Archive for November, 2008
Most of the Masonic Rings and other Fraternal Rings found on this website can still be ordered for pre-Christmas delivery. When placing your order, please indicate whether this is a gift that needs to be delivered before Christmas. If it is not needed before Christmas, please indicate on the special instructions to me that it is not needed prior to Christmas. Doing so will leave us time to complete rings for other customers that are wanting their items delivered before Christmas.Thank you very much and haave a Happy Holiday Season to you and your families.
Mike Fox
The Mysteries referred to below had rites of initiationwith trials to be passed before receiving knowledge, and secrets to be concealed. The secrets of these Mysteries were kept well enough that later ages can only guess at what some of them were. It is possible that knowledge of the nature of the Mysteries was in the hands of the founders of the Masonic order and gave form to some of the present-day structure of Masonry.
The picture shown above is actually a picture of a 33rd degree Masonic Ring.
As I become more involved in the study of Freemasonry, I think that it is fascinating to delve into the history of this grand fraternity. Although some Masonic brothers may take the ritual to be historical truth, there are no true Masonic authorities who give any credence to an actual organization of Masons in ancient times.
Legends contained in the rituals of Freemasonry indicate that the origins of the Masonic fraternity date back to the construction of the
Shopping as a woman for a husband, boyfriend, or just a close friend who happens to be a guy can be a difficult task. Though guys aren’t quite as particular as women, it’s not easy to know what they want without asking them. Here are a few gift ideas most men would enjoy receiving:
~Fraternal Jewelry; a ring featuring free masons, knights templar, or armed forces is a great gift for men who participated in these social groups.
~Tech Gadgets; LED flashlights, leathermans, pocket knives, waterproof watches, guys love having the latest technology.
~Sports Memorabilia; find out their favorite NFL, MLB, or NBA team and purchase a apparel or paraphernalia.
In the recent presidential election, current President-Elect Barack Obama was criticized in the initial stretch of the election for removing his lapel pin featuring an American Flag. President-Elect Obama was quoted as saying the reason he removed the lapel pin was because “his words and his actions would represent his patriotism”. Though this seemed like a reasonable explanation, several media institutions blew the issue out of proportion stating that he was not proud to be an American. One media institution went so far as to suggest that President-Elect Obama was an “elitist”, and not in touch with the common person.
Though our President-Elect might not wear a lapel pin, wearing a lapel pin representative of your country, social group, or social institution is a time honored tradition illustrating one’s own love and pride.
While buying jewelry for women can be an easy process, buying a piece of jewelry for a man that he will wear and use often can be near impossible. Men don’t like to wear anything which inconveniences them or doesn’t have a specific purpose. Here are a few gift ideas for giving a piece of jewelry to a man that he will like and use.
~Watches make great gifts. They’re practical, useful, and still count as jewelry. Seiko, Accutron, or Bulova watches tend to offer the best quality for the price.
~Rings from a favorite sports team, profession, or cultural icon will often be worn by a man who is interested in what the ring represents.
~Cufflinks, although not technically jewelry, are practical. If he wears a suit frequently they can serve as a gift he will cherish and use.
Graduates, whether from high school or college, can be difficult to shop for depending on their life and the path they’ve chosen for the future. Graduate gifts can range from automobiles to simple jewelry or apparel, and it’s not easy to know what to buy and stay within the budget. Here are a few graduate gift ideas that are sure to please.
~Rings; a ring is a lasting gift that commemorates a huge step in life like graduation, for a graduate who is interested in, or has joined the armed forces, you might consider navy, air force, marines, or army rings. Other rings could be tailored towards a particular religion, culture, or even profession.
~Furniture; chances are whether it is high school or college they’re graduating from, they’ll need furniture. Computer chairs, desks, and even mini-fridges make great gifts.
~Technology; laptops, USB mice or keyboards, wireless headsets, IPods, antivirus software – it’s all applicable and necessary.
While traveling on business the other day, I happened by one of the most magnificent Masonic structures that I have ever seen.
The largest Masonic temple in the world,
As I seek to further my knowledge of Freemasonry and its place in history and around the world, I uncover a lot of information about our brothers in other parts of the world. Below is an article written by Tim Wangelin that I would like to share with my readers.Freemasonry and Modern Japanese History. Representative of the Far East Lodge #1 in their banner shown above.
