missioner Gunpei Yamamuro, O.F., helped transform the
Army into an indigenous expression of Wesleyan-holiness mission,
Yamamuro had accepted Christ as Savior eight years prior to the arrival of
The Salvation Army in Japan in 1895.
liam Booth's In Darkest England and the Way
Out
classes led him to dedicate his life to God to the
salvation of the poor. Yamamuro employed his
gifts as writer, preacher and administrator in
the process of adapting the Army's mission and
message to a Japanese audience. His 45 years
of service as an Army officer included appoint-
ments as editor of the War Cry, Training Col-
lege principal, field secretary, chief secretary,
territorial commander and territorial counselor.
maintaining a firm commitment to biblical
Christianity, particularly its Wesleyan-holiness
theological expression. Yamamuro's gift as a
communicator accounted for his widespread
influence. One literary work stands above oth-
ers in this regard: the Common People's Gospel,
published in 1899, became a classic in Japa-
nese Christian literature, selling three million
copies. It expressed the Gospel's message in
a way understandable to all by using stories,
parables, poems, songs and anecdotes from both
Japanese and Western culture.
distinctive holiness emphasis and keen social
consciousness, had a strong impact on Japanese
culture. The Army's social evangelism prolifer-
ated throughout Japan during the early 20th
century. As Yamamuro put it, "Our propagation
of the Gospel must be accompanied by the prac-
tice of love. We preach the Gospel because we
love our neighbors."
non-Western officer to be appointed as a territo-
rial commander in the Army, and the first to
reach the rank of commissioner. As the father
of The Salvation Army in Japan, Yamamuro
has been compared to William Booth in terms
of his leadership and vision. He was awarded
entry into the Order of the Founder in 1937.
and the bushido (warrior) spirit of traditional
Japanese culture.
Asbury University, is the author of Salvationist Samu-
rai: Gunpei Yamamuro and the Rise of the
Salvation Army in Japan.