Japan, Christianity and mission work

[Dracula Girl]

I am looking for resources about these. Does anyone know of any good sites to follow up on news about them?

Thanks,

[Dracula Girl]

I meant Japan.

[Xavier]

Thread title corrected per user request.

[Dracula Girl]

Thank you Xavier.

[learning]

Here are a couple of links, with a biology link at the bottom. It is not the full picture of course. I understand, if you wish to look at the history of Japan, that they were very isolated on purpose. But today, there are still Christian churches there, started by these two men, I believe, and others. I have read of a history of a Christian Japanese man who worked in the slums of some Japanese city, because he believed that was what Jesus would do if He were there. It was back in the 1800's I think.

www.family.org/fofmag/cl/a0023936.cfm

www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2001/jun01.html

[Rusty T]

The Orthodox Church has a presence in Japan (my sponsor into Orthodoxy was baptised in Japan, and I wear a Japanese Orthodox cross). Though not the best website, here's some info on the Japanese Orthodox Church:
http://www2.gol.com/users/ocj/TheOrthodoxChurchinJapan.htm

rusty

[learning]

I found the name of the Japanese Christian. His name is Toyohiko Kagawa, he was born in the Japanese port of Kobe, July 10, 1888. He followed Christ's example and served in the slums of Kobe, and he said 'If Christ were here, he would help them, and so must I.'

[Dracula Girl]

I'm doing an article on Christianity in Japan, if it helps explain why I am asking. Thanks for the links. let me know if you have any others. :smile:

[kaji]

I'm doing an article on Christianity in Japan, if it helps explain why I am asking. Thanks for the links. let me know if you have any others. :smile: Hey JoA,



Here is the address to OMF International. ( http://www.us.omf.org/index.asp?internal=1) They only do missions work in East Asia and have some good resources for each country (including Japan, and the history of Christianity there). Just head over to the ‘East Asia Insight’ in the top right menu, then pick your country from the next menu on the left.

I hope this helps. ^_~



-kaji

[learnin]

Oh, please! If you have time, please read the book Silence by the Japanese author Shusako Endo. This is a heartwrenching account of the early missionary work that was done in Japan. This book is not for the faint of heart.

Yoroshiku,
Learnin

[michan]

I know all these people. They're awesome! :teeth:

http://www.pioneersjapan.org

http://www.missionjapan.com

[Debp]

Oh, please! If you have time, please read the book Silence by the Japanese author Shusako Endo. This is a heartwrenching account of the early missionary work that was done in Japan. This book is not for the faint of heart.

Yoroshiku,
Learnin
I have a friend with Team who has lived as a missionary in Japan for over 33 years. She does evangelism in the mountain towns and says hearts are opening more to the Gospel in Japan.

[kyleisnotdead]

Right now I'm in northern, non-urban Japan on a mission trip (with the aforementioned OMF International) that's lasting from June 23-August 4th. I realize that this thread is kind of old, but in the interest of education readers on the present situation for Christianity in Japan, I felt like writing a little bit.

Christianity is still very, very small in Japan. In fact, if I remember right the Japanese are the least-reached people group in the world. Despite the boom for missions work in East Asian countries such as China and elsewhere, Japan is virtually ignored. I'm reminded of Jesus' parable of the seeds; trying to spread Christianity in Japan isn't like spreading seeds on fertile soil, or a briar patch, or even rocks; it's like trying to plant seeds in a parking lot. You have to sweat and suffer under the blazing sun trying to break the concrete with a chisel and hammer, and once you do you have to dig the garbage underneath out of the way, and stuff your seeds in the dead, dry ground. And maybe if you haul some water from miles and miles away and protect your puny plant from the sun, you *might* grow something. That's what it's like in Japan.

Unlike most Western countries, Japanese people are not hostile towards the Gospel or even atheistic; rather, it is rules of social conduct that prevent them from coming to salvation. Whereas we place a high value on the truth, to many Japanese truth is far less important than meeting social obligations, and to become a Christian in Japan means that you abandon your family and traditions to become an outsider in your own country.

