Japan is a bustling society and a resilient nation with remarkable ambition and capabilities. The rapidly aging population currently stands at 125 million people, with 30% over 65 years old and about 90% living in cities. For the Japanese, “god” is not a personal god, and religion is not a norm for their lives. Many Japanese still have small Shinto shrines or Buddhist altars in their homes. They are skeptical about faith in a single religion or deity and critical of such beliefs.

Shintoism is the traditional religion of Japan. It consists of the worship of nature as well as ancestors. It is notable that most people follow Shinto rituals at birth but Buddhist rituals after death. It appears that materialism or atheism are the true, everyday religions of the Japanese. In this context, with a Christian minority of about 1% and churches with an average of 30 members, witnessing about Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation presents enormous challenges. However, we are called to testify here as well to the light of Jesus Christ.