The other day I posted a blog by Megumi Glosson on my Facebook page, about 違う, chigau, the Japanese word for different and wrong. She wrote that because there is no difference between these words in the Japanese language, there is a strong negative view of being different. In Japanese culture because of 違う, chigau, there is a very strong sense of community and conformity, which results in a morality based on the group rather than the individual’s values. Also, since being different is looked down upon, standing out as a Christian can be difficult in Japan. One of my friends asked me after reading Megumi's blog, “if the church has difficulty with contextualization?” My natural reaction to the question would be yes, but now I think I am wrong…here are my thoughts…
Because community is so important to the Japanese, the church strives to build community for its members. One example I have seen in all but one church I have visited is that the congregants have a meal together after every service as a way of building community.
Another way the church has tried to be culturally relevant is by using popular media to reach their nation. Manga (comics) is one of the most popular mediums for entertainment in Japan and has covered every genre, from classic folk tales to adult entertainment. The Bible has been produced into a number of manga volumes. The Manga Bible has become a very useful evangelistic tool and I’ve met people that have become seekers through reading the Manga Bible. Christian stories have also been produced by manga artists. In popular music the worship band Growing Up has produced great worship music for the Japanese. They are known to use traditional Japanese instruments which are being popularized by contemporary artists.
In the summer of 2007, Power to Change alongside the Japanese church put on their own “Power to Change” outreach campaign in Japan called Power for Living which was very similar to the Power to Change campaign in North America in the mid 1990‘s. For this campaign they produced television commercials and a book that included the testimonies of well-known Christians in Japan as an evangelistic tool.
These are just a few examples of how I believe the church in Japan is trying not to appear 違う, chigau, from those in the communities around them.
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Your brother in Christ,
Karl Friesen
