What is Japan?

Japan in a famous country for the war, the cherry blossoms, and being an active player in the world's technologal progress, economy and politics.

Buddhism and native Shintoism are everywhere through shrines and temples, and in people's thinking patterns. However, 80% of people don't really follow these religions closely, only for formal events. 0.4% of Japan's population (that's less then 1%) are Christians. Churches tend to be small and mostly made up of women.

For cross-cultural Christian workers, like myself, Japan is easy to live in from a material point-of-view. Apart from houses being very small and the food different, everything else is 'there'. But the main difference is fitting into a less-open society: especially for those from more socially 'free' societies themselves. People tend to keep themselves to themselves here, so foreigners often feel lonely. Japan has problems of married couples having little time together due to husband's work patterns and a different view of marriage, suicide is common and bullying in schools is increasing.

The challenge is to plant churches in neighbourhoods where otherwise no church would exist. So far there are 9 wholly 'unreached' cities in Japan. Statistically speaking, Shiga ken is the most 'unreached' county/state (least Christians to population). This is just where I will be working, as well as in the nearest city, Kyoto.