* Size: Tokyo is the world’s largest city (36 million, central Tokyo: 8 million)
* Influence: Tokyo is the heart of Japan’s business, politics, and culture. It is one of the world’s four most influential cities. It is a trendsetter in Asia. It is a magnet for young people.
* Spiritual crisis: Japan is the second largest un-evangelized people group in the world (0.30% Christian). 80% of churches have less than 30 members (mainly women). Less than 0.5% of Tokyoites are Christians. Especially needed are churches focused on young professionals. Few younger Japanese pastors exist. We plan to live in the Toyosu neighborhood, where no churches exist for the 125,000 + residents there!
* Potential: 23% of Tokyoites surveyed in a recent Gallup poll indicated a positive view of Christianity. 65% even have a Christian-style wedding! However, it is rare for most Japanese to even meet a Christian. Today, it is the world’s largest un-evangelized nation completely open to mission work.
* Social condition: Beneath the beautiful veneer, Japan is broken.
On 3/11/11, northern Japan endured a triple disaster (9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear radiation crisis) that claimed over 20,000 lives. However, over 32,000 people take their own life in Japan every year. That is over 100 a day, causing over 30 kids to become fatherless every day.
With a low fertility rate (0.91 in Tokyo), young people are endangered.
Japan is the world’s most psychologically medicated nation.
Japanese clients are quite possibly the largest contributing factor to human trafficking every year, as possibly up to 27% are servicing Japanese clients.
1.6 million are hikkikomori, a unique form of acute social withdrawl from family and society. Like these young men, Japan has been shutting out the Sun.
It seems to many Japanese Christian leaders that now is the time of increased and unprecedented openness to the holistic redemption offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.The vision of Grace City Church Tokyo is to renew lives, serve the city, and build up the kingdom. Our vision is to serve on this team!
