It's unfortunate Christianity has historically faced significant barriers in Japan

[Deus vult]

I've never been to Japan, but I really dig Japanese culture and Japanese cuisine is my favorite. Apparently 'harmony' is so central to Japanese culture...so much so that Christianity's exclusivity created a disturbance historically. Just 1% of Japan is Christian. There's a Japanese saying that the nail that sticks out the most is the one that gets hammered. Christianity sticks out because it is fundamentally concerned with Absolute Truth. There were rulers like Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later the Tokugawa Shogunate who grew suspicious of foreign political control and cultural disruption. They launched public executions and banned Christianity.

The only major religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism, but they're mostly nominal, ingrained in their tradition. There's a saying that you're born Shinto, marry a Christian/atheist, and die a Buddhist. You're born a Shinto because infants are brought to a local Shinto shrine where they are introduced to the 'kami' (spirits). They die a Buddhist because 90% of funerals are conducted in Buddhist temples, but it's mostly just tradition. The funny thing is that the Japanese love Christian aesthetics, many of them like to have Christian-style weddings.

Anyone got anything to add?

 

[Debp]

Years ago I visited Japan for a week...Tokyo, Kyoto and Nikko. Tokyo is a bustling city. Kyoto has about a thousand temples, each with it's own lovely gardens. Nikko also very scenic.

I know a former missionary to Japan (she's now in a nursing home in New York State). She spent her adult life doing evangelism in the mountains of Japan. Toyama Ken area. She would drive around to the mountain villages and then do door to door evangelism.

 

[Debp]

Found this interesting summary.

 

[Riven]

Barriers illustrated...

 

[Pathfinder789]

Interesting topic..
---
I was in Tokyo, Japan..in 2010.
- Global Mission Consultation.
---
I met some Christian leaders..
- They face tough challenges.

 

[pwg_jonathan]

It's wild how much "harmony" shapes that culture, because a lot of people I know honestly struggle with faith for a similar reason: not wanting to be the nail that sticks out. I think the answer is usually patient friendship and showing what a changed life looks like, not pushing hard. Romans 10:14 asks how they will hear without someone telling them, and I think that starts with being a good neighbor first.

 

[Lanochka]

That saying about the nail getting hammered really explains so much. True faith in Jesus requires putting Him above cultural tradition, which isn't easy there. It breaks my heart, but it’s a good reminder for us to keep praying for the believers and missionaries in Japan! ️

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

Barriers illustrated...

They don't feel the need for God ... because they have Godzilla. Is that a Temple he's destroying? Let him just try destroying a Christian Church - when he sees the Cross, he'll flee.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

On the serious side, Japanese have learned self control, to be peaceful and in harmony. That is a good thing. They are capitalists, have a good work ethic, honor their parents ... successful. Like Taiwanese, Japanese are workaholics. For what? Money ... that is the primary goal; they worship money and since they are very successful, peaceful, honorable, law abiding citizens, they might believe that they have all the bases covered - horizontally. But their still remains a void within.
With only 1% Christians, an apparent block remains. Maybe deep embedded scars are left over and passed down from the nukes went sent? "IF a Christian nation can do this ... we don't want anything to do with that religion!" ??

 

[Wrangler]

I've never been to Japan, but I really dig Japanese culture and Japanese cuisine is my favorite.

Apparently 'harmony' is so central to Japanese culture...so much so that Christianity's exclusivity created a disturbance historically. Just 1% of Japan is Christian.

Interesting topic..
---
I was in Tokyo, Japan..in 2010.

I first arrived in Japan September 10, 2001. 3 trips 7 weeks total.

It‘s not harmony that drives Japan culture, it’s an honor based culture. Culture is something that I’ve studied a lot over the last 15 years. Like a fish not knowing it is in water, we don’t realize the culture we’re in until we’re out of it.

America is an individual rights based culture, Very selfish, self-centered and abhor responsibilities. Japan is different. Christianity clashes with honor based cultures because our creed starts in dishonor, the sinners prayer.

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who bore my sin when He died on the cross. I believe that He did all that will ever be necessary for me to stand in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead as a guarantee of my own resurrection. As best as I can, I now transfer my trust to Him. I am grateful that He has promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank you that I can face death now that you are my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through the deep valley. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.​

​

​

To confess one is a sinner in an honor based culture is worse than death; it’s admitting you are without honor. I believe this explains why Christianity is only 1% of the Japanese population.

 

[Wrangler]

I worked for a Japanese company and became close to 2 Japanese coworkers. This despite their superficial humility while simultaneously holding onto their inherent racial superiority, that the lowest ranking Japanese outranks the highest ranking non-Japanese. Because of this racism, they wait to be approached by their lower ranking co-workers.

This is ineffective in their synergizing with American culture of having to sell yourself. And in American culture, the boss takes the initiative. While one of them was a board member, he still waited to be approached as a sign that he is trusted. I approached and know it gave him great satisfaction. I openly deferred to his judgment in a presentation I was giving to the Japanese board, which delighted him. (So easy to please, the Japanese people are, who I love) The Japanese coworkers were thought to be spies for the parent company.

While playing pickleball during the Holiday season one of them rightfully presumed that I was a Christian. He broached the subject in a cultural context, referring to the holidays, days off from work, Christmas ornaments, etc, which he found grotesquely gregarious. He didn’t broach the subject in a positive light. He was going to have time off so planned to travel to see Yellowstone National Forest and asked if I ever went there.

I didn’t sense the opportunity to evangelize, so projected grace and love.

