The Situation of Christianity in Japan: Why Christianity has failed to catch on in Japan

Abstract

As one of the developed countries in the world, Japan shares similar cultural aspects with the United Sates of America (U.S.A) and even with some civilized European countries. For instance, almost all of the contemporary cities in Japan are filled with fast food restaurants, and it is very common to see advertisements and notices written in English. The young generation of the Japanese enjoys wearing jeans and watching Western movies, while even the elders have come to be familiar with U.S and European brand names. The equivalent Japanese cultural and social aspects are no longer seen as something special. While some elements of 'Western cultures' have been accepted and enjoyed by many Japanese, there are notable exceptions. The most remarkable exception is religion. Anyone who comes to the U.S.A could be aware that churches are ubiquitous. It is not to stretch to say that a church can be found on almost every block. This is surely surprising to the Japanese because churches in Japan are few and located on the edge of the cities. This even applies to the suburbs and rural areas. Hence, one question came to my mind: why has Christianity failed to catch on in Japan? After looking through traditional Japanese religions in the next section, the focus shifts to the history and the current situation of Christianity in Japan in section three. Based on these discussions, I describe and analyze the reasons why Christianity has not been spread into Japan in section four. In conclusion, I would like to make some suggestions about the future research.