Have you ever wondered how you can share the Gospel in with Japanese people? Perhaps a conversation with a Japanese friend about spiritual things left you wondering what was going on inside their head. Maybe you tried sharing the Gospel with a Japanese person and you were surprised at how they went from being a warm and friendly person to cold and suspicious as soon as you. Maybe as you consider doing ministry in Japan you wonder how you should approach sharing the Gospel with the Japanese.
If you approach sharing the Gospel with Japanese people the wrong way, cultural expectations and differences may leave you frustrated. Even worse, you may write off people because an incorrect approach.
Our family has worked in church planting in Japan for several years, and we would like to share a few things we have learned along the way. While this article is not a definitive guide to sharing the Gospel with Japanese people, we do hope to share with you some tips and pointers to encourage you to continue sharing the good news about Jesus.
Sharing the Gospel with Japanese people: considerations
A key point in any kind of communication is to know who you are talking to. Evangelizing Japanese people is no different.
Here are some key areas to keep in mind as you engage in conversation with a Japanese person.
Superstitious
Many Japanese people would identify as Buddhist when pressed with the question “what is your religion?” However, the majority will also quickly say that they are 無宗教 (mu shu kyo) i.e. “without religion” or not religious.
Traditional Japanese religious in Japan (Buddhism and Shinto) are so deeply embedded into Japan that is can sometimes be difficult to figure out the lines between religion, tradition, and customs.
To put this into American perspective, not everyone in the United States who puts up a Christmas tree, hangs up Christmas lights, and a sign saying “Merry Christmas” would be a disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, many people just see it as another holiday and have no faith at all. A similar thing can be said of many Japanese people.
While it is true that there is a significant portion of the population that is deeply religious and involved in Buddhist cults, the majority do not hold to religious teachings on a day-to-day basis.
However, Japanese people are extremely superstitious. “Luck” / “Bad luck” or “fortune” / “misfortune” do cross people’s minds at recurring intervals.
Here is the thinking. If one stops by a neighborhood shrine on the way home from a walk, that prayer might lead to something good. If something bad happens, a person may quicky blame the unlucky thing they have recently done.
Fortune (called 御利益 “goriyaku”) is what people often desire when the make pilgrimages to high-ranking far-away shrines because you just might benefit from it.
In the Japanese religious system, Shinto and Buddhism have blended. People are not restricted to be one or the other but hold to both simultaneously. Those who tell you they are Buddhist will see no conflict with going to Shinto shrines for good fortune.
Keep in mind that the Japanese people are not much different from the pagan peoples of the New Testament era. When Paul preached his famous sermon on Mars Hill, the launching point in his sermon was that the people built an altar to the unknown god because they were superstitions (Acts 17:22-23).
While there are some traditional rites and rituals surrounding pagan Japanese religions, much of the time it is an “at-will” practice. The time for people to pray at a shrine is not set. People come and go at a time convenient time during 初詣（”hatsu mou de” i.e. first prayer of the year offered during New Years）.
While people are highly driven to get “good fortune” when the need help (such as passing an exam or starting a business), most people will see their prayers and pilgrimages not being answered as a sign that they didn’t try hard enough rather than the god being powerless.
Many gods
Shinto is an animistic religion that believes in many gods with varying strengths and uses. Ebisu is the god of business, Tenjin (a deified scholar) is the god of academia, Inari is the god of fertility and so forth.
Japan has so many gods that the plethora of gods is referred to 八百万の神 (“yao yorozu no kami”). This translates to 800,000 gods but is simply a way of saying that there are many. From major deities to minor deities, there is a “god” for just about anything and everything.
One of the fundamental truths in the Gospel is that there is ONE God. In fact, the entire point of the Gospel of John is so people will believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (not one of the gods).
The point in evangelism is not to simply convert people from polytheism (the idea that there are many gods) to monotheism (one god). Judaism and Islam both are monotheistic but reject Jesus. However, you will need to keep in mind this perspective, so you don’t talk past each other.
Some people see this as a reason why Japanese people don’t believe in Jesus. However, people living in New Testament times dealt with the same issues. The Greeks had their pantheon of gods, yet many believed. The current status of Japan is not something that is unheard of or something that the grace and power of Jesus cannot overcome.
