PRAY FOR JAPAN
This month, 50,000 Scouts worldwide will be gathering in Japan for the 23rd World Scout Jamboree.
Jamboree In Japan
This has been scheduled to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the atom bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki (6 & 9 August).
Special Remembrance services will be
held,
with Scouts participating,
at the sites where the
devastating
atom bombs were dropped.
Japan is recognised as the world's third largest economy,
yet it has been rocked by recessions and economic stagnation in recent years.
Economic Superpower
Despite a lack of natural resources and oil, Japan has one of the world's most powerful exporting orientated economies.
Unlike most economies,
Japan has a high savings and enormous trade surplus.
However, the low birth rate and ageing population presents major societal and economic concerns for the future.
The Japanese have a strong work ethic and are polite, yet materialism dominates the ambitions of these very busy people, so they give little thought to God and Eternity.
Tokyo/Yokohama with 36 Million people, is one of the largest cities in the world.
Over 66% of the population of Japan are urbanised.
Life expectancy is 82 years.
Urbanised Mission Field
The multiple religious loyalties of the Japanese can be seen in that 85% describe themselves as Buddhist and 90% Shinto!
Japan is an extremely materialistic culture.
Its own leaders call Japan:
"A superpower without a moral compass."
Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world
– over 30,000 a year.
Bullying and teenage prostitution are major social problems.
Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.
Missionary Challenge
Of the 126 Million people in Japan, 85% claim to be Buddhist
and only 1.5% members of a Christian church.
Of the 2 Million Christians, barely 600,000 would identify themselves as Evangelical. Only 10% of the Japanese
population believe in the existence of a personal God.
The concept of a Creator-God is foreign to most.
Strong pressure to conform to the social norms and the shame/honour mentality held by many Japanese, makes
conversion to Christ very difficult.
A pervasive nationalistic Shintoism makes Missionary work extremely difficult in Japan. Japan is the largest unevangelised
Missionfield that is completely open to Missionaries.
Three-storied pagoda and Nachi no taki or the waterfall of Nachi in Seiganto-ji Temple in Mt. Nachi
Ayako-tenmangu, a Shinto shrine.
A huge tree of Nagi, the sacred tree of Kumano Sanzan
Japanese Temple - Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions
The main shrine of Kumano Hongu-taisha Grand Shrine
The symbol of Kumano Sanzan is “Yatagarasu,” a three-legged bird which was considered to be a messenger of god since ancient times.
Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century.
Shintoism in Japan is known as the religion of the gods,
Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami.
There are 15,575 congregations in Japan, consisting of 1,291,021 church members and 2 Million adherents. 3% of
Japanese would identify themselves as Christians.
Christians in Japan
Christians are a small minority in a society where consensus and conformity are important. House Churches have been
effective in reaching Japanese.
The San Lorenzo Japanese Christian Church is part of the Holiness Conference, which stems from OMS (Oriental Missionary Society)
International
Christians in Nagasaki
70% of all churches in Japan have an average attendance of less than 30. On average, woman attenders outnumber men,
7 to 1.
Yet there are approximately 300 Japanese Missionaries serving in 34 countries.
Japan has a 100% literacy rate. This highly literate, reading, commuting society offers an excellent market for publishing
and distributing high quality Christian literature.
Strategic Literature Ministry
Yet, there are only 100 Christian book stores in the whole country.
Pray for the impact
of the
Japanese Church on the nation.
The churches in Japan desperately need
Biblical Reformation
and Spiritual Revival.
Reformation and
Revival
They need to turn from their insular bunker mentality to engage with the society and effectively Evangelise their
nation.
"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God to Salvation for everyone who believes."
Romans 1:16
PRAY FOR JAPAN
Frontline Fellowship PO Box 74
Newlands
7725
Cape Town
South Africa
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.frontline.org.za
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