Japan is—especially since the Second World War—well known for its dedicated “corporate warriors”: employees willing to devote extraordinary amounts of time and energy to their companies. Over the past few decades, however, the country has gradually begun moving towards a healthier understanding of the balance between work and personal life,…
Transition times can be full of uncertainty and excitement at the same time. Big changes bring new challenges, as well as fresh opportunities. We are currently experiencing some of that… I am on my way back to Japan after a quick visit to South Africa. The main purpose was to attend a…
Summer has arrived in all its glory. Green, lush, and warm! All around us, rice farmers are planting their fields with great anticipation of record harvests in a time of exceptionally high rice prices. Meanwhile, the days here are becoming increasingly humid, and the first typhoons are threatening to usher…
Yesterday and today (5-6 May), together with a large gathering of more than 800 enthusiastic believers in Zentsūji (on Shikoku Island), we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ). What an experience! The theme is focused on the Kingdom of God. Below follows the introduction…
For years we have been giving out thousands of leaflets to invite children from our neighbourhood to various events at our local congregation called RCJ Kita Kobe Christ Church. Sometimes a handful came. Sometimes not one single child. Last Saturday, for our Kids Easter event 32 children joined in (52…
At this time of year in Japan, I sometimes hope for the winter barrenness and cold fronts to come to an end. But there is usually still quite a bit of frosty weather ahead. Then I have to brace myself. Thankfully, this is also exactly when the Wintersweet (also known…
After serving in a church in Kobe for 23 years, I was sent here in 2020. This building was originally a gardening shop, which we bought second-hand and renovated. It was completed in April 2022. We are now planning to further renovate the first floor of this building to create…
The purpose of this short newsletter is to keep you, our supporters, informed about developments here at Mission Japan (MJ), and also to provide feedback on decisions that were made during our recent visit to Japan. The past year has been a fairly busy time for MJ. In March this…
How are you enjoying the arrival of spring around you? Have you had the chance to appreciate the new life breaking through? I am truly grateful for a few weeks during which our family could relax during our annual leave at Takayama, a unique retreat place for (mostly) missionaries from…
Since our previous news update, much water has flowed into the sea—along with the sweat running down our backs in heat that refuses to relent. The heart-wrenching funeral of a beloved colleague’s wife, the joyful wedding ceremony of a former student, Carina and my 20th wedding anniversary, and the birthdays…
Japan. A place of breathtaking contrasts—ancient temples standing proudly next to shimmering skyscrapers, bustling neon-lit streets and serene Zen gardens. A country where tradition and innovation walk hand in hand. But behind the beauty and self-sufficiency, there is a deeper story—a quiet story of searching, of striving, of longing. This…
Lees in Afrikaans While we’re dripping with sweat in Japan, the cold fronts keep passing one after another in South Africa. I hope this newsflash finds you safe, dry (and warm!). There’s a long list of things I could give feedback on. The last couple of months has been packed…
lees in afrikaans I don’t usually go overboard with exclamation marks, but consider yourself warned—this newsflash is the exception! The world is arriving on our doorstep here in Osaka in five days. There’s fresh energy in the air, and it’s like stepping into a fairytale—cherry blossoms in soft pink and…
Lees in Afrikaans What an encouraging week of meaningful interactions, deep conversations, and stimulating fellowship! We are truly grateful for the recent official visit of our Mission Japan leaders, Dr. Nico Mostert, Rev. Gawie Gouws, and Dr. Daniël de Wet (March 7-17). Our long-standing partnership with the local Reformed Church…
Today 11 March 2025 is a day of great significance for Japan and its people. In our hearts and prayers, we join every Japanese citizen on the fourteenth commemoration of the 2011 triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant).
Lees in Afrikaans Today, three students graduated at our (Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary’s) 73rd graduation ceremony. It was very encouraging to see and hear how they testified about the growth they have experienced over the course of four years. This is only the beginning of a lifelong journey of continuous…
"When I saw the small ventilation windows at ground level in your chapel, I thought it would come in handy if the police suddenly raided and I had to flee," she says, half-smiling but serious.
