“Only the Lord’s purpose toward Japan will prevail!”
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21,NIV)
![](https://prayer24365.org/english/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-12.png)
》 Country Profile
Continent | East Asia
Population | 124 million
Area | 377,915㎢ Consists of four large islands and about 3,000 small islands located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Capital City | Tokyo (37 million people)
People Groups | Total 38 Groups Indigenous peoples 97.9% (Japanese 95.6%, Ryukyuan 0.9%, Ainu 0.01%), Korean 0.4%, Chinese 0.6%
People Groups Unreached | 26 (97.9% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Japanese
Total Languages | 33
Bible Translations | Completed 20, New Testament 1, Partial 2
Religion | Christianity 2.2% (Protestant 0.7%, Catholic 1.1%), Buddhism 68.1%, Ethnic religion 24%, Non- religious 5.5%, Evangelical 0.6% (710,000 people)
》 About Japan
In 1868, Japan underwent the Meiji Restoration, which ended military rule and established a centralized government headed by the emperor. The empire then adopted modern capitalism and, in 1889, enacted the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, becoming a constitutional state. After victories in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Japan expanded its empire by seizing Taiwan and southern Sakhalin, showing its imperialist ambitions and invading weaker countries. It colonized Korea in 1910, occupied Manchuria in 1931, and initiated wars in Shanghai in 1932 and against China in 1937. In 1940, Japan allied with Germany and Italy, entering World War II against the Allies. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 triggered the Pacific War, during which Japan occupied much of Southeast Asia and key Pacific islands. However, the empire surrendered to the Allies on August 15, 1945, after U.S. atomic bombings.
After World War II, Japan, under U.S. occupation, faced significant changes. In 1947, it adopted a new constitution, making the Emperor a symbolic figure and establishing a parliamentary system with separation of powers. In 2011, Japan experienced its most powerful earthquake and tsunami, devastating northeastern Honshu and causing thousands of deaths, along with severe damage to nuclear power plants.
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, held office from 2012 until his resignation in 2020 and was assassinated in 2022. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been Japan’s dominant political force, except for a brief period from 2009 to 2012. Emperor Naruhito has been the ceremonial head of state since 2019, and Fumio Kishida has served as prime minister since 2021.
Japan’s economy grew rapidly by increasing exports, industrial rationalization, and technological innovation. However, after the asset bubble burst in the late 1980s, the economy slowed, facing stagnation. Japan, which lacks natural resources, has long relied on imports for energy and raw materials. Economic challenges like low birth rates, an aging population, and a public debt equivalent to 235% of GDP pose long-term threats. Additionally, rising crime, suicide, teenage prostitution, high divorce rates, and growing social instability are causes of concern. The COVID-19 pandemic has further weakened economic activity and tourism. Japan’s GDP per capita is approximately $32,859
》 Scripture Focus
Proverbs 19:21-23,27-29(NIV) 21. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. 22. What a man desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar. 23. The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. 27. Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28. A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. 29. Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools. |
》 Prayer Points
1. The Emperor and the royal family in Japan are deeply tied to Shintoism, Japan’s native religion, and must remain dedicated to it throughout their lives. Despite the nation’s global influence in finance and industry, very few political leaders or business figures have come to believe in the gospel. In many rural areas, the gospel has not been heard, and many towns and cities have no churches. The Ainu people, an indigenous group in northern Japan, number around 13,000, with about 20% identifying as Christians. There are also nearly one million ethnic Koreans and over 660,000 Chinese living in Japan. Additionally, over 100,000 women and children from Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and the Philippines are caught in human trafficking, forced into prostitution and pornography by Yakuza, an organized crime syndicate.
Let us pray for God to use His mighty power to spread the gospel to those who have not heard it, bringing them to fear the Lord and find true life in Him.
2. Once the country with the world’s longest life expectancy, Japan now faces major social issues due to aging, a labor shortage, and elderly poverty. The country’s population is shrinking due to low birth rates, and 85% of teenagers question why they exist, with 11% wishing they had never been born. Child abuse, school bullying, and youth suicide are also on the rise. The issue of hikikomori (social recluses) began in the 1970s, and now many of them are middle-aged, while their parents are elderly, leading to family isolation and poverty. These problems, along with economic decline and generational divides, have led to a deep sense of spiritual emptiness in Japan.
Let us pray that those trapped in the thirst of existential meaning will come to know the living God. May they be led by God to live according to His perfect will. Let us also pray for revival in the churches of Japan, that they will have the passion of Christ to gather thirsty souls and lead them to the gospel.
3. Japan, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, is highly prone to earthquakes. In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami killed over 15,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless, causing severe damage nationwide. The disaster caused a range of reactions towards Christianity. While some became more hostile to the gospel due to doubts about God and fear of the future, others began to open their hearts to the gospel as they witnessed the church’s relief efforts and sought spiritual comfort. Many now have come with humble hearts to hear the gospel like never before.
Let us continue to pray that more people will recognize that even in the midst of such disasters, God’s purpose is to lead them to eternal life. May they turn to the living God and find salvation.
》 Urgent prayer requests around the world need your prayer!