Basic HTML Version
governments.
Until now, the doors have been closed for getting God's
last message of world peace and universal salvation to these
countries. In the United States, Canada, Australia, the doors
were open to reach the people by radio, television, and the
printing press. In nations of the democratic system the people
are the top authority. It is government of the people and by
the people. But in other nations it is different. Even in
nations like Britain, Germany, and France -- supposedly governed
by the democratic system -- such means of public communication
as radio and TV are government-controlled. They have always
been closed to us.
On the present trip, enroute to Manila, I made a three-day
stopover in Tokyo. The eight leading members of the Japanese
Diet (who spent two weeks with us touring the Middle East oil
regions on an official government goodwill tour) hosted a dinner
in my honor, telling me they consider themselves my "Japanese
sons." That adds another honor.
While in Tokyo one afternoon, one of the biggest of the
Japanese giant sumo wrestlers, known in Japan as Takamiyama,
came to my hotel room to see me. He is actually an American,
Jesse Kuhaulua, from Hawaii and the only non-Japanese ever to
win a sumo tournament. He received a letter dated July 16,
1972 from the White House, signed by President Richard Nixon,
congratulating him on his championship.
When I went to open the door of my room to him -- well! --
what I beheld in the doorway was an experience of a lifetime!
His head almost touched the top of the door (he is six feet four
or taller). But his mountainous frame just about filled the
whole doorway. He is simply huge -- stupendous -- weighing some
385 pounds. One of my Japanese friends brought him up. He sat
beside me on a wide sofa -- and his huge frame took up a full two
seats of a three-seat-wide sofa. I felt like a pigmy beside him.
We chatted for about an hour, and he told us many things about
this unique Japanese sport.
Once he bent his arm back at the elbow, and he asked me to
feel his forearm just below the elbow. I could hardly believe it
-- it was as hard as steel -- harder than wood. When I shook
hands with him on his arrival, and again when he left, his giant
palm absolutely smothered my hand, and with his strength, I'm
sure he could have broken my knuckles had he just squeezed a little
harder!
I think someone in the room took our pictures together, and
I may publish them in the Plain Truth -- unless they make me look
too little! I had seen these sumo matches a few times on
television, but I never before had seen one of those wrestlers in
person. It's almost unbelievable! Just thought this little
personal incident might be of interest.
Also in our brief stay in Tokyo I visited the world-famous
University of Tokyo and had a personal visit with the President