We’ve been encouraged and inspired by countless meetings and encounters since May. Although we miss you all dearly in our home country, we are also relieved to be back in one place, at our home. In the meantime, we’ve started to settle in again, and things are going well here…
In this newsletter, I share about some events, what has been and what is to come, from our visit to South Africa. Exactly two months ago, we safely arrived in Cape Town after a meaningful period of work and study in Scotland and Oxford (at OCMS).
Greetings from Kobe, where the Sakura (cherry blossoms) charmed us once again! The dawn of a bright spring was, as always, introduced by (Japanese) Nightingales’ energetic melodies all-around. Our long-awaited departure is coming up soon, so I share just a few snippets about our recent work. Please click on available links to…
I recently completed an article titled Proclaiming and Embodying Peace in Pacifist Japan: a Reformed Church Perspective
The RCJ Diaconal Action Comitee (representing the Reformed Church in Japan) on which I serve, keep on supporting and are raising funds for long-term support, in close cooperation our local leaders at RCJ Kanazawa church
As we approach the 80th commemoration of the end of the Second World War, our world is now amid new international political tensions. In particular, the political and military tensions in East Asia that have manifested since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the beginning of 2022, foreshadow the advent of…
When should you visit Japan, you ask? I strongly suggest not during summer. Japanese summers are like a sauna – 24 hours of being wrapped in a stifling, soaked blanket. In the middle of summer your energy and your emotions are in shreds. And what is left is pierced by cicadas’…
I (Stéphan) was privileged to serve on the Governing Board of Seikeikai Social Welfare Institute (in the Hiroshima region) during the past 6 years. From that experience I share the following case study, which forms part of a longer article I wrote, titled Diaconal Church Initiatives and Social/Public Welfare in…
A couple of years ago Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary (KRTS) requested me to teach the subject of Missiology from April 2023, as part of its theological students’ training for church ministry. Mission Japan, my main employer in collaboration with KRTS, approved a research opportunity to help me prepare for this…
THE CHANCE It is everywhere in Japan. Huge, rather ugly constructions, with catchy English names. Pachinkos. The name comes from the sound that these game machines make, "pachin", combined with the diminutive "ko", which means child in Japanese.
H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies at Calvin University (Grand Rapids, Michigan) Report on the Meeter Family Fellowship (May 20 – June 29, 2019) I am deeply grateful to the board of the H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies, for granting me the Meeter Family Fellowship (6 weeks…
Aansoek proses vir nuwe sendelinge. Recruitement process of new missionaries
During the past three and a half months we had the privilege to visit our home country, South Africa, from the end of June until the middle of October. The purpose of the visit was to thank our supporters and to give feedback about our life and work in Japan.
Reporting on the visit of young DRC pastors to Japan
Dear friend in Christ, In the waving masses of Japan one can sometimes lose focus on the significance of individual meetings. ICHI-GO-ICHI-E (一期一会) describes the need to cherish each meeting with people: one by one. This Japanese expression was apparently created centuries ago by a well-known master of green tea…
After our involvement in Kumamoto support work, together with many others, RCJ Kumamoto Church’s pastor wrote a letter of feedback and thanksgiving. Please read it here below. To all our brothers and sisters in the Lord, both in the whole country of Japan and overseas. From the Christian Reformed Church of…
We have returned to Kobe after a refreshing time of leave. There were enough friends, marshmallow barbecues, time for reading, quiet time and games of tennis. On Sundays up to 100 people (mostly missionary families) would gather for worship services - and for relaxing fellowship - in the local chapel at Takayama.
Dear friends, We are now in the final stretch of our visit to Japan, the last two weeks of a full three months. Next weekend, I will be preaching at the RCJ Tokushima congregation. In the meantime, Stephan will be attending a three-day RCJ Retreat for office-bearers (south of Tokyo)…
This time the English report, about our first outreach after the Kumamoto disaster (which took place from 25 -29 April), took longer than I planned. But it's better late than never (with apology)
Disruption. Uncertainty. Anxiety. Loss. The list goes on … Kumamoto earthquake’s influence is deepening and widening.
