COMPASSION

In the neon glow of Tokyo’s Shibuya district, where skyscrapers pierced the sky and salarymen rushed like ants under cherry blossom signs, 7-year-old Hana lived a whirlwind life with her big brother Kenji, 9.

Their tiny apartment overlooked a vending machine humming 24/7 with Pocari Sweat and Calpis drinks, and mornings kicked off with the chime of the local Shinto shrine bells echoing from afar.

Hana bounced awake to Mom’s bento-box magic - tamagoyaki egg rolls, onigiri rice balls shaped like pandas, and pickled plums.

Dad sat at the table slurping instant ramen before his train commute. “Ganbatte!” (Do your best!) he cheered, handing them konbini (convenience store) yogurts.

They dashed in crisp school uniforms. Hana wore a sailor fuku blouse with pleated skirt, and Kenji wore a gakuran jacket. They both had backpacks stuffed with manga comics and kawaii erasers. The walk to school dodged cat cafes, gachapon toy machines spitting out capsule monsters, and bowing schoolmates at crosswalks.

Class buzzed with hiragana drills, maths under humming air-con, and recess soccer amid vending-machine soccer balls.

Lunch was Hana’s favorite: sharing bentos while friends swapped Pocky sticks and whispered about Sailor Moon.

Afternoons meant cram school (juku) for kanji flashcards, then arcade claw games snagging plushies or purikura photo booths printing heart-stamped selfies. Home by dusk, they slurped udon noodles watching Studio Ghibli on TV.

But Hana and Kenji were special. Even in Japan, being a Christian is not something many people do openly. Their family secretly followed Jesus, a gift from Grandma’s old missionary friend.

Tokyo’s main religion is Shinto-Buddhism, with shrines everywhere for fox spirits (kitsune) and torii gates; most classmates visited temples for New Year’s omamori charms against bad luck. Hana’s family skipped those, praying quietly over meals with chopsticks paused: “Thank you, Jesus, for this food.” They read a pocket Bible under futon blankets, singing “Jesus Loves Me” in whispers during obon ghost festivals when lanterns floated for ancestors.

One afternoon after school, Hana and Kenji spotted their classmate Yuki limping painfully on crutches near the school gates, her leg in a cast from a long-term fracture that kept her out of soccer for months.

Doctors said it’d take forever to heal fully. “Jesus heals!” Kenji whispered in response. Yuki was taken aback, but Yuki continued, “May I pray for you?” Yuki agreed and they knelt right there by her side on the pavement, holding Yuki’s hands gently amid curious glances from passing kids.

“Dear Jesus,” Hana prayed aloud with sparkling eyes, “You’re the great healer, touch Yuki’s broken leg, knit the bones strong like You made the lame walk, make her run and jump again soon!”

Yuki smiled weakly at first, but a peaceful warmth filled her as they finished. Weeks later, Yuki dashed over at recess, cast off and sprinting full speed, hugging them tight. “It healed so fast, how?” she whispered. Grinning, Kenji pulled out Grandma’s tiny pocket New Testament, and Hana shared, “Jesus loves you forever. We can share more with you. He’s our real friend!” Yuki’s eyes lit up, joining their secret Christian circle from then on.

Colour Hana and Kenji with their backpacks and pink cherry blossoms around them.

Today’s language is Japanese. Practice saying hello, good morning, and thank you.

As you colour and learn new words, pray for children in Japan who do not know Jesus yet.