But society in Japan is literally falling apart at the seams. The traditional, ordered family structure is on the verge of breakdown, as children with no clear father figure defy social conventions and pursue selfish interests instead. Women are now entitled to a far larger share of their husbands' property in the event of a divorce, which means the once-low divorce rate will skyrocket. According to a number of surveys, Japan is the least sexually satisfied country in the world, the fruit of long work hours for men, the proliferation of pornography and affairs, and other factors, one reason for the alarmingly low birth rate. But as society changes, the social customs and expected behavior that once served as an "invisible wall" preventing Japanese from become Christians will collapse.

The biggest problem is that Japanese society is very different from ours - moreso than most westerners realize. Christianity in Japan is based off the western model, and there is little of the unique Japanese sensibility to be found in western-looking churches. Ministries modeled after American ones bring in very little results; instead, radical new approaches are needed if any progress is ever to be made in spreading Christianity in Japan. I think there's a ton of potential in ministries such as psychological counseling and ministries to social outcasts and marginalized groups; there's a big demand for it here, and some Christians, such as Marre Ishii, have had an encouraging amount of success with such approaches.

But more than anything else, we need PEOPLE to work in missions in Japan. This nation is ripe for the harvest, in my opinion, but there are few to bring the gospel to the 125 million or so people of Japan. Most Christians have virtually no awareness nor interests in Christianity in Japan, and it's amazingly difficult to find ANY sort of written information on the subject. So if you are interested in missions or know somebody else who is, PLEASE come to Japan. It's not easy, it's not fun (well, actually, it can be very fun) and it may not seem very rewarding in your lifetime, but there's a huge need here.

[Matt the Bat]

I understand what you're saying. Japan also has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. One of the best selling japanese books in the early-mid 90s was a manual on comitting suicide, and its author even said, "It's not like we have any religion keeping us from doing this."

I admit that I, like many people, was initially drawn to the japanese culture because of the typical nerd interests like games, etc. But eventually I came to see that there was more to it than that, including its downsides, which many of these kinds of people tend to ignore or miss for a more idealized Japan.

It would be nice to go over there and teach people about Christianity and help people. I always like to ask some of the japanese I meet (online) what their feelings are or level of understanding is with Christianity, as I like to know how other cultures percieve it.

That's not to say there aren't any good things about Japan and the japanese: I'm glad that they're becoming more open to the gospel.

[kyleisnotdead]

Ouch, I totally forgot to even mention the freakishly high suicide rate (though it's not the absolute highest in the world.)

Most people in America do have a very inaccurate picture of Japan, but if Christians get interested in serving in Japan through comics, games, anime, etc., that's fine by me. Doesn't seem to happen a lot, though.

[Heartablaze]

I would like to serve in Japan. I'm not sure if that's where my path will go, but I am looking into getting a degree in Japanese(we'll see).

[Night_Owl]

Hey- good to see interest in Japan!

Japan is unfortunately one of the most ignored mission fields by Christians (however I ran into my fair share of mormon missionaries over there) and I think that is very unfortunate.

True, it isn't a very romantic field- you won't be able to offer much in eliminating physical human suffering; Japan has a higher GPA per capita than the US and is the 2nd largest economy in the world. On top of that it is a notoriously hard society to crack, but wealthy and poor nations alike need God and that includes Japan.

What people don't realize is that Japan once had the largest non-European Christian population in the world, beginning with the efforts of Francisco Xavier in the mid 1500's. Christianity boomed and reached a peak of an estimated 300,000 converts before a brutal repression saw mayrters being killed by the tens of thousands (many consider it one of the worst persecutions of Christianity in history). Since that time Japanese Christianity never truly recovered- the largest Christian community was in Nagasaki after the start of the Meiji restoration (1868) and the opening up to the West, but it was decimated by the atomic bombing during WWII.

Currently Christians make up only about 1% of the population compared to the neighboring Korean christian population of 30+%. From my experience a lot of churches in Tokyo are very small or oriented towards an expat audience, and when I went with my friend church hopping, we often found that we were the youngest by 30 or more years as there are almost no youth programs.

Further complicating the issue is that japan is an extremely materialistic society, more so than the US in my opinion. As such 'deep discussions' and talking about philosophical issues are a no go unless you know the person very well (probably why they make such good cars). While Buddhism and Shintoism are the traditional japanese religions, most people are more on the secular/slightly superstitious side, and as far as God existing or not it is sort of a non issue. Thus if you are going to talk with someone about Jesus than you are going to find it hard to drum up enthusiasm.

