Japan; A Missionary Graveyard
Hi,
My older sister, Jordy, and I just spent the past month in Japan. I had written a whole blog post about some of the things we had done in Japan. But after I had written it I had some good conversations, read some other blog posts and decided to write about something a little deeper and way more important. Instead of writing about the adventures and places we went I decided to write about the church in Japan.
First of all, let me start this out by saying that Japan is amazing! I absolutely adored my time there and everything we got to do. The culture is rich and unique. The people are kind and helpful. The landscape is stunning. The weather was so lovely especially coming from hot Cambodia. I loved living there for a month and I would definitely love to go back again. We met so many amazing people with amazing stories. My sister and I got a lot closer and I got pushed way out of my comfort zone (Which is really good for me because I love my comfort zone)! One thing that came up in conversation with other missionaries and Japanese Christians is the state of the church in Japan.
Unlike other Asian countries, Japan is not a closed country. It's not even close. It is not difficult to get a religious work visa or to volunteer there. The Japanese love having people come to their country and are extremely hospitable. They're open to talking to you and will often thank you for coming and working in they're country. For foreign missionaries, there is no persecution. It's very easy to move to Japan and live in Japan. So, hardship is not the reason the church is suffering and missionaries are leaving!
The two main religions of Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism. Depending on your source somewhere between 85%- 95% of the population identifies with one of these religions. And Christianity represents somewhere between 0.5%-2.5% of the population. When Christianity was first brought to Japan a false version of the gospel was brought over from Germany. These false gospels are still alive in Japan today. It wasn't until after WW2 that evangelical Christianity was introduced to Japan. Religion is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. It is expected to celebrate births at the shine and have funerals conducted by monks. There are many religious holidays. So, to stand up for your faith as a Christian would be highly looked down upon. It would take great faith and much consideration to convert and be open about it!
Due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Japan in non-Christian new converts faced abandonment and ostracisation from their friends, family and community. This usually results in one of two things. Firstly, the new Christians invert and do not go and share their new found faith. Or two, they "comprise" and end up committing idolatry. Neither of these things results in new believers. Even within Christian households good, sound Biblical truths aren't necessarily taught. Often the parents are busy working and children attend public school. Often there is a neglect in the church to pour into the next generation. Therefore, the children often drift as they grow older. The church now is old and it is dying away as each member passes away.
If you look deep into Japan it is a dark place! Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world and the second highest amongst developed countries (behind Russia)! according to one article, in 2017 there was an average of 59 lives lost to suicide each day! It is a very depressed country. There is a huge pressure to perform. Students have a lot of pressure to get the perfect grade and also exceed in extra-curricular activities. They then have the pressure to get good jobs and earn high wages. The country is yearning for something more, something more than just performing and existing. Natural disasters and so common in Japan and the people are seeking relief from the constant trauma the elements are placing upon them.
despite the overwhelming need for missionaries in Japan, there is a lack of them. Missionaries often don't last long in Japan. They will come for years and work diligently but do not see fruit. they then get discouraged and return home. Mission organisations and sending agents are then less likely to send missionaries there in the future and often discourage missionaries to pursue Japan. The burst of missionaries that came to Japan after WW2 have all grown old and returned home leaving churches behind without strong leaders.
I know this all sound very depressing and it is. But there is good news too. God is good! He is everywhere, even in Japan. The suicide and depression rates in Japan have been going down in recent years! There are missionaries working diligently and patiently in Japan. The people of Japan are seeking something more than what they have and are open to the gospel! I met a few wonderful non-Christians who were working alongside us Christians asking questions along the way. They listened intently and loved us despite our differences. My sister and I helped at an English immersion camp for a week while we were in Japan. It was run by a Christian lady but not all the staff, teacher and assistants were Christians. One morning a non-compulsory Bible study was held for any of the staff, assistants or teachers. To my surprise, quite a few of the non-Christians attended and listened respectfully. Afterwards, they said that the worlds shared were good and wise. They also said it was a good opportunity for them to learn more about God! Jordy and I also attended a local church. It was full of people of all ages! There were the older generations but there were also young parents, teens and kids. It was beautiful to see such a diversity in ages. We must continue to diligently support missionaries in Japan and pray for them. Pray for strength, patience, opportunities and open hearts. Pray that fruit will be seen and the church will start to grow again!
Bellow, I have attached the sources that I used for this blog post and some of them are written by missionaries in Japan. They're really good and worth a read! I hope you enjoyed this blog post even though it's quite different than what I usually write. I will have more updates on my life next time. Until then, God bless!
