What pictures do you conjure when you hear the word “unreached”? In my mind, I see huts, muddy, potholed roads, crowded housing, slums, favelas and civil mayhem.  What if I told you that there is an unreached people group where the landscape includes well‐paved roads, skyscrapers, well‐appointed gardens, steel, glass and relative peace and safety? After more than 150 years of evangelical missions, less than 1% of 130 million Japanese claim to be born‐again believers. Yes, Japan. For so long, the Gospel has not been able to gain significant footing in Japan due to the prevailing influences of Shintoism and Buddhism. There are some signs however that point to a season of spiritual searching in Japan. According to John Mehn, Converge Japan Field Coordinator, the lack of economic stability in Japan has led to many societal ills including rising suicidal rates across all age groups, rampant divorce, abortions twice the rate in the U.S., alcoholism, increasing crime rate among seniors and Hikikomori, a tremendous fear of social contact , sometimes lasting over six months at a time. Plainly, the fabric of Japanese society is tearing as its long‐held beliefs and support structures no long provide answers for life’s questions. Japan no longer has the “ideal society” where employment to retirement is but a memory. There are 30,000 suicides committed in Japan annually and 1.2 million Japanese suffer from the effects of Hikikomori. And Japanese are clamoring for someone to save them. They may not know this yet, but there is only one Person who can save them ‐ His name is JESUS. The alarm has been sounded, but is Converge Worldwide up to the challenge of heralding the Good News in Japan, the best news the Japanese will ever hear? Why Japan, you may ask? I can say, because they have the highest literacy rates in the world, or that people are upwardly mobile, or their technology is advanced maybe even compared to the U.S., or because it has the potential of being a major missions sending nation. Why Japan now? BECAUSE JAPANESE NEED JESUS, just as much as other people groups in developing nations all around the world!

JAPAN NEEDS

1) Ministry specialists in sports, worship, youth, children, compassion

2) Mental health trainers

3) Church planting teams

4) Church planting coaches

5) Marketplace disciplers (corporate/ business)

6) Black Gospel choir directors

7) Visual, dance, drama and musical artists

ESL teachers

Ideal service terms: 2‐3 weeks, 3‐6 months, 6‐12 months, 1‐3 years, career

Basically this social phenomenon is unique to Japan which is bound with the Japanese cultural elements of family structure, societal pressures and the group oriented society.  Cases usually develop after repeated social trauma which forces the individual to shut themselves off from society.  Typical Hikikomori thinking and behavior is that it is safer to be a house hermit and recluse than to venture out and attempt to fit into society.  They are often overwhelmed by having to interact with others, possibly fail in their endeavors, or be noticed by others.  So they give up on society.

Unfortunately there are few churches ministering in this serious but difficult to address social need.  Pray that God would raise up “wounded healers” for this “lost generation.”

More Resources on Hikikomori:

1. Shutting out the Sun: How Japan Created its Own Lost Generation by Michael Zeilenziger (2006).  His book reviews some other recent social changes in Japan like suicide, depression, alcoholism and how they impact Japanese society especially the younger generation. It is available on Amazon.

2. James McCormick has a very good review of Zeilenziger’s book and he adds his own reflections and insights.  http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/5045.html

3. Valuable New York Times article, Shutting Themselves In, by Maggie Jones, which outlines some real cases and their treatments.  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/magazine/15japanese.html?ei=5090&en=7a1fdac3eb790b32&ex=1294981200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

4. Hikikomori has also been a subject of several video and audio documentaries such as BBC and NPR.