it was his mission

00:02:00.250 --> 00:02:02.831
to proclaim the gospel 
in unreached places.

00:02:03.851 --> 00:02:05.423
While doing colporteur work,

00:02:05.423 --> 00:02:08.075
he established churches 
in many Japanese cities.

00:02:08.585 --> 00:02:12.925
In 1918, Kuniya was called
to advance the missionary work in Tokyo.

00:02:13.465 --> 00:02:15.130
As a result of his ministry,

00:02:15.130 --> 00:02:18.188
the church grew significantly 
in this capital city.

00:02:18.980 --> 00:02:23.770
During World War II, the police arrested
42 Japanese Seventh-day Adventists,

00:02:23.770 --> 00:02:24.920
including Kuniya.

00:02:25.710 --> 00:02:27.960
He was incarcerated for about six months

00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:31.080
when it was discovered 
he had both kidney and heart disease

00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:33.075
and was sent to a hospital.

00:02:33.530 --> 00:02:35.920
Fortunately, he recovered 
from his health ailments.

00:02:36.305 --> 00:02:39.365
Kuniya was exempted 
from prosecution and went free.

00:02:39.905 --> 00:02:42.251
After the war, 
he immediately began visiting

00:02:42.251 --> 00:02:45.765
scattered believers and seekers 
in local regions to encourage them.

00:02:46.870 --> 00:02:49.850
Pastor Hiizu Kuniya died in 1962.

00:02:50.470 --> 00:02:53.590
His faithful service to God
laid a solid foundation

00:02:53.590 --> 00:02:55.610
for the Seventh-day 
Adventist Church in Japan.

00:02:56.257 --> 00:02:58.437
For more stories 
about pioneer missionaries,

00:02:58.645 --> 00:03:01.785
visit encyclopedia.adventist.org