Lighthouse Company - Toudaisha

Japanese: 灯台社 - とうだいしゃ

A Christian organization formed in 1926 as the Japanese branch of the New York Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, with Akashi Junzo (1889-1965) as its president. They regarded the Bible as an infallible record, believed in the one God, and forbade idolatry. They believed that the imminent return of Christ would destroy the systems and institutions of the earth controlled by the devil. They did not recognize war as a crime of murder as described in the Bible, and advocated refusal to serve in the military. In 1939, Akashi Junzo's eldest son Masato and evangelist Muramoto Issei refused military service, which led to roundups of Todaisha all over the country, arrests of members, forced closure in 1940, and forced sale of the building in 1942.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ニューヨークのものみの塔聖書小冊子協会Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societyの日本支部で，明石順三(1889‐1965)を支部長として1926年に結成されたキリスト教団体。彼らは聖書を無謬の記録とし，唯一の神を信じて偶像崇拝を禁じ，キリストの間近い再臨により，悪魔の支配する地上の制度･機構は滅ぼされるとし，戦争を聖書のいう殺人罪として認めず，兵役拒否を唱えた。39年明石順三の長男真人と伝道者村本一生の兵役拒否を契機に，灯台社は各地で一斉検挙され，信徒たちは逮捕され，40年に強制閉鎖命令，42年に建物の強制売却処分をうけた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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