A missionary friend in Japan sent us a link to an article describing the plight of children in institutions in Japan.  It sounds very similar to what I recently heard from the head of an children's home/orphanage near our church.  The children should be placed in homes, but how do you change culture in order to get society to welcome these children?  

Click the picture above to read the article and then. . .

. . .pray with us that the church can be the catalyst for change in Japan.  Ours is a God Who calls Himself the Father to the fatherless.

I am currently reading this book and highly recommend it.  I just saw this review of it this morning and thought that my once a year blog post should be about the book!  You can get this title as a Kindle ebook as well.

The Unseen Face of Japan: Crucial Reading For Students of Japanese Culture

Posted: 02 May 2015 06:45 AM PDT

Source: http://www.japancan.com/blog/

“Japanese tastes in cars, technology and leisure profoundly affect how we think and what we buy. But who are the Japanese? To the outsider Japan has made the switch to a Western lifestyle – to Western materialism – in the space of a few generations. But in fact Japan remains profoundly alien, a culture where ritual holds sway.” (Brotherhood Books)

Paul Nethercott asked me to review The Unseen Face of Japan by David C. Lewis. Since my husband and I are hoping to be long-term missionaries in Japan, I was interested in reading this book for my own education. I was not disappointed! If you are living/working in Japan or are a Christian who cares for the Japanese, this book is a must for you.

The Unseen Face is a Christian anthropologist’s analysis of Japanese culture, religion, and worldview as well as a brief history of how Christianity has had an impact on the nation. Lewis’ findings are based on surveys, observations, and interviews. He goes beyond conventional ‘anthropology’ to offer ways Christians can best communicate the gospel and use cultural elements to glorify Christ.

Lewis does a good job of documenting and describing Japanese culture. More importantly, he deciphers why Japanese do what they do. I was surprised to find out that MOST Japanese regularly partake in religious activities while feeling that the activities have no connection to religion. While most Japanese own charms and many worship at god-shelves in their home, few profess belief in the power of these rituals. Many do it because it’s expected of them by family members, because their friends do it, or because they’d rather be safe than sorry ‘just in case’ there is a malicious spirit out there.

I was pleasantly surprised that Lewis offered observations and suggestions, despite that being taboo in the anthropology world. Lewis identifies weaknesses in the current Christian mindset toward evangelizing Japan, calling on a need for greater emphasis on spiritual warfare.

Lewis documents that most Japanese companies — including the huge modern corporations we all know — routinely organize and pay for Shinto and Buddhist  rituals. I was surprised to hear about this aspect of business life in Japan. These rituals are viewed as a means to promote and ensure safety in the workplace. Usually only those in higher management participate in the rituals but sometimes every employee of the company is asked to take part. Participation is not mandatory. However — due to social pressure — it is very difficult for a Christian to opt out.

The Unseen Face describes the worldview and customs related to Japanese ways of dealing deal with death, birth, aging, cleanliness, safety, holidays, fortune, family, and shame. Lewis states that Japanese people living outside Japan continue to practice many of the same customs and worldviews of the motherland. Therefore, it is important that anyone planning on interacting with Japanese anywhere in the world needs to work at understanding Japanese culture.

Lewis provides answers to many crucial questions through research. His book offers a treasure trove of information. If Japanese culture is a puzzle, Lewis is giving his readers vital clues to decoding it.

In a nutshell, Lewis finds the Japanese to be heavily motivated by both guilt and shame, disillusioned by the events of World War II, and desperately searching for peace of mind whether through charms, visits to a shrine, or rituals.

They are steeped in a tradition that puts them in great spiritual bondage, but they have yet to see Christianity as the power to release and protect them. Instead, it is mainly perceived as a Western, intellectual religion which has little influence over their way of life.

However, there are many things already present in Japanese culture that are valuable and can serve as stepping stones to the gospel. The Japanese as a whole feel an affinity to nature and give great respect to their elders and heritage. A Christian faith that emphasizes these values would be more appealing to Japanese. We need to show Japanese that Christ is the Savior of the world, not just of the West.

Lewis also points out that a purely logical argument for faith can often be lost on the Japanese, who are, as a whole, more feelings based. Revealing Christ through the arts can have a much greater impact on the Japanese than traditional Western approaches to the gospel.

In short, The Unseen Face of Japan creates a fantastic foundation for the Christian worker looking for how to best relate and share their faith in a Japanese context. It is detailed, well-researched, and the reader is not left without some suggestion of how to apply what Lewis has learned on each subject. I, personally, feel that much of what I have observed in Japanese culture is beginning to make sense in light of what I’ve read by Lewis. I heartily recommend this book!

Reviewed by Alecia Tallent

We’re headed for Nagoya.  If only the trip could be as fast as the video above!  (Although I lose my stomach when I watch this video.)  So, where is Nagoya, what’s it like, and what’s been going on there?

