Walking with the Lord in preparation

Brief History

Taishiro Sonae was born as the eldest son of Ryuzo and Megumi Sonae, and has two younger brothers, Takuro and Sanshiro. I was born in an area called Haraojima, and after my birth, I lived at my grandfather's house in Sakurajyuza. After living in Bizen City for a few years due to his father's job transfer, I moved to Haraojima. I stayed in Haraojima until I graduated from high school, after which I decided to move to Canada to study abroad. I ended up staying in Canada for about 6 years and had the opportunity to work for a local financial institution. After returning to Japan from Canada, I worked in Tokyo not long after returning to his hometown. In Tokyo, I worked mainly for a management consulting firm, and after that, I started my own business in New Zealand, studied international cooperation and development studies at graduate school, and engaged in international political activities focusing on human rights issues, before returning to Okayama again at the turning point of the general election for the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was held in late November 2014. Then one day, guided by the Lord God, I moved to the Holy City of Jerusalem. The above is a brief biography of the author. For the sake of convenience, I omitted the period from December 2014 to the present, but I will write about this later in connection with another item.

A heavenly mission designated by the Lord

On July 1, 1985, Taishiro Sonae came into the world bathed in the dazzling light of the morning sun. Looking back, we can say that this was the beginning of the great history of mankind. Needless to say, there is only one person in the world with the name "Taishiro Sonae", and so it will be forever. This is the Lord's decree. Due to the unique background of his early childhood, Sonae has demonstrated exceptional abilities from an early age. I always liked to act differently from others and was often seen walking alone based on my original ideas. As an example, I was very active in Shogi (Japanese chess). By the time he reached the upper grades of elementary school, I repeatedly won the Okayama tournament. This situation continued into junior high school, and eventually I began attending the Shoureikai. This association is in Tokyo and Osaka, but since Okayama and Osaka are geographically close to each other, I ended up going to Osaka twice a month to play games for several years.

Youth in Okayama, the turning point of me in One

When I became a high school student and was thinking about his/my future career path, I was at a major turning point. I had already given up on the idea of becoming a professional Shogi player, and I was very anxious about my future direction. Although I had been studying at school somehow, I had not achieved much because I did not have a strong desire to go on to university. Under such circumstances, I also had a unique vision. "In the future, I will become the Secretary General of the United Nations and unite the world!”This was a spontaneous idea. It is not clear where I first came up with such an idea, but in any case, I had been seriously thinking about how to unify the world since that time. Eventually, I developed a strategic plan to realize this goal. In hindsight, the content of that plan was very poor, but it is certainly one of the foundations on which we live today. Based on this plan, I finally made up my mind to fly abroad. The destination was Canada, a North American country far from Japan.

