[Excerpt from:

“THE KING IN JAPAN

“Extremely Regal Welcome!

“Honored with the Cross of Japan!

“THE ENTIRE STORY FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO JAPAN!”]

On the 10th, the Royal One went to Yokohama, and joined in prayer with the Christians of Japan. In 1853, the churches of Hawaii donated One Thousand Dollars for the building of a church in Japan. The 10th of March was the opening. The King was invited to attend the opening of the church, and he agreed. When he walked into the church, he was lead to a high area. On the walls of the church, written in clear, large letters were:

Hawaii to Japan 1853.

Japan to Hawaii 1881.

Above the pulpit, on the wall was the letters: ALOHA. After the prayer, Doctor T. W. Gulick spoke on the reasons that the Hawaiian churches donated the money. He said, before the King left Hawaii, the King, the Attorney General, and Kale Kauka personally went to see the opening of the Chinese church in Honolulu; and on this day, they see in person the opening of the Japanese church. The people were overjoyed at the Kings good will, in his coming in person. At that, one of the Japanese elders stood and read a speech of welcome to the King in Japanese, and in the name of the Japanese Christians he gifted the King with a copy of the New Testament in Japanese. The King stood up and responded to the welcome speech by saying, he was happy to meet with the Christians of Japan, and that he was also overjoyed with the gift; because he believed the Christians of his nation would be thrilled to hear of the progress.

After the worship, a small party was held in a room close by, where gentlemen and ladies who entered into the family of Christians were shown to the King. At 7 in the evening, the Alii went to a party given by the Masons, and at 10 that night, he returned to Tokyo. It appeared as if the Christians of Japan were excited and happy at this appearance of the Alii. They looked at him as if he was not of the lower class, and when saw that their church was entered by a King of a far away land, and that he spoke before them and accepted the gift of the New Testament, none of them could control their nervousness. Here are the words of one of the Missionaries: “The King visiting the church is a great blessing to the Christians of Japan.”

  (Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, 4/23/1881, p. 2)

Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, Buke IV, Helu 17, Aoao 2. Aperila 23, 1881.