A few days ago – as you are probably aware already – two powerful earthquakes shook South-Western Japan. Meanwhile, more than 500 tremors have caused the inhabitants of Kumamoto region (on Kyushu Island) a great deal of fear and anxiety. And the needs are deepening. More than 1000 homes were…
Inauguration ceremony at Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary
How we are settling in Kobe The new year frenzy is dashing by, therefore just short snippets of news from a snowy, freezing Kobe!
It is with sadness that we announce that Mission Japan will not send Karen Strydom as missionary to the Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ ) anymore.
OFFICIAL GREETINGS FROM MISSION JAPAN PARTNERSHIP It is indeed a privilege to convey our message of official greetings from Mission Japan Partnership to the Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ). “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as…
At the "end" of our year The summer rains are gone, but sky-high humidity lies ahead. A green blanket of rice paddies (photo above) surrounds our neighborhood. Buckets of rain and heat waves are good for rice cultivation, but for physical energy, a deadly blow! We feel quite depleted ourselves…
Dear friend in prayer, Thank you for making an effort to find the time to pray for us. The following contains our prayer focus for August 2015. We appreciate your empathy and your intercession with God on our behalf. Please share the requests with other prayer friends as well.
This is almost like comparing apples and pears. Something might look the same, but fundamentally, it is radically different. I’m talking about South Africa and Japan. Two extremes in countless ways.
They had been waiting for a pastor for their mission post for literally 36 years … But in faith they had persevered, this small handful of Christians in the coastal town of Shimizu (in the South-Western corner of Shikoku Island).
It is with pleasure that we at Mission Japan can announce that we are sending Karen Strydom as our next missionary to Japan.
The main purpose of this news flash is to say: be on the lookout for a minibus full of Japanese! A delegation of 7 ministers from our sister church, the Christian Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ), just landed in Cape Town for a 12 day visit.
Informational Pamphlet | RCJ group of ministers that will visit South Africa from 5-18 May:
We recently celebrated Spring’s coming under Cherry trees, and the poem TREES from Joyce Kilmer (part of Annlie’s schoolwork) came to mind very clearly:
Next Wednesday is March 11, a sad commemoration of the devastation that shook Japan four years ago. As a result of the threefold disasters of 11/3/2011, profound uncertainty and mental struggle continue for countless people. The agony of loss cut deeply into the lives of many people. The scars of…
PRAYER FOCUS: The fourth anniversary (on March 11) of the huge triple disaster in North-Eastern Japan. We remember thousands of people who are still living in temporary housing units. We especially think about many children who are still suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. Many relatives of the thousands of…
Dear Prayer Friend Thank you so much for choosing to be part of Mission Japan’s prayer network. Your support means a great deal to us! The following are matters we would like to submit to you for your prayers. Please also share this with other friends that wants to join…
Japan goes big on new year, especially as far as post cards are concerned. Last year 3.41 billion post cards were exchanged to introduce 2014 with good wishes. This year we also dispatched our quota again. Most of the cards we received this year had a picture of a sheep,…
In our homeschooling setup learning is a lot of fun … you even get to write your own stories, and let your sister read it while you act it out! Cornelius (5) and Annlie (7) partnered in this little tale about “Cornelius and the Kalahari Lion called Blueboy”. Cornelius dictated…
View this 1 hour and 10 minute documentary film (full HD) on Mission Japan, and the life and work of its missionaries etc., as part of a 40 year long partnership between the Dutch Reformed Church Family in South Africa, and the Reformed Church in Japan.
View this two minute trailer of a documentary film on Mission Japan, and the life and work of its missionaries etc., as part of a 40 year long partnership between the Dutch Reformed Church Family in South Africa, and the Reformed Church in Japan. https://youtu.be/OkiiLZCoCT8
An Oasis for the Heartby Lawrence K. Spalink Christian Reformed World Missions Japan Team Leader We sometimes call her “the woman at the well.” Her life was a mess. Drawing water from Jacob’s well was hard work, and few people came to do it in the heat of the day.…
Dear friends, On Sunday November 10 at 13h51 our son Stephan De Wet (Van der Watt) (called Stephan) was born in Tokushima. He weighs in at 4 kg and is 52cm tall ... drinks eagerly and looks healthy. Carina is exhausted, but relieved.