By Tim Wangelin
“Freemasonry is the oldest, largest fraternal organization in the world. Freemasonry has brought together men of all religions and nationalities. Men of any religion that believe in one God may join.[1] Modern Freemasonry began in 1717 in England with the public announcement of the Grand Lodge of England. Since then, the Fraternity has spread world wide in its quest to promote brotherly love, relief to the distressed, and truth. It has played an important role in the formation of the United States of America. George Washington, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Winston Churchill are just a few of the great men in the past three centuries who have been Freemasons.
Freemasonry’s universality has spread to Japan. Tadasu Hayashi, a Japanese statesman who lived from 1850-1913, was probably the first Japanese to be made a Freemason, although it was in England. He eventually had to resign from the Freemasons because of political pressure from those in the Japanese government.[2] Freemasonry in pre-war Japan and was mostly concerned with only foreigners and was met with resistance by the Japanese. During the war, Freemasonry was totally banned. After the war, General MacArthur helped to insure Freemasonry would have a safe place in Japan. This report will focus on the Japanese view of Freemasonry, Japanese who have become Freemasons, and what Freemasonry is doing for Japan today.
Freemasonry was brought to Japan shortly after the arrival of U.S. Naval Commodore Matthew C. Perry (who was a Mason and member of Holland Lodge #8, New York City, New York, U.S.A.[3]) in 1853. It is reported that within a year of Perry’s arrival the first Masonic meeting among Americans was held. There are no records to prove this meeting. However, Japanese historians indicate that there were meetings among American who used certain symbols. The description of these symbols can be identified as symbols used by the Masonic Order.[4] See the symbols on the Masonic Ring. In 1867, the Yokohama Masonic Hall was constructed, which is believed to be the first all-stone structure of modern design in Japan. It was later completely destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 1923, along with its regalia, furniture, library, and records. The building survived an earthquake in 1870 without any damage. The lodge was rebuilt four years later in 1927.[5]
Freemasonry was not looked on favorably in Japan. It was considered to be “secret and subversive” by the Japanese. The Japanese government was very suspicious of Freemasonry. Japanese were forbidden to enter or organize any “secret or subversive” society, fraternity, or institution.[6] Japanese authorities did keep a “hand-off” policy even after extraterritoriality was abolished and the “secret” Masonic Fraternity came under Japanese law. Up until just before Pearl Harbor there were no noticeable interferences in Masonic activity.[7] However, Freemasonry was attacked by Jiro Imai, Assistant Professor of the Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University at a meeting of nationalistic sociology professors of the same university on June 28, 1921. He said it was a dangerous, subversive, secret society. This was the first attack in the twentieth century on Freemasonry in Japan. Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi, Lt. General Nobutaka Shioten, and other high ranking Army officials fueled the anti-Masonic and anti-Semitic movements. As far as they were concerned, it was a crime for any Army officials to be Freemasons. The Japanese people could not understand what the problem with Freemasons was when American Presidents, Kings of Great Britain, and many other exceptional statesman were members of this Fraternity. Dr. Sakuzo Yoshido, a scholar, was accused of a being a Mason. He was brave enough to publish a booklet entitled, “The Study of Freemasonry” in which he strongly defended the Fraternity.[8]
By the spring of 1940, Masonic activity in Japan had slowed down considerably. Many members had left the country. In the summer of 1941 the U.S. and Japan froze each others’ assets. In November 1941, the last Masonic meeting was held in Japan until after the war.[9] Articles were published in newspapers as a warning to what would happen to Masons if they didn’t get out of Japan.[10] Tamotsu Murayama, the first Japanese to be raised to the Degree of Master Mason[11] (meaning the Third Degree of Freemasonry was conferred upon him and he was made a full-fledged Mason) in post-war Japan, recalled a story that on December 8, 1941 the police came to arrest him. They asked him if he had been associated with any secret organizations attempting to overthrow the Japanese government, and specifically mentioned the Freemasons. He was questioned because he was working at the Associated Press office in Tokyo and had been involved with the Boy Scouts.[12] The Freemasons along with the International Rotary Club and Boy Scouts were banned in Japan. The Rotary Club was said to be conspiring with the Freemasons against Japanese policies. The Freemasons were said to be the origin of the Boy Scouts’ pledge of brotherhood and therefore banned. During the war, public exhibitions were held in a Tokyo department store where the “fearful secret” of Freemasonry was shown to the Japanese people. Equipment and Masonic regalia were displayed in a most shameful matter. Most anti-Masonic propaganda was translated from Hitler’s materials and prepared by Lt. General Shioten.[13]