 

[amigo de christo]

todays projection of grace and love , IS neither grace or Love .
Lets see , what did JESUS about those who rejected His testimony . Oh yeah shake the dust off your feet as a testimony
against them . So much for inclusive grace and so called love .

 

[amigo de christo]

todays so called grace and love is to tell them to vote for and support trump and his peace plan
Or if their liberal the liberal and its peace plan . This generation aint gonna make it .

 

[Pathfinder789]

Found this interesting summary.

Informative video clip..
---
'Japan is an island nation in East Asia, known for its rich history, advanced technology
and unique culture, is home to a population..125 million people.
Despite being one of the most developed countries in the world,
Japan remains a largely unreached nation in terms of Gospel.'
---
His Feet International
- his feet.com

 

[Debp]

todays so called grace and love is to tell them to vote for and support trump

Wake up. If President Trump hadn't gotten into office, Kamala Harris would have been elected President!

Kamala Harris supports gay and transgender agendas. She would have continued children being indoctrinated in schools and children being given hormones and body mutilating surgeries. The trans community also believes there are about 30 genders. President Trump stood against these things and also signed an Executive Order that there are only two genders...male and female. He protected children.

Kamala said she was proud to perform the first gay marriage in California. When Kamala Harris was Vice President, she hosted a gay man with a beard in a dress at the White House!!! Kamala goes along with the dangerous, leftist agenda. She also believes in not enforcing our borders. So I am very glad that President Trump was elected as he stands against the craziness.


Watch this 2 minute video...Kamala supports this.

Kamala Harris ordering gay marriages. Video a few seconds long.

Kamala Harris performing first gay marriage in California... video just several seconds long.

This is only a few seconds long.

 

[Dryhn]

Wake up. If President Trump hadn't gotten into office, Kamala Harris would have been elected President!

Kamala Harris supports gay and transgender agendas. She would have continued children being indoctrinated in schools and children being given hormones and body mutilating surgeries. The trans community also believes there are about 30 genders. President Trump stood against these things and also signed an Executive Order that there are only two genders...male and female. He protected children.

Kamala said she was proud to perform the first gay marriage in California. When Kamala Harris was Vice President, she hosted a gay man with a beard in a dress at the White House!!! Kamala goes along with the dangerous, leftist agenda. She also believes in not enforcing our borders. So I am very glad that President Trump was elected as he stands against the craziness.


Watch this 2 minute video...Kamala supports this.

Kamala Harris ordering gay marriages. Video a few seconds long.

Kamala Harris performing first gay marriage in California... video just several seconds long.

This is only a few seconds long.

Rather Trump than her

 

[amigo de christo]

Wake up. If President Trump hadn't gotten into office, Kamala Harris would have been elected President!

Kamala Harris supports gay and transgender agendas. She would have continued children being indoctrinated in schools and children being given hormones and body mutilating surgeries. The trans community also believes there are about 30 genders. President Trump stood against these things and also signed an Executive Order that there are only two genders...male and female. He protected children.

Kamala said she was proud to perform the first gay marriage in California. When Kamala Harris was Vice President, she hosted a gay man with a beard in a dress at the White House!!! Kamala goes along with the dangerous, leftist agenda. She also believes in not enforcing our borders. So I am very glad that President Trump was elected as he stands against the craziness.


Watch this 2 minute video...Kamala supports this.

Kamala Harris ordering gay marriages. Video a few seconds long.

Kamala Harris performing first gay marriage in California... video just several seconds long.

This is only a few seconds long.

The dog and pony show will save none . They have etertained the children and decieve both sides .
Kamala was not and is not the only one with a leftist agenda .
The main purpose , the main agenda of the powerful one world order was
TO simply bring the religions and peoples together as one , with a purpose they beleive will bring peace on earth .
For years and decades churches used to teach about and warn against such a concept of a one world religion .
Yet today have no idea this ecumeincal inclusivism IS the one world religoin .
And the concept to find common ground for world peace . IT was always the goal
of the very elites . They decieve all sides now . And it dont matter who sits the throne
They are in on it now . As i been trying to say , THEY SOLD it in red flavor to the right
as they did in blue flavor to the left . As they did to any and to all the false religions as well as denominations
even within christendom . On the great and Mighty Day of the LORD JESUS CHRIST
many are gonna be absolutely shocked when they find out they followed and were a co helper to that which is and was
of anti christ and a harlot . ONLY THEN , TOO LATE . HERE is who is cursed .
HE whose hopes be in men . that do include Hoping in TRUMP . Get out of this now .

 

[Riven]

Rather Trump than her

Of course. If the dems had run a JFK, the choice would have been obvious. Then again, Trump promised no new wars, and specifically, no more of these forever wars in the Middle East.

Well, now we're at war with Iran. Which is a nation that can't be defeated by conventional means. This is worse than Iraq and Afghanistan because we have no ability to escalate. Escalation would force Iran to respond in kind, potentially wrecking the entire region with ballistic missiles targeting desalination plants in other Arab states.

A classic case of biting off more than you can chew, and now Trump has lost the midterms. No doubt JD Vance will do everything he can, short of resigning, to distance himself from Trump and his disastrous foreign policy. But it might not be enough to save his presidential ambitions in 2028.

 

[Wrangler]

Which is a nation that can't be defeated by conventional means.

Iran has already been defeated. When was the last battle?

 

[Riven]

Iran has already been defeated.

Really? Then please explain to me why the US Navy is still blockading the country.