Japan
Evangelical
Association

Japan Update

Spring 2013 Number 65

Whole Gospel Challenge in Tohoku
InsideWhole Gospel Challengein Tohoku

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Sendai Report2

Liberty in Japan3

and Evangelism

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JEA Mission Forum inColumn: Religious

Testimony: Relief WorkInterview: Fukushima
Hope ProjectNews and Notes
Prayer/Editorial

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6-7
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The theme of the October 2012 JEA
Mission Forum in Sendai was “The
Whole Gospel Challenge through theExperience of the 3.11 Great Earthquake
Disaster”. The concept of the “whole gospel” was articulated clearly to twentiethcentury evangelicals in 1974 at the International Congress on World Evangelismin Lausanne. This movement traces itself
back 100 years to the Congress on Evangelism held in Edinburgh in 1910. Thosegathered at the Edinburgh Congress rose
above denominational traditions to sharea united vision for evangelism. But theyfailed to achieve a prophetic mission
speaking into the historic and social realities that led up to world war—a war thatwould result in unprecedented humanmassacre.
In evaluating that failure, we heara voice saying we should shift fromchurch-centered evangelism to evangelism that responds to social realities andtheir needs. However, in tackling thissubject, there are bound to be theologically opposing opinions as to whether traditional evangelism should take priority
over mission that addresses social reali-

by Yoshiyuki

Nishioka

Academic Dean,
Tokyo Biblical Seminary
Secretary,Tokyo Mission
Research Instituteties. On the one hand, there are those who
hold that the salvation of souls is the top
priority and we should not take an active
part in transient things of this world. On
the other hand, there are those who holdthat church-centered evangelism solely
concerned with the salvation of souls will
result in a church separated from social
concerns. Antagonism between thoseholding these two positions has developed into an unfortunate division between
evangelism and social responsibility.
This unhealthy division, not found in
the mission of the Lord Jesus, has cast adark shadow upon subsequent Protestantevangelism. However, a holistic view has
been presented in the Lausanne Movement. The Third Congress on Evangelism
was convened in Cape Town in 2010. The(continued on p.2)

http://jeanet.org/

(continued from p.1)
Cape Town Commitment was published as an expression of the determination to put into action what was
decided at that meeting. Less than half a year later, on
March 11, 2011, Japan encountered an unprecedented
triple disaster involving an earthquake, tsunami, and the
Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Churches with a self-centered agenda would see thiscrisis only as an opportunity for self-expanding evangelism and seek to exploit the situation so that the church
might be blessed. On the the other hand, churches witha holistic view of the gospel would naturally think about
how they can be a blessing to the local community,

thinking about how they should respond as God’s people sent into a crisis situation. As a result, they would
try to present and live out the whole gospel. When placing oneself in a disaster-stricken area, one sees that insuch a situation not only is the existence of the churchand its mission challenged, but also the meaning of thegospel and the meaning of the presence of Christians.
*Dr. Rev. Yoshiyuki Nishioka served as the keynote speaker
for the JEA Mission Forum in Sendai. He is a member of
the Japan Lausanne Committee and the editor of Japanesetranslation of “The Mission of God” by Dr. Christopher J. H.
Wright.

JEA Mission Forum in Sendai Reportby Kenichi Shinagawa
General Secretary, Japan Evangelical Association
The JEA Mission Forum in Sendai which convened
under the theme “The Whole Gospel Challenge throughthe Experience of the 3.11 Great Earthquake Disaster”
was held in the city of Sendai on October 29-30, 2012.
Over 80 church leaders and relief workers from disaster-striken Tohoku regions as well as other parts of Japan gathered to report and discuss the missiological implications of what we experienced since the 3.11 Great
East Japan Earthquake Disaster on March 11, 2011.
Rev. Kazuo Iwatsuka (Miyako Community Church,
Iwate) spoke about how a paradigm shift occurred in his
church. “Before the earthquake, all the church functions
took place within the church and we were trying very
hard to invite people into our church. Now we do everything out in the community and local people are alreadyinvolved in church activities. The disaster forced us togo out into the community and serve people where theyare. Building trust through relief work really changed
the relationship between the church and local people.”Rev. Ichio Kishinami (Conservative Baptist Kurihara
Bible Church, Miyagi) shared his experience of meeting fishermen in small coastal villages where everything was washed away by the tsunami. He drove 100
km everyday to bring food and commodities provided
by Christian networks all over the world. Later, he organized volunteer teams to help in the work. “These
fishermen had no previous contact with Christians. The
Ocean God and ancestor worship is very strong in thisarea. [At the start] I was very careful not to impose
anything on them. The only thing I did with them waspray. But as I served them with Christ’s heart, many ofthem started asking about the Bible and some of them
have accepted Christ. Now there are about 15 to 20
house meetings in these small coastal villages, so we goaround to encourage them.”
Rev. Makito Matsuda (Oasis Life Care, Rifu Christ
Church, Miyagi) went around temporary housing anddeveloped a new business model of marketing leather
products made by the survivors to department stores in

