Japan

While Japan has traditionally been classified as a Buddhist nation, the reality is that it has become increasingly post-religious. Some Buddhist practices are continued, such as visiting and maintaining ancestral graves, wearing of good luck amulets, and registering births at the local Buddhist temple. However, most Japanese citizens, particularly those under the age of 50, do not identify as followers of any religion.

In this highly competitive society, it is often considered weak to be religious. Some have called Japan “a superpower without a moral compass.” One result of this ennui is a high suicide rate, especially among young people. More than 30,000 each year take their own lives.

Many Japanese will pick aspects of Shintoism, Buddhism, and occult or animistic practices and develop their own personal faith without concern about contradictions. A heavy emphasis in this belief system is that gods are everywhere, including the stones, trees, clouds, and grass.

Since very few Christians are in Japan, obtaining bibles and other faith-based literature is difficult. Related to this is the fact that many of the current pastors are elderly but can’t retire as there is no one to take over their congregation.

The majority of the Christian community in Japan is women. Men work so many hours, they do not have time for religion. This becomes a self-reinforcing problem—having few men in a church confirms the misconception that church is primarily a place for women.