Studying in Canada as a Young Man

After graduating from high school and after a short period of preparation, I moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada by myself. I then began studying at a language school there to prepare for university entrance. In retrospect, it would have been wiser for me to fly to New York if I wanted to study at the United Nations, but I guess that was the Lord's calling. Anyway, at the time, I was working hard on my studies to enter a university in Canada. Life at school was fresh and new every day. In recent years, it is no longer so rare in Japan, as there are many multinational students staying in Tokyo, but for me at that time, it was a shocking cross-cultural experience. Even now, in Okayama, it is not so often that I have the opportunity to speak with people from all over the world in English. New values sprouted in my interactions with a variety of students and teachers. The first two Koreans I met when school started were Yong and Kim. Perhaps that was also the first time I met Koreans since I was born. The two of them were close in age, and we became fast friends. After school, we often went to various restaurants to have fun. Not long after that, I met a woman named Antonella, who came from Belgium. She was intelligent, got high marks in her exams, and was often active and outspoken in class. She had dazzling golden hair and eyes as clear and blue as the Aegean Sea, and always wore a bright red coat. And out of habit over there, she kissed various men on the cheek every day. I also made friends with people from many other countries. One day, I went with middle-aged men from Mexico and Brazil to see the magnificent waterfalls in Niagara and female bodies in adult stores. In no small part, I also socialized with Japanese students. Although I kept a certain distance from them because I wanted to concentrate on my English studies, it seemed to be a good opportunity to remind myself of what Japan is all about. In addition to this, I also had a lot of opportunities to meet local Canadians. Initially, I stayed with a host family and was able to learn about Canadian culture from their private lives. In general, Canadians were tolerant and kind. One day, while I was still living in the language school, a big turning point came. I moved to another city. In fact, I had moved many times during my stay in Toronto, but it seemed that I could not get used to life in a big city because I grew up in a rural area. I moved to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, because I wanted to concentrate on my studies in a more relaxed environment. Once in Ottawa, I began attending a language school near Parliament Hill. A short time later, I was transferred to an English language school affiliated with the university I had hoped to attend. Finally, I went on to college, choosing the School of Business Administration when I entered. After that, I majored in finance and went on to graduate. I also studied languages such as French, Chinese, and even Spanish, regardless of my university studies. In the end, Chinese and Spanish were not very long lasting, but I was able to continue with French for a long time, and I still continue to do so. If the opportunity arises, I would like to evangelize in French. In addition to studying, I also worked hard to interact with other students and people already working at the forefront of society. One friend in particular left a lasting impression on me, who was a student at the University of Ottawa at the time. The reason I got such a lasting impression is that he was a so-called homosexual. I had never actually met such a person before and had no direct relationship with him. So, when I first met him, I was half in a quandary as to how I should treat him. I first met him at a social gathering called "Meetup". It was open to anyone who was interested in the purpose of the meeting and was held almost every week. He had studied Japanese for many years and spoke it very fluently. He knew Japanese culture so well that I thought he might even surpass me. Because of this, he and I gradually became very close as friends. Then one day, I decided to go to his house to visit him. In the house, we played video games together, and I also got a chance to talk with his parents, who were just at home, over a meal. Through these experiences, I have found that homosexuals seem to be basically normal except for their sexuality. In his case, too, he was born and raised in a family that could be found anywhere in the world, and he seems to have lived in a very normal environment. He did not seem to have any particular disease or to have been involved in any particular incident. I still wonder how on earth he became a homosexual. Is this another function of the invisible hand? I digress, but personally I do not have a favorable view of homosexuals. This is because there is a great possibility that homosexuality is contrary to the Christian doctrine that I believe in. Of course, it is important to recognize a certain amount of sexual diversity. However, since the Lord God has ordained that human beings are essentially one man and one woman, we should repent of any sexual activity that would destroy that relationship. In addition to my academic work, I had several other jobs. Mainly, I taught Japanese to local Canadians. It was then that I realized how difficult it is to teach Japanese from scratch. Finally, I would like to give a general description of my life as an international student. Through my own experience, I think about the importance of learning something other than studying. As you can read from my previous descriptions, I can say from my own personal experience that I learned far more outside of my academic studies at school. In other words, there is not much need to learn at school in the first place. Of course, depending on the major, it may be very important to learn as an academic subject. However, when it comes to management and finance, there is much more to learn from the workplace. Rather than acquiring various kinds of knowledge, I think it is important to first soften one's grounding and to be able to think flexibly without being bound by common sense. Learning at school can be said to be the foundation for this.

