Excerpt from The Japan Christian Yearbook, 1968 As Sadao Watanabe's special jacket for this 1968 Japan Christian Yearbook indicates, this is a special issue. It is a special issue for two reasons: 1) It commemorates the Centennial observance of the Meiji Restoration of 1868; 2) It is the first Japan Christian Yearbook: to be prepared and issued under joint Protestant and Roman Catholic auspices. In connection with the Centennial observance of the Meiji Restoration, which restored Japan as a strong and united nation within the world's community of nations, an attempt has been made by the Editors and Editorial Committee of the 1968 Japan Christian Yearbook to: 1) review and analyze the planting and development of Christianity in Japan; 2) Show the role which Christianity has played in Japan's modernization; and, 3) evaluate the place of Christianity in both present and future Japanese thought and culture. In reference to the second special and unique character of this issue of the Yearbook - its being a product of joint Pro testant and Roman Catholic efforts - the Editorial Committee has from the very beginning rejected any idea of speaking about Protestant or Catholic points of view, no matter how legitimate such a distinction might be theologically or ecclesiastically. In other words, we have resolved to approach our common tasks simply as Christians. This stance has been strengthened by the participation of some' outstanding non-christians in the ecumenical dialogue which is repre sented in these pages. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.