Reach the Last: Spreading Seeds of Hope Among the Japanese

Of the 119 million Japanese people worldwide, only 0.46% are evangelical Christians. But TWR is serving the world's second-largest unreached people group, using media to share the gospel in this "missionary's graveyard."

For the Japanese, the second-largest unreached people group in the world, giving their lives to Christ comes with giving up the traditional beliefs and practices which often unite them with their loved ones. Followers of Christianity stand out against the predominant religions of Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan, where conformity and group consensus reign.

However, through TWR’s outreach, the Japanese are hearing the good news. Kiyoshi (not his real name), a listener of TWR Japan is wide awake at 6 a.m. to catch his favorite program. “The content is straightforward and easy to understand,” he said. “I appreciate the hard work of the pastors, who manage to fit their message into the short time slot.”

The difficulty in planting spiritual seeds in Japan has earned it the nickname “missionary’s graveyard.” Less than 1% of the nation’s population are evangelical believers. There are only about 8,000 Protestant churches in total, and most congregations do not surpass 30 members. Most of the congregants and church leaders are elderly, with only about 10% of pastors being younger than 50. This raises concern about the future progress of Japanese churches. Some studies estimate that approximately half the churches will be without pastors by 2030.

Welcome to the July installment of Reach the Last, our year-long series highlighting some of the world’s least-reached people groups and the hope that grows in these places through TWR’s efforts to share the love of Christ.

Tradition Over Religion

Although Japan is a nation united by tradition, religion plays a lesser role in the cultural fabric. The Japanese attitude toward religion is less tied to personal convictions and questions of their soul and more tied to custom and the practical value it provides.  

Though Buddhism and Shintoism are the most widely adhered-to religions, the Japanese tend to blend practices from multiple religions because the doctrine behind such practices is of less importance. These diverse practices have resulted in a common phrase in Japan: “born Shinto, marry Christian, and die Buddhist.”

Despite the blending of different religious practices, Japanese people publicly proclaiming their Christianity is discouraged, as it is a deviation from Japan’s conformist culture. When one decides to follow Christ, disapproval and isolation from loved ones are likely, since doing so usually means relinquishing family beliefs and practices. 

Additionally, high-profile violent incidents associated with reputed religious cults have had a major impact on the society’s outlook. The Tokyo subway sarin gas attack in 1995 and the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, though wholly unrelated to Christian efforts to share the gospel, made the Japanese people increasingly resistant to accepting unfamiliar religious beliefs.

 

Waves of Hope

In 2011, an earthquake and subsequent tsunami rocked the Tōhoku region of Japan and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster, posting the highest magnitude ever recorded in Japan and leaving more than 18,000 dead, according to U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information. In the devastating aftermath, many survivors rediscovered radio as a critical information source. And soon, it became a source of hope as well.  

Whereas Japanese stations were previously apathetic to religious-themed content, the tsunami brought about a change. Radio stations found the themes of religious content to be relevant to the needs of the Japanese in the wake of tragedy and accepted TWR programming for broadcast. 

Now, TWR Japan’s programs, aired on 29 different stations, have a potential listening audience of 17.5 million. TWR Japan is also expanding to other digital platforms and on-the-ground initiatives to reach as many Japanese for Christ as possible.

TikTok is a newer technology that TWR is utilizing to reach younger audiences. “Social media is a powerful tool and has so much potential to reach these individuals,” a media manager for TWR Japan said.

The team shares two TikTok videos a day. Each one begins with an encouraging message and ends with a prayer and Scripture reading. These uplifting videos help counteract the social pressures permeating youth culture today – especially those arising from young people’s tendency to compare themselves to their peers.

Another way that TWR Japan extends its messaging is by posting radio programs on its YouTube and Spotify channels for those who missed the broadcast or want to listen again. One listener shared, “I live in a remote area where it’s hard to listen to the radio, so I listened to this Power of the Gospel program on YouTube. It’s easily comprehensible, even for people who are seeking God. Thank you very much for this broadcast.”