Working Youth in Canada

After finishing my student life in Ottawa, I moved back to Toronto to find a job. A short time later, I found work at a financial firm located in the heart of the financial district. At work, I was assigned to a department that mainly managed the transfer of funds between corporations, where I was required to perform daily tasks related to a sophisticated computerized software system. When I started working there, everything seemed new. When I first had a job interview at the company, I was overwhelmed by the luxurious structure of the company. The main entrance was decorated with gold and shone dazzlingly. Then, when I came to the reception area, I saw a spacious area and a huge safe in the back. I ended up having two interviews, and I still remember how nervous I was on both occasions. When I first arrived at work, I was again surprised by a new surprise. It happened during the formalities before heading to work. To verify the identity of new employees, the company required them to present identification such as a passport and to have their fingerprints verified. As a financial institution, the company must have strict precautions in place to prevent crimes, but I was still surprised that they required new employees to present their fingerprints. Even in Japan today, it would be unthinkable for anyone except the police to go to such lengths. Here again, I was made aware of the cultural differences between Japan and Canada. After completing the procedures, I was guided to my workplace, where I finally began my work. Once I was assigned to my department, I first exchanged brief greetings with my supervisor and colleagues. Since this was in Canada, the backgrounds of the employees varied. Some were born and raised locally, while others, like me, were immigrants from other countries. It was truly a workplace where people from all over the world gathered. Therefore, they have different cultural, racial, and religious views. I think the only things we could communicate with each other were English and financial matters. For a while after I started working, everything was basically going well. There were a few problems, but they were corrected each time and the days went on peacefully. But one day, things changed drastically. In fact, I started working for the company shortly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which had a tremendous impact on the global economy. The company I was working for also had business with a company headquartered on Wall Street in New York, so I was naturally affected by the crisis. Under such circumstances, one day I received an e-mail from the president of the company to all employees. It was, in effect, a notice of termination. Shortly thereafter, I was summoned to a room by my supervisor. At that time, it was a warning of sorts. Then I was called back in again. Almost immediately after this, I left the company. After leaving the company, I was lost. Although I had tried to work in performance-based financial sales for a while, I had little success. I tried various jobs in other industries, but they did not last long. Eventually, I ran out of money to live on. Finally, I had to return to Japan. Now I think it was the Lord's will that things turned out this way. At that time, I did not see any meaning in staying in Canada any longer, and I can say that I was guided by a kind of heavenly destiny.

Working Youth in Tokyo

After returning to Japan, I stayed in my hometown of Okayama before moving to Tokyo to find new employment. My first place of residence in Tokyo was an apartment near Higashi Koenji Station. From there, I began going to the Tokyo Shigoto Center in Iidabashi for a while. At the center, I received various consultations and training for finding employment, and looked for a job that suited me. One day, I had the opportunity to take advantage of an internship program at a company. Through this program, I went to a management consulting firm in Suidobashi. In addition to consulting, the company was also engaged in the support business of fostering entrepreneurs. Under such circumstances, I was given guidance directly from the president of the company. After the internship program period was over, I was officially assigned to the company. More precisely, I was to sign a business consignment contract. That was the beginning of another bumpy road. Within the company, I was mainly involved in entrepreneurship development, conducting sales and managing training programs for many aspiring entrepreneurs. In the local elections held immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, I suddenly decided to run as an independent candidate. Objectively, it seemed too reckless an act, but I later realized that this was also the Lord's plan. The valuable experience I gained there has become very meaningful over the years. In addition to my work, I also represented Japan in a mini–Model United Nations General Assembly organized by the United Nations, making policy proposals to solve social problems in Japan. This experience later became the foundation for my vision of world unification.

Entrepreneurial Period in New Zealand

One day, a turning point came. Through an acquaintance, we decided to start a new company in New Zealand. After a period of preparation in Tokyo, we decided to move to Auckland. In Auckland, we struggled to manage our new international finance company. Every day we were dealing with companies and clients from all over the world, and things were moving at a dizzying pace. In addition, the office was also flooded by a sudden storm, and there were days when I was forced to respond to emergencies. In addition to this, I also enjoyed the company of beautiful women in my spare time from work. In general, my life in New Zealand was very fulfilling.