Another huge problem is you...and me. We are all 'Gaijin' or foreigners, and Christianity is seen as a 'foreigner' religion not meant for the Japanese. Just based on your face you are going to be labeled as an outsider, and as such your expected ability to understand the Japanese or how they live is zero whether fair or not. To help get over this, you HAVE to speak the language to connect. Yes, I know of many expats who only speak English and...they tend to hang out with all the other expats. If you want to truly connect you are going to need to show that you are willing to learn about the language and culture. if you only speak English you can get Japanese people to come to church...but that is because it is seen as a way to learn English. English teaching outreach programs have the best intentions but they have not been able to back it up with numbers.

Christianity, crosses, etc is seen as interesting because it is foreign and thus 'exotic'. It's comparable to the yingyan symbols or small Buddhas you see in hippie cars. The latest trend is to have a 'Christian' wedding complete with a 'priest' to help fulfill the vows. Does this mean that there is a great interest in becoming Christian? Just as much as the talk shows having people dress up as Barak Obama and saying 'Yes we can!" mean that there is a sudden urge in the Japanese public to become American citizens. Western things are 'cool' and fashionable, but nothing more. To actually follow the philosophies behind these practices are something that gaijin, not Japanese do.

The next problem is the method of missionary teaching. In a collectivist society, Christianity taught within the frame of western culture doesn't resonate. Just like missionary work became tied in with western (particularly British) imperialism, how we interpret and read the bible is filtered through an individualistic lens. By doing this you are converting people twice over- not just from Agnosticism to Christianity, but from Collectivist to Individualist.

Finally the Japanese chruch itself is plagued with issues of being too insular, not reaching out enough, and running the church like a Japanese company (IE you swear loyalty to a particular church- once you commit you are expected to stay). There are some good churches, but not nearly enough.

That's the general status of Christianity in Japan. I don't mean to discourage you-but to let you know what you face. I mentioned so many negatives but in actuality Japan is in my opinion one of the best places on earth with extremely nice people living there. God is needed, and if you feel a calling, I urge you to consider it regardless of how hard it is. It won;t be easy, but it is something that needs to be addressed.

[Heartablaze]

Night Owl, thanks for the insight on Japan.:smile:



The next problem is the method of missionary teaching. In a collectivist society, Christianity taught within the frame of western culture doesn't resonate. Just like missionary work became tied in with western (particularly British) imperialism, how we interpret and read the bible is filtered through an individualistic lens. By doing this you are converting people twice over- not just from Agnosticism to Christianity, but from Collectivist to Individualist.


It is true that Christianity is an individual decision, but it is a team effort, you know? We are the body, Christ the head. I was just talking to an ex-Christian about this last week. He said that he didn't like Christianity because it was too collectivist(!). We basically both agreed that he was selfish and just wanted to make his own path as he went along, whereas being a Christian involved being discipled your whole life, kind of like a few Eastern cultures. Also, just like that discipleship, when you become a Christian, you gain a whole new family and support system(hopefully). What do you think of that? Would that explanation do anything for reaching Japanese, or is it still against the whole "nail sticking up" thing?

I'm actually going to be interning in Japan this summer, so I want to prepare as much beforehand. 日本語の銃魚があります。And I am also just learning as much about the culture, praying, studying, being discipled, etc. Is there any other advice you would give(already, you've given a lot, though)?

[Night_Owl]

Night Owl, thanks for the insight on Japan.:smile:



It is true that Christianity is an individual decision, but it is a team effort, you know? We are the body, Christ the head. I was just talking to an ex-Christian about this last week. He said that he didn't like Christianity because it was too collectivist(!). We basically both agreed that he was selfish and just wanted to make his own path as he went along, whereas being a Christian involved being discipled your whole life, kind of like a few Eastern cultures. Also, just like that discipleship, when you become a Christian, you gain a whole new family and support system(hopefully). What do you think of that? Would that explanation do anything for reaching Japanese, or is it still against the whole "nail sticking up" thing?

I'm actually going to be interning in Japan this summer, so I want to prepare as much beforehand. 日本語の銃魚があります。And I am also just learning as much about the culture, praying, studying, being discipled, etc. Is there any other advice you would give(already, you've given a lot, though)?