Nagoya is the third largest city in Japan with a metro area population of 9 million.  We are located 300 kilometers, a 4 hour drive west of Tokyo.  The city has become an industrial powerhouse and along with its neighboring city to the east, Toyota, is home to the world headquarters of the Toyota corporation.

The city is surrounded by mountains, but sits on a bay, making the climate hot and humid in summer and pretty mild in winter.   The nearby mountains, however, provide a great place to flee the concrete landscape and revel in the beauty of nature.  Being a south Alabama boy growing up on a coastal plain, the majesty of the mountains never fails to mesmerize me.   In winter, we may get only one snowfall, but if we drive one hour north into the mountains, we can be surrounded by a dramatic white snow-scape.

The big cities in Japan have a general stereotype.  Tokyo is big business, impersonal, and sometimes, artsy.  Osaka is laid back with a sense of humor that becomes the subject of televised reality shows.  Nagoya is seen as . . .traditional.  That characteristic has a tremendous impact on church planting.  To many, being Christian is being un-Japanese.  The comfort and pride of following religious and cultural traditions often inhibit people from seriously considering Christianity.  That’s why our church planting team has focused on the suburbs between Nagoya and Toyota. These towns are full of recently constructed neighborhoods with new residents who are disconnected from their home turf, and therefore a little more disconnected from the traditions and institutions that have bound them for generations.  Recently, however, our team has begun to expand evangelistic efforts into Nagoya city as the Lord has provided opportunities.

Pray for our city!  More to come as I have time to write!

How do you make an old American spiritual reverberate in the hearts of the Japanese?  
Add wadaiko! 
When asked, "What kind of music is uniquely Japanese?" many Japanese will say, "Wadaiko!"  The ancient form of drumming is exciting not only to hear, but also to watch.  Each small movement is precisely choreographed.  I took a few wadaiko lessons with my son Ian and was shocked at how much of a physical workout playing these drums could be.  
The combination of wadaiko and spirituals is a unique happening.  The following is a description of the event by Paul Nethercott, director of the Christian Artists Network in Japan.

“CAN the Gospel Be Uniquely Japanese?” is a bad question. The Good News cannot be “owned” by any one culture. However, the gospel can be expressed in culturally appropriate ways. That was the goal of the music video we made of Taiko (traditional Japanese drums) and Japanese “Black Gospel” music (in Japan, gospel music is commonly referred to as “Black Gospel”).

The Genesis of the idea for this video was a conversation I had many years ago with my good friend Yoshi Ehara. We discussed the question, “How we could we express the gospel Japanese style?” Yoshi suggested that Taiko might be a good way.

Taiko drumming has been a traditional form of Japanese music for hundreds of years, and it is deeply personal to the Japanese expression of identity.   The surprising roots of “Black Gospel” in Japan date back to the 1950s when Mahalia Jackson performed here. Since then various performers and musicals have kept the “Black Gospel” tradition alive in mainstream Japanese society. In 1992 “Black Gospel” became a pop-cultural explosion in Japan. It was driven by the popularity of the film Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg. All of a sudden huge numbers of people wanted to listen to “Black Gospel.” Many also wanted to sing it. Since then hundreds of “Black Gospel” choirs have been established all over Japan and it continues to be a part of the current music scene in Japan.   

The live concert was amazing. It brought me to tears. And, the response from the Japanese who were there was very positive. We heard comments like, “Wow, the gospel really does connect with me and my culture as a Japanese person.”

. . .slowly, but surely.  I need a change of mind and heart to do what the Lord has given me to do.  I am writing in regard to fund-raising.  People often speak of giving as an investment.  I tend to stay away from that terminology, but I have been intrigued today by what I read in Henri Nouwen's The Spirituality of Fund-Raising.  

"Jesus also compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed, 'which at the time of its sowing, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,  Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade' (Mark 4:31-32, NJB).  Even a seemingly small act of generosity can grow into something far beyond what we could ever ask or imagine (see Eph. 3:20)-the creation of a community of love in this world, and beyond this world, because wherever love grows, it is stronger than death (1 Cor. 13:8).  So when we give ourselves to planting and nurturing love here on earth, our efforts will reach out beyond our own chronological existence.  Indeed, if we raise funds for the creation of a community of love, we are helping God build the Kingdom.  We are doing exactly what we are supposed to do as Christians.  Paul is clear about this: "Make love your aim" (1 Cor. 14:1, NJB)."

I really don't need to write much about this video.  Just watch!  
After watching it, my response was "Thank you!" to those of you who are faithfully giving of your finances to send us, and to those who faithfully give your time to intercede for us.  May the Lord have mercy on this nation that is so dear to our hearts.