Skepticism of organized religion
There are many instances where people have gotten a negative perception of organized religion in Japan.
Sokagakkai Buddhism is a cult that is highly active to the point of having its own political party in Japan. Popular among the poorer people, most people know it exists but also don’t appreciate how they go about their business.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses cult is highly active in Japan. The group has a sizeable following in Japan. In days gone by, they proactively went door-to-door and nowadays, they have multiple teams of people standing and holding their placards just outside the busiest train stations. Many Japanese people are familiar with their teaching that refuses blood transfusions and wonder why they would do something so terrible. Unfortunately, many people thing JW’s are Christians.
Additionally, the unification church (a Korean cult) recently came into the spotlight after the son of a member assassinated a former prime minister during a public address. The man who shot the former prime minister held a grudge against the Unification Church because his mother gave so much money to the group that their family did not have enough to live well. Because the former prime minister had ties with the unification church, the man shot and killed the former prime minister.
Because cults pressure their members to give large sums of money in return for spiritual favor, people have heard these reports or rumors and believe that religion is ultimately about money. This leads people to be very suspicious of organized religion.
Lack of knowledge
Many Americans have a basic knowledge about God or the Bible. It is true that this literacy is waning more and more. However, people typically do not think it weird if a friend went to church. Many would have a friend, relative or family member who would be a professing Christian. However, since Japan has such a small Christian population, anything remotely Christian immediately puts one in an overwhelming minority (less than 1%!)
You will need to keep this in mind when sharing the Gospel in Japan. People are largely ignorant of stories like Adam and Eve or David and Goliath. People may need to know things like the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Because people are so far removed from the Bible, you may find yourself having to explain very basic things first. Don’t let that frustrate you! Instead, see it as an opportunity to help someone far from God find and follow Jesus.
Practical things you can do when sharing the Gospel with Japanese people
So far we have tried to familiarize you with the Japanese mindset to help you understand who you are talking to when doing evangelism with Japanese people. We will next look at some things you can DO in your Japanese evangelism efforts.
Pray
Too often the last thing on our list, I will put it first. Ultimately, salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. It is our job to faithfully deliver the Gospel message, but our evangelism efforts are of no use unless the Holy spirit brings conviction to their hearts.
Here are some things you can pray for
- Discernment: knowing how to share the Gospel in a way that a Japanese person will understand
- Boldness: speaking boldly about who Jesus is and what He has done
- Openness: For the person’s heart to be open to hearing about Jesus
- Conviction: for the Holy Spirit to take the Word of God that you share and convict them of sin
Ask questions
Not every Japanese person is the same so be sure to ask questions before diving in. Otherwise, you may end up assuming too little or too much.
Questions like the following will help you get a better bearing on where they are coming from:
- Have you read a Bible before?
- Have you been to a church before?
- What do you think The Bible is about?
- What do you know about Jesus?
- What is your impression of Christianity?
At this point, you are merely probing to see what their familiarity with Christianity is. Sometimes, people have gone to a “Mission School.” This is the way people refer to schools started by missionaries. While many of them are theologically liberal if not heretical (i.e. accepting homosexuality, don’t believe in Jesus’ miracles, etc.), they often have a “chapel hour” or something similar which the students are required to attend at certain intervals. Keep it mind that it is highly unlikely that anyone who has attended a mission school is a born-again believer because these schools often are just another form or religion instead of communities focused on following Jesus.
Stay Jesus-focused
In all the talk about differing religious perspectives that people bring to the table, the conversation can easily divert from the essentials.
We have to remember that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the good news (1 Corinthians 15:3-5) and aside from that, there is no Good news.
The nuances around the Gospel, including the origins of the Bible and the existence of the Creator God are important conversations to have. However, remember that this is merely groundwork and not the Gospel.
In Acts 11, we find a group of Greeks (some translations use the word Hellenists) get saved. These would be people like many modern Japanese who have no biblical background. According to Acts 11:20, the people came to that city and preached Jesus. God’s hand was with that proclamation (verse 21) and many people believed.
Remember that the conversation must ultimately point to Jesus. Who Jesus is, what Jesus has done, and how one can follow Jesus are critical if you are going to evangelize Japanese people.
