A prosperous, sophisticated, and rich culture with kind people, charming towns, and pristine cities, Japan is an attractive and intriguing country in the eyes of the world. However, from the perspective of the Christian missionaries, Japan is ‘famous’ for another reason. It is considered a difficult country for missions, a place where the seeds of the Gospel fall on hard soil, a ‘missionary graveyard.’ Over 470 years since the first missionary to Japan, Francis Xavier, arrived, Japan’s Christian population is said to be under 1%, including both Catholics and Protestants. In a population of 120 million, the Christians amount to less than 2 million. While religious freedom is protected and Christianity is not at all restricted, the remaining 99% of the population seem not to be interested in Christianity. Why is that? One of the most important things for Japanese is the concept of “wa.” “Wa” in English can be translated to peace, but has a nuance of happiness as well, though even then it does not simply mean happy but rather a state of normalcy. It comes from Zen Buddhism, and it is an idea of keeping calm at all times without ‘making waves’ in one’s heart or spirit. Thus, Japanese tend to be good at keeping ‘distance’ from one another by interacting in the ‘gray’ rather than speaking frankly in black and white. This nature has in turn led to an aversion to Christianity because of the teaching that there is no god but God, which is too black and white in the minds of Japanese people, and thus extremely difficult to accept. The Christian teaching that there is only one God is something too heavy and extreme for most Japanese. Sin and judgment are not connected in the minds of Japanese. Many Japanese believe that if they die, they will go to heaven or be reborn, and if the world ceases to exist, then everything just simply becomes nothing. To Japanese, ‘Others’ are the ‘True Gods.’ Japanese value harmony so much to the point that whether something will be a nuisance to others is the very basis for their own decisions and actions. Bringing the Gospel to the Japanese: First, understand, respect and accept the Japanese way of thinking. Strong Curiosity: Most Japanese may not be familiar with Christianity or religion in general but more and more do take an interest in it so as to learn more about the world. Japanese are generally cautious: If you try and impose your faith on them, they will most likely back away. It is better to take plenty of time to build a relationship of trust first (we are called to share the Gospel, but we are also called to love our neighbor, after all). Coming on too strong with the way one speaks can be counter-productive to mission work. Not only does it not resonate with the person’s heart but it ends up leaving a negative impression. Lack of Understanding of the Supernatural: Although each person is different, generally Japanese tend toward being very logical. Thus, there is a strong resistance to accepting unscientific phenomena like miracles. Literature Evangelism is Effective in Japan: Though if they are handed a thick Bible, it might be too difficult to understand, but many people are willing to pick up and read small booklets, tracts, manga, etc. New Life Ministries can help. . . . Thank you for that, Patricia. :thankyou I have a love for the nation of Japan and have been there 5 times. It's truly a special place and that nation and it's people have a special place in my heart. :heart: There are a number of Japanese believers at my church and I have attended my Japanese friend's Japanese church a number of times, including for a wedding. I think that the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 really changed things. The Japanese Christian community's response as well as Christians all over the world started to get the Japanese much more interested in Christianity. There is Hope for Japan. :heart: Glad to know that about you, Arthur. My husband is Japanese. We were married in Japan and planned to live there for a long time. All of his family is there. I was working at a Japanese company. But after we had been there a little more than a year, he got a job offer in California. (This was quite scandalous at the time, to quit a Japanese company.) Our kids went to Japanese preschool and elementary school here twice a week for many years. For most of my adult life, I've had more Japanese friends than Americans. So, I have been quite immersed in that culture--learned to speak the language fairly well, understand their customs, etc. I have taken Japanese people to church, especially a church that had a Bible study and then various electives afterward. That's actually how I got into art because a Japanese lady wanted to try their tole painting class. These women never seemed to be very interested in Christianity though. Only one that I can think of, she was intrigued but said she would feel disloyal to her recently deceased father because he was not a follower of Christ. I hope things have changed. I pray that all of Japan would turn to Jesus as their Savior.