From Tobie and Annalie de Wet To RCJ Higashi-Sendai Church Council, RCJ TOHOKU Presbytery Mission Committee, RCJ Shikoku Mission Cooperation Committee, Mission Coalition Committee, Mission Japan Committee and RCJ Tokushima Church Council. Sunday 13 October 2013 Report on our SHORT-TERM VISIT in the North-Eastern Great Disaster Area of Japan The…
Reformed Church in Japan group visit (outreach) to South Africa, 17 – 26 August 2013 Message from the leader, Rev. Takayuki Ashida We have three main purposes to visit SA this time. The first main purpose is to maintain and develop the Christian fellowship and relationship between you, the Dutch Reformed Church Family in SA and…
Dear Fellow-Workers, Once again Mission Japan would like to convey our gratitude to each and every one that is involved with the ministry in Japan. Your support, financial contributions, interest and intercessory prayers are indispensable. Thank you so much. The work in Japan is doing well; we are aware of…
This article was written for the magazine called Bilingual Japan, focusing mainly on readers who are members of the Japan Association of Language Teachers Tokushima, on Shikoku Island, has been described as the “backwaters” of Japan. It is true that Shikoku is rural, but for us as South Africans, used to wide open spaces and nature…
Praise the name of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. We are very thankful for the prayers, various preparations and considerations on behalf of the (upcoming) South African Mission Trip. In this regard, in combination with this trip, I will participate as official representative of the formal relationship between…
Tengu are supernatural creatures that appear in Japanese folklore. They are seen as protective or guardian spirits to be respected, if not somewhat feared. An annual Shimokitazawa Tengu Festival is held every winter at Shinryuji temple, a five minute walk from Shimokitazawa station.
Hatsumoude is the ritual of visiting a shrine or temple for the first time following the beginning of a new year.
On family life and participatory parenting (written by Carina) Introductory seminar – 23/24 November 2012 presented by Stephan and Carina as part of Marriage Enrichment seminar held at Kobe In contemporary society, we tend to value activity. We believe that our children should be exposed to as much as possible…
MISSION COOPERATION It was once again a huge privilege and a very enriching experience to pay a visit to Shikoku Presbytery and to our missionaries. Thank you for all the hospitality to our delegation. We trust that the relationship between us has been strengthened. It was also very good that…
REPORT on our ministry with RCJ HIGASHI-SENDAI congregation in the North-Eastern Japan disaster area during the period from 15 August to 4 November 2012 Submitted (in Japanese) by Tobie and Annalie de Wet to the RCJ Higashi-Sendai Church Council on Sunday 14 October 2012 It has been a great honour for the…
The Moderator and Delegates Synod of the Reformed Church in Japan Dear beloved, I greet you in the Name of our Triune God: Grace and Peace to you! We are in our season of synods. Four of our regional synods meet in the coming weeks. Our leadership need to be…
This is a summary of the presentation that Carina gave in Japanese on July 24, 2012 at the annual meeting of the RCJ Shikoku stake. The most precious in the Kingdom One of the most important things in life is for a child to feel a parent's love. How can…
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord in South Africa, On behalf of all the congregations of the Reformed Church in Japan, and especially those in the disaster area, I would like to tell you from the bottom of my heart “Baie dankie!!” for your sincere prayers for us. After…
March 7, 2012 LETTER FROM MISSION JAPAN AND THE FAMILY OF DRC CHURCHES TO THE MEMBERS OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN JAPAN Dear brothers and sisters, Sunday 11 March 2012 is a day of great significance: for you, but also for us. In our hearts and prayers we join you…
The Japan Great North-Eastern Disaster March 11, 2011: The Church’s response to theological and practical challenges by Takashi Yoshida I am very much honored to be here and very glad to meet you all, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. I cannot begin this morning lecture without the words of…
Isn't it expensive to send Missionaries to Japan? There is so much work in South Africa! Can't the missionaries make a bigger impact for the Kingdom in South Africa? Can't the Japanese church just manage on its own? These are questions that are often asked, especially now that we are…
The beginning of God’s calling for my life. I am writing this letter with a heart of praying, hoping, and trusting that reading (very) personal testimony ...
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