We invite you to join us in prayer for the very special people of Japan. God loves every nation and has given each people unique talents and a profound soul. The Japanese people have also been given distinctive cultural characteristics and a character all their own.

We have been living in Japan for more than four years now, and we love this country with all our hearts. Not only because it is safe, offers a comfortable standard of living, or is equipped with the latest technology. We love it because God has opened our hearts to the people of Japan. Every day, He shows us why He loves the Japanese people, how beautiful and special He has made them, and how He is working in their network of relationships and is writing lasting history with each one of them.

But What Makes the Japanese so Special?

Japanese people work hard and thoroughly, and place great value on perfection and excellence in everything they do, down to the smallest detail. In Japanese society, it is highly regarded when people demonstrate perseverance and put the good of the community above their own. Many things we use every day, such as quartz watches, blue LEDs, and QR codes, were invented by Japanese people who did not give up despite facing resistance and kept going until they achieved the desired result.

At the same time, the arts and cultural heritage reveal a deep connection with nature and a longing for simplicity and harmony. This is particularly evident in art forms such as the tea ceremony, ikebana flower arranging, and Noh theater.

The Japanese cultivate an extremely polite culture in which they take great care not to inconvenience those around them and to create as pleasant an atmosphere as possible. They think a lot about the preferences and feelings of others and often communicate without words by “reading the air.” This goes so far that if you are a foreigner and do not pay attention, you will be read like an open book.

Beneath the Surface

Despite all these blessings, however, many Japanese people feel trapped in a web of traditions, obligations, and fears. Depression and other mental illnesses affect almost every family, and many young people are frustrated and see no prospects for the future. Quite a few Japanese say they no longer have the energy for interpersonal relationships or to meet society’s expectations. They withdraw from their social environment and seek anonymity in the big cities. One percent of the population, or about 12 million people, have even chosen to live in permanent isolation and without human contact, the so-called hikikomori.

Two religions are particularly widespread in Japan: On the one hand, there is Shintoism, or Shinto for short (“way of the gods”). This is the original religion of Japan, which is about living in harmony with the spirits and forces of nature. On the other hand, there is Buddhism, whose distinct Japanese forms came to Japan mainly via China and Korea. These focus primarily on spiritual disciplines, self-cultivation, and life after death, i.e., preparations for the next reincarnation and veneration of ancestors.

Religious buildings and ceremonies are an everyday sight in Japan. However, less than a quarter of Japanese people describe themselves as religious, and religious practices are often carried out only for good luck, out of habit, or out of fear of evil spirits or hell.

A trusting relationship with an almighty God who has created the whole world and whom one can approach like a loving father is foreign to the Japanese religions. Nor are selfless love, forgiveness, and the hope of eternal life in abundance and intimate fellowship with God to be found in their dealings with their gods or bodhisattvas (reincarnations of the Buddha).

God Saves the Best for Last

At present, only about 0.3 percent of the population in Japan is evangelical Christian, and there are still hundreds of cities without a single Christian church. However, we believe and experience that God is working among the Japanese people. Behind their professional smiles lies a great longing. The people of Japan are searching for the truth, and in their thoroughness, they will not be satisfied with anything less than absolute truth and genuine life. We are seeing Japanese people who have found the truth and love of God shoot up to the sky like rockets and become unstoppable.

Therefore, please pray with us for this country. Pray that the truth about the “Way with God” will reach every Japanese heart and that individuals, families, and the whole society in Japan will be touched, healed, and transformed by the love of their Creator. Japan is wide open for Jesus.

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east. […] Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.
Isaiah 43:5-7