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Highlights of the Past Year2001 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses
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JAPAN: A few weeks later, on November 13, expanded branch facilities were dedicated in Ebina, Japan. The additions included two 12-story residence buildings and a 4-story service building. Over 70 skilled international servants and volunteers working together with some 2,000 local long-term and short-term workers had brought the project to completion in three and a half years.
This dedication program took place 50 years after the first Watch Tower missionaries arrived in Japan following World War II. Some of those missionaries, still serving in Japan, were present for this occasion, along with all the traveling overseers in Japan, other long-time servants of Jehovah, and 344 delegates from 37 other lands.
When the first missionaries arrived in Tokyo and restarted the preaching activities after World War II, only a handful of Jehovah’s faithful worshipers were to be found in Japan. Now there are over 221,000 active Kingdom proclaimers spreading the good news in every corner of the land. Additionally, Bible literature printed in Japan in 27 languages is shipped to other countries, and at the direction of the Governing Body, the branch is giving direct help to the field activities of some Asian countries.
At a special meeting the day following the dedication, Theodore Jaracz, a member of the Governing Body, spoke to an audience of 61,323 in the Yokohama International Stadium. Altogether, with 41 locations throughout the country tying in, there was a total attendance of 269,376. The program, which included reports from foreign delegates and a talk by Brother Jaracz on the subject “Being Taught by Jehovah—Beneficial Today and Eternally,” gave strong encouragement to all present to keep on making spiritual progress.
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