VIEWPOINT MAGAZINE Volume 2.3 March 2014 | Page 15

UPGs

A Silent Showdown in Nippon
Japan

By Richard Wen

is now considered one of Asia’s
leading countries, although their actions during
World War II almost permanently blemished
their reputation amongst their neighbors in the
continent. It is a nation with a culture almost
untouched by Western influence. As one of the
most homogeneous countries in the world,
98.5% of the citizens are purely of Japanese
descent and only 1.2% of the population is
Christian. This homogeneity, combined with
their isolated cultural background render
missions from outsiders difficult, with the
majority of the people still clinging to their
traditional Shinto/Buddhist festivals they’ve
had for hundreds of years. Furthermore, Japan also has strict policies for land ownership, especially by foreigners,
greatly restricting any opportunities for Christian institutions in Japan. Christ