The Yokohama Masonic Temple was closed throughout the war. When Americans revisited the Lodge they discovered several items missing. One was the organ which was found in the home of a Japanese police sergeant who had been in charge of prosecuting Masons during the war. Another item was a magnificent clock presented to the Lodge by the Scottish Rite. See the symbols on the Scottish Rite Ring. The clock was found in the office of the Yokohama Chief of Police. The clock could be identified by a brass plate that was removed and placed in a less noticeable place on the clock by “Hiram” Miyakawa, who later became a Mason. Miyakawa saved all the records and jewels of the Lodge.[14] John Diesem (a Mason from Wisconsin, who served as the first State Senior Councilor of DeMolay in Japan during the mid-1950’s) relayed a story that was being passed around during the 1950’s in Masonic circles in Japan, in which an old man had lived in the Yokohama Temple throughout the war and waited for the American Masons to return. Shortly after the war they returned, he had them dig up the original charter and all the regalia from the Lodge which he buried in the backyard.[15] The research indicates that the old man was most likely Miyakawa.
Masonic lodges were once again formed in Japan by American soldiers during the occupation. At the time these Lodges came under the [Masonic] jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. All the lodges had the blessings of General Douglas MacArthur (a Mason himself).[16]
Boy Scouts (whose founder, Daniel Carter Beard, was a Mason) played a large role in bringing Freemasonry back to Japan after the war. In 1947, General MacArthur authorized the reactivation of the Boy Scouts in Japan. The Imperial HouseHold Agency and other top leaders in Japan were briefed by Tamotsu Murayama (then not a Mason) on the fundamental principles of Freemasonry, which are to build character and future citizenship. American Masons promised to get behind a project to realize “Building For A Better Tomorrow”. They also promised Japanese leaders they would support Scouting, which was considered to be a very important post-war project to reconstruct Japan with the spirit of humanity and democracy in the minds of young people.[17]
Prince Higashikuni (uncle of the Emperor and post-war Prime Minister), showed his interest in becoming a servant to Freemasonry by becoming the first Japanese in post-war Japan to present an application to the Fraternity. Prince Eun Lee (whose wife is a cousin of the Empress), Naotake Sato (President of the House of Councillors), Ryutaro Takahashi (Minister of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry), Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama, Yahachi Kawai (President of the House of Councillors), Viscount Michiharu Mishima (a former member of the House of Peers who resigned to become Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of Japan), and many other leaders were among the first Japanese to petition the Masonic Order in early 1950.[18]
Freemasonry received extremely favorable endorsements from Japanese leaders such as Count Tsuneo Matsudairu (President of the House of Councillors and father of Princess Chichibu), who commented: “I know Freemasonry very well. I admire the principle of the fraternity that advocates and practices universal brotherhood. I am sure that Freemasonry alone can save this world from destruction. I am sorry to say that I was never able to be raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. Japanese misunderstanding and prejudice toward Freemasonry was one of the main causes of the last war. I am grateful Gen. MacArthur’s special consideration to open the door of Freemasonry to Japanese. It will undoubtedly be a social revolution in Japan. It is wonderful to welcome liberty, equality and fraternity.” Baron Kijuro Shidehara (Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister in pre-war Japan), also said: “I became acquainted with Freemasonry many decades ago in London. Then the Japanese Ambassador, Count Tadasu Hayashi, attired proudly in Masonic costume, told me that he had found friends in true spirit everywhere he traveled-because he was a Mason. I