Donkey Tracting

Hand in hand with the electronic media, gospel tracts and the distinctively named Donkey Tracting short-term mission trips are a further facet of TWR’s outreach in Japan. The name comes from Zechariah 9:9, which prophesies that Jesus will come “humble and mounted on a donkey” to save the lost. 

Pastor Shiga, pastor of Minoo-Izumi Church in the Kansai region of Japan, was pleading to God for help in providing her a way to distribute gospel tracts to 2,000 households. She knew she could not do it on her own. Miraculously, by the grace of God, Shiga’s path aligned with one of TWR’s Donkey Tracting trips, and the team became the answer to her desperate prayers. These trips bring believers from Japan and Singapore – the location of TWR’s Asia headquarters – together to interact with local church members and help make the community aware of Jesus Christ and TWR programs through distribution of tracts. 

Jonathan Chen, TWR’s Japan ministry mobilizer, reflected on the way gospel tracts are ideal for breaking through the challenges posed by language barriers. He said, “Distributing tracts doesn’t require you to be able to speak or communicate well in Japanese. I think it’s a means to enable people to serve in Japan.”

A Donkey Tracting team worked with Shiga, going door to door to distribute 9,000 manga-cartoon-style gospel tracts and resources to connect people with both TWR and the local churches. The team planted the seeds for faith to grow. God worked in the hearts of those receiving the tracts and watered those seeds. 

This watering was evident when Shiga shared that a woman began coming to her church after receiving a tract. “It feels as if a large stone in front of us has been moved,” she shared with enthusiasm. “The Lord is alive! And he is listening to our prayers!”

A pastor from another local church, Atsuhiro Ozaki, shared that tracts are not always successful in getting people to come to church, but he acknowledged that someone also attended his church after receiving a tract. “He is an unbeliever, and we hope he will continue to come to our church,” Ozaki said. “Please remember him in your prayers. We give thanks to the Lord and everyone at TWR.”

Lonely Work

Many pastors carry the work of their ministry alone. And it’s no easy burden to bear. 

“Sometimes it can get lonely, like very lonely,” Ozaki admitted. “We’re just so encouraged by you guys because not only Japanese people but also people from abroad are praying for us and helping us.” 

Donkey Tracting trips also provide opportunities to encourage these leaders and remind them that they are not alone in the life-changing work they do. There are believers all over the world who stand with them and pray for them. This fellowship with believers and church leaders is a crucial part of Donkey Tracting trips, because current believers are the ones who will be leading those receiving the tracts. 

A media manager for TWR Japan who joined the trip to Kansai, said, “Large churches often receive visitors and mission teams from abroad, but small churches don’t usually have the connections or means to have such opportunities. I’m thankful for the ways in which God has led our team to support these small churches." 

The benefits of Donkey Tracting trips are not one-sided. Sarah Wong, a believer living in Singapore, is a three-time participant in these trips and feels that she has gained just as much as those being served. “When you see the pastors’ passion, their faith, you feel recharged,” she shared. “Even though we came to support them, we received even greater blessings in return.” 

Despite the challenges missionaries often face in Japan, Donkey Tracting participant Daryl Chua was moved by the kind and eager personalities he interacted with. “We keep hearing that Japan is a very hard ground,” he said. “But from what I saw, they were more than willing to interact.”

Images: (top banner) Of the 119 million Japanese people worldwide, only 0.46% are evangelical Christians. But TWR is serving the world's second-largest unreached people group, using media to share the gospel in this "missionary's graveyard" (top, right graphic) Facts and statistics gathered from TWR and Joshua Project, (middle, left) Two young Japanese women look glance at a phone in the streets of Osaka, Japan, (bottom, right) Believers from Japan and Singapore engage in TWR's on-the-ground outreach to Japan, distributing gospel tracts on Donkey Tracting trips.