5 to 6 years ago... I was sitting in Mrs Takada's coffee shop one day in Newport Beach California. She was so excited that an elderly gentleman named Harry Sensei was coming to teach a Japanese Bible Study. I had to stay. He was late 80's and a very sharp man. Perfect keigo Japanese better than most Japanese themselves. Keigo is a polite form not used much now days. Not a hint of age showed as he powerfully spoke from the book of Romans. He was teaching on grace. He had the only one I have ever seen all Romanized Full Japanese Bible. All the words were phonetically spelled out. I learned of Harry Robert Fox as helping to build the Ibaraki Christian University. He and his brother Logan were very instrumental in establishing a wonderful Christ centered educational facility.
Today as I was in a meeting with several of our CRASH team members a gentleman named Jim Brannan (SP) I believe who has been in Japan a long time. I asked if he knew the Fox brothers. Yes his eyes lit up. He told me of their wonderful godly heritage to serve the Lord there in Japan. They just had a rededication of a building that they named after Logan. Harry was the honored guest to come and witness the event.
Churches of Christ had already bought a tract of land from the Hitachi Company in Ibaraki Prefecture. Harry Robert Fox, Jr. and his brother, Logan Fox, together with a group of students mainly from Harding College, settled there. Shion Gakuen was started in 1948, Tandai Junior College and the four-year Ibaraki College in 1951.
Here is a quote of his to the Westside Church of Christ:
http://westsidechurchofchrist.pepperdine.edu/hfox.htm
What an honor and blessing to be now at this time working alongside men of great faith. As far as I know Harry now in his 90's is still teaching the word in Japanese between San Diego CA and in Newport Beach all the way up to Los Angeles. He is such a gracious man if you see him tell him I said hi.