even studied Masonic principles through him. I had an opportunity of getting acquainted with Freemasonry. I desired to be initiated, but I was transferred to other posts from London before my desire was accomplished. There was an unwritten agreement that no Japanese was taken into Freemasonry in Japan due to some misunderstanding since Freemasonry was considered as a subversive organization. I am very happy to know that Gen. MacArthur is helping us to be raised socially equal with the spirit of fraternity by removing all social barriers and discrimination. This step is certainly a great social revolution in Japan. I welcome this opportunity to liberate Japanese. As the former Prime Minister to be responsible for the new Constitution of Japan, I welcome Gen. MacArthur’s gesture more than anything else.” General MacArthur was pleased with their statements and hoped that this would open the door for Japanese to begin joining the Fraternity.[19]
The question of allowing Japanese to become Freemasons was brought the Grand Lodge of the Philippines attention in 1949. They left the decision up to the individual lodges in Japan.[20] Some American Masons opposed this on religious grounds. They argued Japanese candidates must be Christians. However, there were many good Japanese leaders who were not Christian. John Cole, an American in Washington, D.C., drew a final conclusion that the Holy Bible should be used in place of all other sacred scriptures while a candidate takes his obligation. This simply ended minor arguments and oppositions. The initiation fee in Japan was ¥30,000. This was considered too high for most Japanese and in the beginning it was lowered to ¥5,000. It was then decided that some American Masons would become sponsors for Japanese candidates and after some loud discussions the fee was set at the original amount of ¥30,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Counter Intelligence Corps investigated the Japanese candidates to make sure they were worthy of living up to the high standards of Freemasonry.[21] All prospective candidates are investigated by the Lodge they are petitioning in the United States and investigated even more strictly in Europe. So bringing in the F.B.I. was not especially drastic, and the candidates didn’t seem to mind.
On April 5, 1950 the first group of Japanese were raised to the Degree of Master Masons.[22] Takasho Komatsu became the first Japanese to occupy the position of Worshipful Master of a Masonic Lodge, Tokyo Masonic Lodge No. 125, F. & A. M. (Free and Accepted Masons).[23]
Almost immediately after Tamotsu Murayama’s raising, he took the initiative to translate the Masonic ritual into Japanese.[24] By 1954 an all-Japanese degree team (a group of Masons who perform the Degrees on candidates) had been assembled and was headed by Prince Eun Lee. They gave a demonstration of the First Degree in Japanese to some American Masons. The American Masons were so impressed they permitted the conferring of First Degree on a candidate on the in Japanese. They also urged the completion of the translation of the Second and Third Degrees.
On March 26, 1955, Ichiro Hatoyama and Yahachi Kawai, both Entered Apprentices (First Degree Masons), were made Fellowcrafts (Second Degeree Masons), and raised to Master Masons. The Second and Third Degrees were conferred on Ichiro Hatoyama in his home due to his physical condition. Yahachi Kawai’s Degrees were conferred on him in the Tokyo Masonic Temple. A tea party was held in celebration and many congratulatory messages were read from other Grand Lodges, and from General MacArthur, and Former President Truman (who was a Mason and Past Grand Master of Missouri).[25]
The Grand Lodge of Japan was formed in 1957, the charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of the Philippines.[26] The first Japanese Grand Master of Japan was Sadaichi Horiuchi, who served from 1959-1960.[27]
The Grand Lodge of Japan today consists of eighteen Lodges, four of which are Japanese speaking. These Lodges are Torri Masonic Lodge No. 6, Nagoya, Tokyo Yuai Lodge No. 11, Tokyo, Hokkaido Lodge No. 17, Chitose, and Wakkanai Centennial No. 21, Sapporo. There are approximately 2,300 members in the Grand Lodge of Japan, of which, 20-25% are Japanese, the remaining are mostly Americans. Other bodies of Freemasons also exist in Japan as in other countries, such as the Tokyo Scottish Rite Bodies, Tokyo York Rite, Torii Oasis Shrine Clubs of Japan (which includes the Kanto, Kanagawa, and Misawa Shrine Clubs), and the Santama Lodge of Perfection. Eastern Star, an organization for women which is associated with Freemasonry, exists in Japan.[28] Prince Eun Lee’s wife was initiated into the Eastern Star in 1953.[29] Youth Groups also are present in Japan, such as DeMolay (for teenage boys) and Rainbow Girls (for teenage girls).[30] “