Darcy-Rea
P.S. I took over 500 photos in Japan so I have many more to share. I a few days I will post another blog post but it will just be filled with photos and a brief description of the story behind them.
The churches in Japan are suffering!!!You heard me right. The churches in Japan are really suffering at the moment. Their numbers are dwindling and missionaries are becoming few and far between. This problem is far more tragic than any of the tragic natural disasters that have hit the country in the past. This problem has eternal repercussions. The country has often been called "The Missionary Graveyard"! So, what's going wrong? Why is this happening?
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| Our view of Mount Fuji by from our picnic spot. |
Unlike other Asian countries, Japan is not a closed country. It's not even close. It is not difficult to get a religious work visa or to volunteer there. The Japanese love having people come to their country and are extremely hospitable. They're open to talking to you and will often thank you for coming and working in they're country. For foreign missionaries, there is no persecution. It's very easy to move to Japan and live in Japan. So, hardship is not the reason the church is suffering and missionaries are leaving!
 |
| looking up through the bamboo! |
The two main religions of Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism. Depending on your source somewhere between 85%- 95% of the population identifies with one of these religions. And Christianity represents somewhere between 0.5%-2.5% of the population. When Christianity was first brought to Japan a false version of the gospel was brought over from Germany. These false gospels are still alive in Japan today. It wasn't until after WW2 that evangelical Christianity was introduced to Japan. Religion is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. It is expected to celebrate births at the shine and have funerals conducted by monks. There are many religious holidays. So, to stand up for your faith as a Christian would be highly looked down upon. It would take great faith and much consideration to convert and be open about it!
Due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Japan in non-Christian new converts faced abandonment and ostracisation from their friends, family and community. This usually results in one of two things. Firstly, the new Christians invert and do not go and share their new found faith. Or two, they "comprise" and end up committing idolatry. Neither of these things results in new believers. Even within Christian households good, sound Biblical truths aren't necessarily taught. Often the parents are busy working and children attend public school. Often there is a neglect in the church to pour into the next generation. Therefore, the children often drift as they grow older. The church now is old and it is dying away as each member passes away.
 |
| A walk through the forest one rainy afternoon. |
despite the overwhelming need for missionaries in Japan, there is a lack of them. Missionaries often don't last long in Japan. They will come for years and work diligently but do not see fruit. they then get discouraged and return home. Mission organisations and sending agents are then less likely to send missionaries there in the future and often discourage missionaries to pursue Japan. The burst of missionaries that came to Japan after WW2 have all grown old and returned home leaving churches behind without strong leaders.
 |
| Saw this motto parked at church one day and loved its sticker! |
Bellow, I have attached the sources that I used for this blog post and some of them are written by missionaries in Japan. They're really good and worth a read! I hope you enjoyed this blog post even though it's quite different than what I usually write. I will have more updates on my life next time. Until then, God bless!
Darcy-Rea
P.S. I took over 500 photos in Japan so I have many more to share. I a few days I will post another blog post but it will just be filled with photos and a brief description of the story behind them.
References
Garrott, J. (n.d.). God has great plans for Japan. Retrieved from JEMS Japan Harvest Online: http://www.japanharvest.org/god-has-great-plans-for-japan/
Joey. (2011, October 8). Japan: Missionary Graveyard. Retrieved from Christ Do: http://www.christdo.org/2011/10/08/japan-missionary-graveyard/
Luck, A. (2017, August 18). Suicide in Japan; the Reasons, the Statistics, and the TELL Support. Retrieved from Tokyo Weekender: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2017/08/suicide-in-japan-the-reasons-the-statistics-and-the-tell-support/
McGeown, S. (2016, August 10). Reaching the Japanese. Retrieved from GoThereFor.com: http://gotherefor.com/offer.php?intid=29395&changestore=true
Oh, B. R. (2014, September 11). Signs of Spiritual Awakening in Japan. Retrieved from The Gospel Coalition: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/signs-spiritual-awakening-japan/
Otake, T. (2017, May 30). Suicides down, but Japan still second highest among major industrialized nations, report says. Retrieved from The Japanesetimes: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/05/30/national/social-issues/preventive-efforts-seen-helping-2016-saw-another-decline-suicides-japan-21897/#.W2bKdyj-jIV
Paul, R. (2016, April 26). Japan; The Missionary Graveyard? Retrieved from Across the Stars: https://acrosssthestars.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/japan-the-missionarys-graveyard/
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