I completely agree with you that being a Christian is an individualist AND collectivistic activity, in fact in a lot of ways old Hebrew and Christian culture was much more group based than we are today. Being more on the libertarian side of things let me tell you, that isn't easy to deal with at times :tongue: . I was referring more to the 'presentation' of things than Christianity being Collectivist or Individualistic. From what I have read it seems to me that Christianity really took off in many Asian countries when the Western missionaries left (many of whom unfortunately had negative attitudes, especially in China ) and the locals who were believers took over. They were able to understand the Bible in the context of their own culture, whereas foreigners were selling the message of Jesus in Western garb. Especially in a culture like Japan, I feel that this just cements Christianity as a 'foreigner thing'. Granted, I feel that the Japanese church also has an outreach problem, but unfortunately that is something that none of us can decide to change for them. An external stimulus can prompt the change (such as a missionary) but ultimately it is up to the people IMO.


I'm really glad to hear that you are heading out to Japan though- I have a feeling that you are really going to like it there! What part of Japan are you going to if I may ask? If it is Tokyo at the least I can recommend a few restaurants :lol: . On the more spiritual side of things, the most important thing is to stay connected with God. I never really found a church that I was comfortable with, and I confess that it was really easy to slip into a comatose state of spirituality. Setting aside time to read the bible and pray is really important as you won't get much spiritual stimulation in your day to day life.


....and Kanji, study lots of kanji.:lol:

[{Tim}]

I'm actually going to be interning in Japan this summer, so I want to prepare as much beforehand. 日本語の銃魚があります。And I am also just learning as much about the culture, praying, studying, being discipled, etc. Is there any other advice you would give(already, you've given a lot, though)?All I can say is...

... I wish I read Kanji. :doh: Meh, だいじょぅぶ. I'm just trying to understand the language... reading it comes later... :wink:

Best of luck in Japan; thanks Night_Owl for your comments too. I'm really interested in this, though I don't see myself being personally involved in the near future.

[ On a side note, I bet the Mormons' don't get that many converts either... Mormonism is even more individualist than Christianity... and yet in other ways, much more collectivist, actually. Hmm. But good luck getting American missionaries to spread it, regardless... :ahem: ]

[Alucard]

We had our Japanese friends stay with us for a day on Saturday... I tried to explain that I was Orthodox (Seikyoukai) and she even told me that she studied English at Nikorai-do (the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo), but she for some reason asked me if I was Mormon (Moruman). She says they have their bikes and suits there as well. I saw some missionaries while I was in Japan as well.

Guess they do have a bit of a presence there.

[Heartablaze]

I completely agree with you that being a Christian is an individualist AND collectivistic activity, in fact in a lot of ways old Hebrew and Christian culture was much more group based than we are today. Being more on the libertarian side of things let me tell you, that isn't easy to deal with at times :tongue: . I was referring more to the 'presentation' of things than Christianity being Collectivist or Individualistic. From what I have read it seems to me that Christianity really took off in many Asian countries when the Western missionaries left (many of whom unfortunately had negative attitudes, especially in China ) and the locals who were believers took over. They were able to understand the Bible in the context of their own culture, whereas foreigners were selling the message of Jesus in Western garb. Especially in a culture like Japan, I feel that this just cements Christianity as a 'foreigner thing'. Granted, I feel that the Japanese church also has an outreach problem, but unfortunately that is something that none of us can decide to change for them. An external stimulus can prompt the change (such as a missionary) but ultimately it is up to the people IMO.


I'm really glad to hear that you are heading out to Japan though- I have a feeling that you are really going to like it there! What part of Japan are you going to if I may ask? If it is Tokyo at the least I can recommend a few restaurants :lol: . On the more spiritual side of things, the most important thing is to stay connected with God. I never really found a church that I was comfortable with, and I confess that it was really easy to slip into a comatose state of spirituality. Setting aside time to read the bible and pray is really important as you won't get much spiritual stimulation in your day to day life.


....and Kanji, study lots of kanji.:lol:

Yeah, I am going to Tokyo.

Thanks for the advice:teeth:

[Andius]

Well, even though most of Gospel that is taught in missionary settings is filtered through Western lens, it is actually an injustice to the Gospel when you insert anachronistic individualistic terms, especially since they were written in a collectivist setting not too terribly different of the type found in Japan.