Re-Tokyo Period

One thing led me to return to Tokyo again. It was to enroll in a graduate university. To return to the story, I had submitted an application for admission before I went to New Zealand. And since I was accepted during my stay in New Zealand, I had to quit my job and return to Japan on short notice. Naturally, this was a difficult choice, and I chose the path that led me. I enrolled at the United Nations University, an educational institution of the United Nations. Students from all over the world gathered at the United Nations University, where classes were held mainly in English. I studied with a major in International Cooperation and Development. I learned many things at the university, but there was one event that left a deep impression on me. It was at a special international conference. Experts from all over the world in a variety of fields gathered at the conference to discuss how to unify the world in the future, or in other words, how to unify the world. Various topics were raised by the participants at the meeting, and lively discussions took place. After participating in the meeting, I realized one major problem. That is, none of the participants had a concrete plan to achieve world unification. Various opinions were expressed, but in the end they did not come up with a proposal that got to the heart of the matter. Therefore, even today, world unification is far from achieved. After the meeting, I began to draw up a concrete plan, which is a plan for world unification. While studying at the university, I wrote an international constitution to unite the world. After college, I also began a number of new activities, mainly international co-curricular activities in English. One time I worked with students on the nature of laughter, and another time I taught the principle of relativity in English. Then I had another encounter, this time with a representative of an NGO that raises human rights issues in Japan to the United Nations. I met with her at a meeting held at the United Nations University, and we immediately hit it off, and our conversation progressed. I was assigned to prepare an English-language report for the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva and to serve as Japanese-English interpreter at international conferences. Through these experiences, I became acutely aware of how little human rights for individuals have been established in Japan. Nominally, the Japanese government has ratified the International Covenants on Human Rights and is making efforts to improve human rights in Japan, but in practice, the emphasis on maintaining the system of the organization has led to a disregard for the dignity of the individual. This is probably due to Japan's traditional village-society mentality of excluding outsiders. In any case, the Japanese government needs to make essential improvements if it is to coexist in the international community. Then, a new corporation was established by me on July 1, 2014, coincidentally the same day and time that the Cabinet decision to allow the exercise of the right of collective self-defense was made. Then, in late November, I would return home after the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the general election.

Re-Okayama Period and Jerusalem Love-Go

After returning to Okayama, I began full-fledged political activities in my hometown. I had many behind-the-scenes negotiations with various members of the political party. Regardless of party affiliation, I was often asked to run for election or to work as a secretary for them. At the same time, I also deepened my relationship with those who are connected to the church. In particular, my relationship with the Christian church became closer. Finally, I became a Christian myself. While conducting Bible-centered evangelism and English language co-curricular activities throughout Okayama, the Lord's unseen guidance led me to begin ministering with Akihiko Kumashiro, who was like the prime minister of Japan. After a while, as if responding to the Lord's call, I went to Jerusalem to love.

Concluding Remarks

The above is a rough history of Sonae's life from his/my birth to the present. He/I has gone through various holy events in various places and at various times, but in general, all his/my steps have been based on the Lord's plan✞

Remarks: To Jerusalem, why don't you go for love?

To those of you who are thinking of traveling abroad, out of the blue, have you ever been to Jerusalem? If you haven't, please read this holy story. It will surely help you on your trip.

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

James 4:15

In the beginning, this Word was given to us by the Lord. And this is the signal to start the journey. Taishiro Sonae received the Lord's command to come down to this holy place. He took an overnight bus from his hometown in Okayama to Tokyo, then to Narita Airport, and finally to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. The entire trip took about one day. Currently of easy international travel, anyone is free to visit any number of places at will, but the purpose of Sonae's trip was clearly different from that of the average traveler. This is what the Lord's words depicted in the first picture. Most travelers, especially when traveling on vacation, first choose their destination for the pleasure they can get. Many wander aimlessly, looking for something interesting. Eventually, they get bored. The purpose of travel is different for everyone, but if you are coming to Jerusalem, I would like to say this:

"Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of the Lord. Those who pursue their own pleasure will be corrupted."