Recognize when they are saying “no”
Stating that Japanese people are not good at saying “no” is not a fair assessment. Japanese people say no all the time, but they simply just have other ways of saying it. Japanese people typically believe that they are supposed to conform to their surroundings and the group. Reading the Air is extremely important, and individuals are always keenly aware of what others are doing and what is going on around them.
They may use many forms of “no” because they expect you to understand their intentions as well. This goes back to cultural differences between Japan and the western countries.
For example, an “I understand” or “that’s good but I’m Japanese” can be taken as polite forms of “no”. At this point, arguing will not help you one bit.
Japan and the United States are polar opposites regarding how people are expected to act. In the United States, it is a virtue to be your own person. The Lone Ranger/Rambo macho self-sufficient type of thinking and acting is “manly” and “American”. Japan being able to conform to what others are doing in the moment even if it is not what the individual may want is seen as a virtue for preserving group harmony.
Be patient
While God can do anything, it is often the case that if witness to someone and they get saved right away, God has already been at work in their lives through a person or many different people.
If you are the first person to share the Gospel with your Japanese friend, be patient. With all the differences, it may take time for them to understand what you are saying about Jesus. Patiently sow the Gospel seed.
Expect an ongoing conversation
Much of the evangelism literature in the United States focuses on “making a presentation.” It is true that people have to make a decision for themselves about whether or not they will believe and follow Christ.
However, the danger with the “pitch” approach is that people can believe that because they have done their “pitch” the other person has heard the Gospel and it is time to move on.
Unfortunately, because of the wildly different worldviews, a 3 minute “pitch” is hardly enough to communicate who Jesus is in a way for a Japanese person to comprehend and place his faith in Christ. Through friendship and ongoing conversation, keep pointing to Jesus.
Earn Trust
Japanese people have a high distrust of organized religion. They typically have a high distrust of strangers in general as well. Walking up randomly to a Japanese person and making a “gospel presentation” is often the quickest way to frighten them and scare them away.
In places like the United States, where it is common for strangers to at least greet one another as they pass on the sidewalk, the stranger approach may work. However, strangers don’t greet one another on the street and approaching strangers in the name of Jesus may end up giving people a bad impression of your message before they even understand what you are trying to tell them.
As in all things, use discernment in this area. If the Holy Spirit is clearly telling you to walk up to somebody and start sharing the Gospel, do it. However, you will probably need to take some preliminary steps to earn their trust. Be sure to check out the article about relationship building for evangelism in Japan to avoid some pitfalls.
This does not mean that you hide the fact that you are a Christian. If your goal is evangelism and ministry in Japan, it is perfectly ok to tell them that you are in Japan because you want more people to know about Jesus when they ask you why you are in Japan. But it might take a few outings and lunches so they see you are not a weird cult to where they will trust you enough to actually hear what you are saying.
As a side note, it is perfectly ok to have a pitch and know what you are going to say. In fact, it is recommended.
But you will probably use this “pitch” more in a time that you set up with your friend after you have told them that you want to share what you believe over a cup of coffee. You will make your pitch to people who have earned your trust, not just a random person on the side of the road.
Know the rules and when to break them
If you are a foreigner trying to share the gospel with a Japanese person or working in Japan, keep in mind that there are times you can get away with breaking the social rules.
This particularly works to your advantage if you are relatively new to the country but can be used at all stages to your advantage if you are a foreigner. While a Japanese person trying to talk to the stranger sitting next to him on the train might receive odd looks, a foreigner can more easily get away with it just because Japanese people don’t expect him to know all the rules. You can play this to your advantage.
Many a ministry worker has found himself paralyzed because he “doesn’t know what to do”. Don’t let this be you. Instead, be willing to make mistakes. As you make friends, they will tell you what Japanese people do or don’t do and what is acceptable and not acceptable. Always keep these things in the back of your mind so you can proficiently break the rules as needed to begin conversations and meet new people.
Final word
At the end of the day, people will be watching you to see if they can trust you. While Japanese people may be polite, they will notice things from behind a smile. Ask God to help you live a life that is in step with the Sprit and Gospel centered as you seek for opportunities to share the Gospel with Japanese people.