This article oughta shed ya some light in some comparisons between Japanese and Biblical Culture. ^^

http://www.tektonics.org/af/culturegram.html

Framing it in terms of Shame and Honor as it was meant to be, you will definately be taking a huge step bringing the Japanese into the fold of Christ. :)

[disciple100]

Hmmm. I know its an old thread. But it has been stuck in my head since I first read it months ago.

I just had an interesting thought. Maybe what we need is a manga version of the Bible. :huh:

[KingsGambit]

I was about to mention the honor-shame aspect of their society as an inroads to reaching the Japanese, but somebody beat me to it...

Out of curiosity, is the fact that a nation they widely perceive as Christian dropped two nuclear bombs on them a detriment to the Gospel in some way? One undergrad history course is about the extent of my knowledge about Japan, but I did get the impression that history (especially family history) is taken far more seriously there than in the average Western nation.

In any event, may God bless all of you who have taken the initiative to take the Gospel to this mostly neglected but high population country.

[OneSizeFit]

Hmmm. I know its an old thread. But it has been stuck in my head since I first read it months ago.

I just had an interesting thought. Maybe what we need is a manga version of the Bible. :huh:


That would be cool, didnt they do that Bible cartoon, I used to watch it when I was a kid.

At least a manga version of the Gospel would be bad a#s though!

[Matt the Bat]

Yeah, that bible anime was called Superbook, I also used to watch it as a youngon.

[disciple100]

That would be cool, didnt they do that Bible cartoon, I used to watch it when I was a kid.

At least a manga version of the Gospel would be bad a#s though!

That's what I was thinking. Not that the Bible necessarily NEEDS more amping up (:teeth:), but I still think it would be an effective way of reaching a different sort of crowd.


Yeah, that bible anime was called Superbook, I also used to watch it as a youngon.

After you posted that I looked up Superbook (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superbook). My first impression was :twitch: "yeah........" but then I read a bit more and thought it was actually not a bad start. But I'm thinking about a more 'grown up' audience I guess when I think 'Manga Bible'.

Side Note: I also saw this show on the History Channel called "Bible Battles", basically they were taking a look at the Old Testament from a military perspective. And they went over military tactics from the Bible and such. Basically making the events sound a little less 'Miraculous' and a little more 'Tactical Genius'.

They took the approach that the Hebrews were a warrior people, they weren't slaves to Pharaoh but paid civilians, Moses wasn't lost; he was building a military at Sinai(?), the walls of Jericho 'falling' was a metaphor for the defenses of Jericho falling to a sneak attack from the inside, etc.

All in all, I don't personally think it changes the story one bit. It was God's people taking the land they were promised.

But if we could present the Bible in a cool way like that through Manga I think we'd have something good going on.

[kyleisnotdead]

Word Of Life actually does publish a manga Bible. It's quite a thick volume; I haven't read it yet but I saw a complete set at a Christian bookstore in Sendai the other day.

I initially thought that understanding the honor/shame thing would make a big difference in missions in Japan, but most of my experience with young people suggests they're much less influenced by it than their parents. Cultural understanding is still important, but I think building a community of believers might be the most important factor in (young, at least) Japanese choosing to become believers. It greatly lessens the social risks associated with conversion, but since the worst young people face is mild disapproval from their parents in most cases, it's more psychological than anything.

I live in northern Japan and help out with tsunami relief/recovery stuff at my church. This usually involves handing out bags of vegetables or playing with elementary students, but it's a good way to show that we care, at least.

[kyleisnotdead]

Oh yeah, there's also another Bible manga, called Tezuka Osamu's Bible Stories. It's by far the best Bible comic I've ever seen, and is apparently also an animated series made in the late 80s in cooperation with some Italian studio. That looks like it's worth checking out.

[Matt the Bat]

As a student of the japanese language and also a fan of classic manga, I am interested in reading this. What little I've seen and read of Tezuka's work has intrigued me (he was essentially the godfather of japanese manga/anime) and I intend to aquire more of his works in the original japanese language. While he was not a christian (agnostic, I believe) he seems to generally respect the source material judging by the reception of his Buddha manga. Thus, I am looking forward to reading his interpretation of these biblical stories!