Christianity is one of the most extensively practiced religions worldwide, and, in some countries, it even has the status of a state religion. At the same time, there are nations, the majority of populations of which historically have been practicing other beliefs. Thus, it becomes interesting to trace the origins of Christianity in such countries and to analyze its current condition. Japan is a country where Shinto has been the most common religion for hundreds of years, yet the share of Christians has been growing steadily since the 20th century.
Japan has a difficult history with Christianity since, in various periods, the believers received different types of treatment from the authorities. The existing evidence shows that the first origins of Christianity in Japan date back to the 16th century when the catholic priests baptized local lords in the city of Kyushu (Drazen 2017). The baptism of the Japanese elite was solely practical since it allowed them to freely trade with the West and thus receive considerable benefits. At the same time, the lords also protected missionaries and let them continue their work in Japan. Yet, by the end of the 16th century, Japanese Christians and missionaries were subject to repressions, and 26 of them were executed and later became martyrs. In the 17th century, Christianity was banned in Japan since the country chose the path of seclusion. In the 18th century, after the reopening of Japan to international trade, protestant missionaries were allowed to come to the country. In the 20th century, after the end of World War 2, the constitution of Japan began to guarantee freedom of religion.
In the 21st century, the situation with Christianity in Japan is much better than several hundred years ago. For instance, in 2019, Japan was visited by Pope Francis, which demonstrated that the country, despite having traditional beliefs, still had significance in the Christian world. Moreover, Japan has had its own miracle, which is the story of “hidden Christians,” people who, despite continuous repression, were able to pass the Christian belief from one generation to another (Drazen 2017). Moreover, in 2018, UNESCO recognized the sites of the “hidden Christians” as World Heritage (). Thus, Christianity in Japan has a complex history of both oppression and freedom and shows how, despite all challenges, Japanese believers have been strong in their faith.
Today, Christianity in Japan is a relatively popular religion which is practiced by a sizeable share of the population. According to the recent statistics, in Japan, there were nearly 2 million Christians which has remained a relatively steady number over the past years (Kee-Fook Chia 2021). Such information shows that Christianity plays a significant role in the lives of many Japanese citizens. At the same time, Christianity is not as common among the Japanese people as Shinto, the traditional region of the nation, practiced by 80 million people. There are several denominations of Christians in Japan; Catholicism is the most popular one, while Protestantism is the second largest denomination in the country. There is also the International Christian University in Japan which is the only evangelical university which is currently accredited by the Ministry of Education (Kee-Fook Chia 2021). Thus, based on the information, it can be said that Japanese Christians have all the means and freedoms to practice their beliefs, study the Bible, and conduct missions.
Japan is a country which for a long time had been opposed to Christianity, yet eventually had to provide complete freedom to believers. The first Japanese were baptized in the 16th century, yet soon they began to face repressions by the isolationist authorities. Christianity began to develop freely in Japan in the 19th century, and today there are almost two million people in the country who consider themselves followers of Christ.
Bibliography
Drazen, Patrick. Holy Anime!: Japan’s View of Christianity. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.
Kee-Fook Chia, Edmund. Asian Christianity and Theology: Inculturation, Interreligious Dialogue, Integral Liberation. New York, NY: Routledge, 2021.