Report of Regular Meeting September 2007
Takahiro Nagasawa, Secretary
The regular meeting of September "Y's Comprehension Night" was held in a sultry weather with heat of late summer. After the opening chime of the President, Mr. Nakamura and the Y's song, Ms. Hiroko Sayama, who was sent to Phayao Province and Bangkok (to attend in the International Youth Convocation) in Thai as youth member supported by the Tokyo Club this summer, Mr. Daisuke Watanabe who was sent to Norway by the STEP and Mr. Shinnosuke Hosokawa who was sent to Victoria State in Australia by the STEP presented activity reports based on their experience.
[Speech of Mr. Shin Nara]
The guest speaker is Mr. Shin Nara. The title is the "Architecture of Mr. Vories". He was born in 1922 as the first son of Mr. Tsutae Nara. He learned in Waseda University to become an architect. He continued his activity of Waseda University YMCA campaigning as student too. After the graduation, he joined an architectural firm and he studied at the laboratory of Waseda University. He took charge of the 1st period construction of ICU under the direction of Mr. Vories. He spoke enthusiastically about Mr. Vories who was loved by a lot of persons. He said: "Mr. Vories came from America to Japan in the middle of Meiji. He began a mission of the christianity. He established the Omi Brother Inc. He left a lot of architectures as the Western-style houses. The architectures of Mr. Vories are in various parts of Japan still: Daimaru Department Store at Shinsaibashi in Osaka, Amherst House of Doshisha University, Toka chinese restaurant, Daimaru Villa (Karasuma Marutamachi street corner), Daimaru Department Store in Kyoto before reconstruction, Kansei Gakuin University, Kobe College, a lot of cottages at Karuizawa, etc. He designed about 150 churches on relationship with the Kyoto YMCA. After the loss of the World War II, he made efforts for the revival of Japan, advising McArthur who governed Japan. If you walk about 20 minutes from the Omihachiman station, you can see a group of Western-style houses designed by Mr. Vories."
After the speech, smile cards were presented. We bought remembrances of Vories in silent auction. Mr. Shoji sold various articles of auction cleverly.