Akita, Japan: Apparitions of Our Lady to Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa
About the Apparitions to Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Akita, Japan:
An apparition for our times dates from just 1973. On May 12 of that year sister of the Institute of the Handmaids of the Holy Eurcharist gained a novitiate named Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa. These sisters had taken vows of poverty and lived a very simple basic life of prayer. Sister Agnes was totally deaf, but her presence at the convent would soon change things forever.
In the simple chapel was a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, carved in 1963 by a Buddhist sculptor Mr. Saburo Wakasa, a wood sculptor living in Akita City. It was about three feet tall, carved from the Judea tree that grew in the area. The statue had Our Lady standing before a cross with her arms at her side, palms upright and outstretched, with a globe at her feet.
While praying in the chapel one day before the statue the Sisters were amazed to see blood forming in the shape of a cross on her hands. This took place for the next three weeks.
Just one month after Sister Agnes joined them–on June 12, 1973–Sr. Agnes was praying in her convent in Akita, when she saw brilliant rays of light that emanated from the tabernacle. The same miracle happened again over the next two days. On June 28, a cross-shaped wound appeared on the palm of Sr. Agnes’ left hand. It bled profusely and caused her much pain the Sisters found a bright light emanating from the tabernacle in the Chapel. This took place on several occasions and was accompanied by what appeared to be fog or smoke.
During one of these manifestations Sister Agnes saw what appeared to be angels hovering over the tabernacle. As it happened the local Bishop was staying at the convent at this time and she confided her experience to him. Then on July 5, 1973 she developed the stigmata when a painful small opening appeared in the palm of her left hand and began to bleed. This continued, although the pain lessened during most of the week. The pain became intense, however, on Thursday nights and all day Fridays. Sister Agnes had already had apparitions of her guardian angel and he told her that “the wounds of Mary are much deeper and more sorrowful than yours. Let us go together and pray in the chapel”. Upon going to the chapel her guardian angel disappeared, and suddenly the statue seemed to come to life. She received the message “your deafness will be healed” and instructed her to “pray very much for the Pope, bishops and priests”.
Sister Agnes was given messages similar to those at Garabandal and other Marian apparitions sites: warnings of future wars, disunity with the Church (Cardinals opposing Cardinals, Bishops opposing Bishops).
The Weeping statue of Our Lady of Akita:
Tears started to flow from the statue in 1975 and continued until 1981 for a total of 101 times. The cotton swabs used to wipe the tears away were tested and the tears have been proved to be of human origin.Some of these tears were tears of blood. The blood was confirmed to be of human origin, as were the tears. After a lengthy investigation, the local bishop, John Shojiro Ito of Niigata, approved the apparition to be of supernatural origin and “worthy of belief.” The Vatican has not made an official statement, leaving it up to the local bishop’s discretion.
During a visit that Bishop Ito made to Rome in 1988, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith approved the contents of his pastoral letter. In the August 1990 issue of the magazine 30 Days, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is quoted as saying “there are no objections to the conclusion of the Pastoral Letter”.
Subsequent to this there have been claims that the apparition is false and was never approved; however, the fact that the local Bishop did approve them would seem to negate those claims. As for now, they are neither approved nor disapproved. You will find a message from the current Bishop on their website.
Reports from the Catholic News Agency state that Sister Sasagawa died on August 15, 2024 (Feast of the Assumption) at age 93.
About the Institute of the Handmaids of the Eucharist and the Shrine at Akita:
The Institute of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, “Seitai Hoshikai,” is a small institute of Catholic religious women leading dedicated lives of prayer and was established in 1970 by the late Bishop John Shojiro Ito of Niigata, Japan.
Members make vows of Obedience, Chastity, Poverty, and follow the example set by the lives of Jesus Christ and Mary, in offering their lives to the service of God and neighbor. Seitai Hoshikai is comprised of sisters who reside at the Motherhouse in Akita, who lead a community life centered on prayer, and sisters who lead an apostolic life of evangelization among lay people in society.
The convent is located on a hill in the outskirts of Akita, in a beautiful natural setting.The beauty of nature created by God. The shrine designed in traditional Japanese style. The presence of the praying hospitable sisters. It is a space of prayer in the silent and holy surroundings.
The chapel of Seitai Hoshikai, called Our Lady of Akita, was done in a Japanese “irimoya-juso-style” architecture which was built by Japanese temple building carpenters from Urano Domiya Kogei, Takasaki City in Gunma. The reason this church was constructed in this traditional style was to convey to the Japanese people that the Catholic Church is universal and that Jesus Christ is the savior of all people—including the Japanese.
After 7 years of construction, the chapel was dedicated on May 1, 2002 to Mary, Redemptoris Mater, “Mother of the Redeemer.” The statue of Our Lady of Akita is enshrined on the left corridor and the statue of Saint Joseph is on the right side.
For us, as Christians, prayer is the foundation of our daily life, and it is the same for Christian communities. The sisters are always praying there. We can join in their prayer.
Traveling to Akita:
Akita not far from where a devastating earthquake that hit the area in 2012. There is train service to Akita from Tokyo.
Address: 1, Soelgawa Yuzawadai, Akita-shi, Akita-ken 010-0822, Japan
Tel: +81 018-868-2139 Fax: +81 018-868-4728
Click here for the official website of the Handmaids of the Eucharist.
⇐ Back to Catholic shrines & places of interest in Japan
Sources:
1. Akita-The Tears and Message of Mary, Teiji Yasuda, OSV, 101 Foundation, 1989.
2. Miraculous Images of Our Lady, Joan Carroll Cruz, Tan Books, 1993.