I know that many of the readers of this probably don't know much about the Lord at all, so I will add a few words about the Lord for them: in a nutshell, the Lord is the root of all things, that is, the Creator. For more information, please read from the Holy Book of Genesis, and you will find what you need to know. Sonae came to Jerusalem in the middle of the night by cab from the airport, exhausted. When he finally arrived at the house where he was staying, it was past 1 am. As soon as he got inside, he fell deeply asleep. When he woke up the next day, he met some travelers who were also staying there. I am not certain where they came from, but they looked somehow mysterious. As I became more and more awake, I realized that the house was filled with travelers from all over the world. Brazil, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, England, France, America, Belgium, Australia, Italy, Japan...just to name a few. When the sun had risen enough, I decided to just walk around the house. And when I went outside, there were Palestinian-looking youth groups everywhere. They were looking at us curiously in some way. After walking for a while, I met a Palestinian woman. They were all wearing some kind of head coverings. Some women covered their entire body with a black one. Walking around town for a while, I noticed that many things were randomly dropped all over the place. For those who are used to living in Japan, this may cause some discomfort, and it can be said to be a social problem. Perhaps out of curiosity about foreigners, I was often approached by various people on the street. Sometimes it is better to be careful, but in general, they are basically nice people. It is very hot during the daytime in this city. I was sweating profusely just walking around for a while that day. The area of the Mount of Olives where I am staying is lined with similar stone houses. Some of them have stood for hundreds of years. On the other hand, once the sun goes down, the temperature drops dramatically, and I sometimes get chills. Perhaps because of this environment, the local residents seemed to have a lot of anger, sorrow, and joy. They would often joke around, get into fights, and then quickly make up again. Basically, it is a repetition of this cycle. In the end, I got lost and spent several hours walking around under the blazing sun. When I finally came back to the inn area, I met Ibrahim, the landlord, just before entering his house. He always wears a red-and-white striped headdress, which is basically what Arabs often like to wear.

"Welcome! My name is Ibrahim."

He said as soon as he saw Sonae and held out his right hand. He shook his right hand.

"Nice to see you again!"

This was the second time that Sonae had met him. The first time I met was the last time we were in Jerusalem, when I happened to be walking down the street and Ibrahim spoke to me. Then, what he said shocked me.

"Are you from Japan? I ate Sushi with your prime minister! Please come to my house for dinner."

I had been approached by many people in my life, but this was the first time anyone had ever told me one had sushi with the prime minister. Naturally, I was incredulous at first. I was filled with doubt as to who this person was. In the end, I got only his business card and left immediately, but even after returning to Japan, he kept coming back to my mind. I wondered what would have happened if I had gone to his house for dinner. I later made up my mind to get in touch with him and stay at his house for a while this time. When I returned home with him, he told me many stories. Apparently, his previous story was true.

"I travel all around the world to meet many people like the president, prime minister as a peace activist."

He had traveled all around the world as a peace activist to meet many people like the president, prime minister as a peace activist. He showed us many documents and photos to prove it. One of the most shocking documents he showed us was called a “Travel document”. It is a special document given to people like him who are stateless and do not have a passport to travel around the world.

"By birth I'm a Palestinian, but by law I'm nothing."

This is a phrase he often utters, but it is true to the complexity of the matter. He was born and raised in what is internationally considered the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Everyone in the world agrees that he was born a Palestinian, but there are no guarantees under existing law. As we all know, there is no Palestinian state today, and Israel does not grant Palestinians nationality. Therefore, he, too, is a stateless person who does not belong to any country. There is no end to the Israeli-Palestinian problem, but he is working for a peaceful resolution of this problem as a party to it. Only the Lord knows when this will end. He is also very active in religious activities. He himself is what is called a Muslim (Christian?), but he actively organizes interfaith meetings that transcend denominational differences. In particular, he is active in creating opportunities for coexistence and co-prosperity among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which are also called the religions of Abraham. The fact that Jerusalem has long been a holy city for these three religions probably has a great deal to do with this. Perhaps it is because of the strong religious atmosphere that I had the impression that there are many kind people in Jerusalem. If you are in trouble, someone will be there to help you in no time. I guess this is also a guidance from the Lord. There are many more things I would like to write about, but this is the end of this chapter for now.

And from now on

How was/is/will be your trip to Jerusalem? If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. The question is, what is going to happen now? It is up to you, including the author, to decide what you are going to do. It is up to you to decide whether you want to leave this as a mere reading, or whether you want to use it as a guideline for the future. If you want to go on a trip, I suggest you read the Holy Book before searching travel sites, because there you will find the road map you need to take. Your future is on the page you open in your hand. Finally, I invite this reader to see here a scripture that speaks of blessings, peace, and a future from the Lord.

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God, speak to the heart of Jerusalem..."(Isaiah 40:1) Amen