Christian Missionary work in Japan

Table of Contents

Introduction2

History2

Japan's religious traditions4

Religion and the Family6

Common Characteristics7

Close Connection between Religion and the State7

Importance of Rituals and Festivals7

Sacredness of Mountains8

Prayer and Verbal Invocations8

Economy8

Survey of Christian Missionary work in Japan10

Challenge: Difference in culture12

Proposed Strategy14

Obstacles in Church Planting Movements16

Conclusion17

End Notes18

Christian Missionary work in Japan

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of our knowledge by exploring some relevant facts and figures relating to reaching an unreached people group. In this paper the author will examine the effort of Christian Missionaries in Japan. The author will also analyze the current status of the church in Japan, the number of known believers, challenges, present strategies to spread the religion of Christianity in Japan. Japan consists of 6,852 islands occupying 377,887 sq. km. Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku are the biggest and most populated islands, with Honshu serving as the economic, political, and cultural center of Japan. Over 80 percent of Japanese observe either the Shinto or Buddhist religion or both. The remainder of the population practices other religions, including Christianity. Japan is the home of the oldest continuous imperial family in the world, the current emperor being the 125th in an unbroken line.

Historyof Japan

Early modern Japan marks the unification of the country under the Tokugawa military government and some 250 years of peace, the longest such period in Japan's history. This was possible because of the strict control and political administration of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Edo period was distinguished by strong central rule under the shoguns and strong local rule under the daimyo who reported to the shogun. Warriors were in control of all aspects of government . This, coupled with Japan's seclusion policy against influence from foreign nations, helped create a distinctive Japanese culture. It was also a time of important social and economic transformations, including the rise of cities, the development of a strong merchant class, and the expression of urban popular culture.

Early modern Japan is synonymous with the Edo period. The Edo period derives its name from the city Edo (present-day Tokyo) where the Tokugawa shogunate established its headquarters. This period is sometimes dated from 1600 to reflect the significance of the decisive victory of the Tokugawa at the Battle of Sekigahara. Alternately, the Edo period is sometimes dated from 1603, the year that Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun. Finally, some date the Edo period from 1616, the year of Ieyasu's death. The Edo period ended in 1867 with the resignation of the last Tokugawa shogun, or according to others, in 1868 when the imperial restoration (Meiji Restoration) was proclaimed and the city of Edo was renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital"), replacing Kyoto as the official capital of Japan.

Bakuhan System of GovernmentIeyasu set in motion a political structure referred to as the bakuhan system by modern historians. The term bakuhan combines the terms bakufu and han (meaning "daimyo domain") and refers to the modes of government, economy, and society central to life in the Edo period. Ieyasu's immediate successors, Hidetada (second Tokugawa shogun) and Iemitsu ...