In 1916, Rabindranath Tagore first visited Japan. Rabindranath’s first visit to Japan was a historic and important event not only in his life but also in India and in Asia.
The names of many Japanese who have been deeply influenced by his literature, painting, music, education, philosophy, patriotism, nationalism, naturalism, child education, religious thought, cosmopolitanism is also almost unknown. It can say that no other nation in the world has done so many works on Tagore in the past century as the Japanese have done.
Born in 1896, Tomiko Wada had been a devotee of Rabindranath Tagore since 1916 and did not forget Gurudev until her death. She met the most revered Gurudev a total of six times. Four times in Japan, once in America and once in Shantiniketan, India. She graduated from Japan Women’s University and earned her Ph.D.degree from Columbia University in the United States in 1922 by researching the “Experimental Study of Hunger in its Relation to Activities.” Her name was later changed to Tomiko Koura for marital reasons. Her husband was also a renowned psychiatrist and psychological writer Dr.Takehisa Koura (1899-1996).
Japan’s first psychologist Dr.Tomi Koura was very proficient in English, later she became a professor at the Japan Women’s University, and a leading figure in the international women’s liberation movement, in the world peace movement, and a twice-elected member of the National Diet. Although originally a member of Minshutou or the Democratic Party, she was at the same time a communist, a pacifist, and an orientalist. In 1972, she was awarded the state’s highest recognition, the “Kun Nitou Juihoushou” or “Orders of the Sacred Treasure”, for her outstanding contributions to the country, the nation, and the international arena. She was also an honorary member of the “Imperial Rule Assistance Association” (1940-45), an influential organization.
Rabindranath Tagore’s relationship with such a large-scale personality is an exceptionally enlightening chapter in the cultural history of Japan-Bengal relations. From an interpreter, Mrs. Koura gradually became the translator of Tagore’s works and the author of books on him. She has written many research articles, essays, and memoirs on Tagore’s thoughts throughout her life. Two of these famous books are “Shintsuki, RabindoronathoTago-ru” or “New Moon, Rabindranath Tagore” (Apollonsha /1962) and “Shi to JinseiTago-ru” or “Poetry and Life of Tagore” (Apollonsha / 1967). It is unknown to me than any other foreign woman devotee who has researched and written many articles on Tagore. In this respect, no other foreign country can be compared to Tomi Koura, who is more Japanese than Tagore female enthusiasts.
She became so attached to Gurudev that she even named her new home “Shantiniketan”, according to the commentary of Professor Kazuo Azuma, a leading Japanese Tagore researcher. It is noteworthy that the well-known author Yasuko Tsuge wrote in 1983 that her love for Rabindranath was so deep that: “Tomi Koura who met Rabindranath Tagore in course of events while she was a student at the Japan Women’s University, has been moved to the left and right in a big way by his thoughts.” ……..” Listening to Tagore’s speech for the first time at the university auditorium and spending time with him at the university’s Karuizawa Learning Center in the summer of that year, made a deep sense of heartbeat within her.
She would listen carefully to every word uttered by Rabindranath and noted it. Surprisingly, even at the age of 87, the memories of that time are still vivid in her mind: for example, after reading some of his poems by Rabindranath Tagore also recited by himself to show the melody for the experience of the students. Perhaps she was shaken by the poems that should be called Tagore’s Immaculate Soul. Since then, his immense devotion to Rabindranath has remained unchanged till her death, and her personality, thoughts, and writings have been continuously introduced in Japan. In her biography, she writes that every time Rabindranath came to Japan, she was accompanied by his interpreter and went to India herself. And her current position is as president of the “Japan Tagore Association.”
“It is difficult to explain in a single sentence the thoughts of Rabindranath that influenced her at that time.” …….. “Rabindranath pointed out that war and aggression are at the center of Western nationalism, and that Japan, following it, has so far taken care of its nature and beauty and now is destroying its own traditional culture. This message Tomi Koura has been constantly presented to the Japanese people through translation into Japanese. Mrs. Koura learned to love nature from Rabindranath. He has given her oriental vision to build their own civilization by standing on their own tradition and culture to follow the way of life by uniting with nature. ”
It is also known from the commentary of the famous poet Rumiko Koura, daughter of Tomi Koura, that “Mother did not say much about India at home but always bought Indian clothes and Tagore’s paintings as gifts. It is as if she has nurtured us in an international way.”
Gurudev Rabindranath, on the other hand, was so impressed by Tomi Koura’s talent and work ethic that on March 27, 1929, he wrote a poem addressed to her:
“It is not a bower made white with the bunches of Jasmine
It is waves swinging with the turbulent foam.”
During the visit to the poet in India in 1935, he extended his steps to Shantiniketan and met Gurudev. Accepted short-term hospitality. Needless to say, both the master and the disciple were overjoyed to be reunited after such a long time.
Many years have passed since then. After the great destruction and bloodbath of the 2nd World War, the world and human society have changed radically. By that time, the poet Tagore has also left this world with a book of unrest and dissatisfaction–seeing the crisis of civilization. Without seeing the desired independence of subjugated India. Tomi Koura is saddened to see this change in the world with her own eyes, watching Asia burn in the fire of violence and revenge.
Undoubtedly, during the long war from 1941-45, she spent her gloomy time remembering Gurudev. The news of the death of the poet was known in the newspapers before the war. Without overcoming the mental shock The World War II started in December, four months after Gurudev’s death.
In 1947, India achieved the adored independence of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Like many other Tagore devotees, she was happy. After a couple of years, an unexpected opportunity came to her. Gurudev’s birthplace, West Bengal in India, hosted the “World Peace Conference” in March 1949 at the invitation of Prime Minister Nehru, and she re-entered Shantiniketan. Where she remembered Gurudev deeply. She was one of the directors of the executive council of the “Tagore Memorial Association Japan”, formed in 1958 to celebrate Rabindranath Tagore’s 100th birth anniversary. She was invited to Calcutta to celebrate the centenary of the poet’s birth and went again to India.
To commemorate the spatial memory of her first meeting with Rabindranath, a bronze bust commemorating the poet’s 120th birth anniversary was erected a Memorial statue in 1981 at the foothills of the Asama Mountains on the outskirts of the town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture.
At that time she was 85 years old. She Named the statue “Jinrui Fuchen” or “Warless Mankind” in honour of Rabindranath Tagore. In this context, she wrote in her autobiography: “….. I have set up this sculpture as the president of the Tagore Association with the help of the classmates of Japan Women’s University. The alphabet Jinrui Fuchen is engraved on the chest of this sculpture. Rabindranath has appealed for a non-violent world all his life. Now we must hold fast to his word. It is not easy to prevent making money by killing people, to stop countless people trying to gain power. Greed for power is an evil force that is deeply rooted in humanity. This is not to say who or what this force is unless all human beings work together to stop this evil force. The fight for non-violence is in politics, in art, or in culture–wherever life is at stake. This fight is the fight of all mankind. ”
She did not stop herself only at erecting monuments and sculptures of the poet but also worked for the Japan-India Tagore Association formed in 1971 by his blessed renowned Tagore researcher and Tagore activist Professor Kazuo Azuma. With the interest and cooperation of Tomi Koura and several other senior Tagore-devotees, Professor Azuma completed Rabindranath’s Dream, “Japan Bhavan” (Japan faculty) with the opening as a “Nippon Bhavan” in Sriniketan, Shantiniketan in 1994. In 1993, this majestic Tagore devotee Tomi Koura passed away.