WHO are they? Racially, culturally and ethnically, the Japanese are one of the least
diverse people groups in the world. They share a common biological heritage, birth in
Japan, a shared culture and a common language. The mountainous nation of Japan is a
very developed nation, but many families still farm as a secondary occupation. Often the
wife stays home and tends to the farm while the male works a full-time job outside the
home. Gardening is the number one hobby for men and women. Many Japanese
people enjoy wearing modern clothing for their daily activities, but they still wear
traditional costumes during special religious ceremonies or festivals. Japanese women
can still be seen wearing traditional silk Kimonos.
WHERE do they live? Most Japanese live in the country of Japan, which is a large
group of islands located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan.
HOW many? There are about 121,252,000 Japanese people in Japan, and only about
0.4% of them are evangelical Christians.
WHAT do they worship? The native religion of Japan is an animistic belief called
Shintoism, and Buddhism is also popular. In fact, many Japanese consider themselves
to be both Shintoist and Buddhist. They are often very skeptical of and not interested in
Christianity. On the outside, the Japanese seem to have few needs. However, many of
them have become obsessed with materialistic pleasures, careers, and possessions.
Their greatest need is to be introduced to the Father through His Son, Jesus.
PRAYER needs:
• Japan is a modern society with lots of modern conveniences, but their
greatest need is Jesus.
• Pray that God would soften their hearts and prepare them to hear the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up missionaries to go share God’s love in
Japan.
• Ask God to strengthen the existing churches within Japan and encourage
existing believers to boldly share the Gospel.
LEARN more:
Visit http://www.pacrimjo.org/info/video.html for several videos about Japan.