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Tokyo. This project opened up a new avenue for community recovery in terms of both cash income and selfesteem. “People need a sense of self-worth as well as
cash income to start walking up the path of recovery. As
Christians, we know how to care for people’s hearts,
so why don’t we combine that with a practical businessmodel to impact the society with Christ’s love? Working in the public sector and with secular organizations
made me realize how Biblical perspective can impact
and change our society.”R e v. K e n
Jodai (Christ
Kyodai-dan
Fukushima
Church, Fukushima) andR e v. K e i j i
Kida (Koriyama Christ
Evangelical Church, Fukushima) both talked about the current
dilemma and suffering from the nuclear power plant
accident in Fukushima. Churches in Fukushima are determined to stand with the people of Fukushima in thelong and difficult fight against radioactive contamination (see article on page 7).
Although the reports reflected regional differences,the common factor seemed to be that God is alreadyministering among people in local communities and thatchurches need to stop looking inward. We need to goout into our communities to live out the “whole gospel”
among the people. We are not compromising the soulwinning gospel of the Lord Jesus, but actually deepening
our understanding of it and acting upon it. This kind ofparadigm shift, in turn, should happen elsewhere in Japan, as many churches across Japan are suffering from alack of engagement with their local communities. I believe God has already moved a rock. It is our turn to takeup the challenge of living out the whole gospel.

Column: Religious Liberty Issue in JapanWhy is the Hinomaru and Kimigayo Problematicto the Church in Japan?
by Chietsu Shibata
JEA Social Issues Commission member, Yokohama Uenomachi Church

Why is the Hinomaru (the national flag of Japan) andKimigayo (the national anthem of Japan) problematicfor the Church in Japan? The reason is because the Hinomaru and Kimigayo promote emperor worship andaffirm the past war of aggression.
Before the war, the emperor was referred to as Arahitogami (a deity who is also a living human being). It issaid that through his crowning ceremony, the spirit of
the sun god Amaterasu-ōmikami (said to be the ancestor of the emperor) became one with the new emperor,
making him divine. State Shinto placed the emperor atits pinnacle, enforcing emperor worship to support thedeity and absolute sovereignty of the emperor, who was
declared head of state in the 1889 Constitution of the
Empire of Japan.
On special occasions, the “Goshin’ei” (a picture of
the Emperor and the Empress) was brought out andlifted up before the students and staff in schools to be
worshiped. Furthermore, on holidays, the raising of the
Hinomaru and singing of the Kimigayo was forcefully
implemented in elementary schools throughout thecountry. The national textbook for elementary schoolsthat was issued during the war teaches that the words ofKimigayo mean “May the Emperor’s reign flourish forever.” Kimigayo is a song of worship directed toward
the Emperor. Also, the Hinomaru, which was used inconjunction with Kimigayo, depicts the Sun, symbolizing the Sun god Amaterasu-ōmikami and the Emperor,
who is believed to be a descendant. According to the
textbook mentioned earlier, “the Hinomaru is the firstthing to be raised when a land has been conquered.”
The Hinomaru and Kimigayo are symbols of a “kingdom
of god” with the Emperor at its center, and were symbols of militarism.
When Japan invaded the Korean Peninsula, shrines

were built in worship to Amaterasu-ōmikami and the
Meiji Emperor. Idol worship was enforced and persecution was practiced, just as the Jews in Babylonian exile
experienced (Daniel 3:1-15). Many pastors and believers faced imprisonment and martyrdom due to their refusal to worship the emperor at shrines.
Yet in Japan, most churches accepted shrine worshipas part of kokumin girei (people’s rite). This included
kyujō yōhai (bowing toward the Imperial palace before
worship services), the singing of the Kimigayo, and theflying of the Hinomaru, all of which were practiced insome churches.
In recent times, “standing in honor of the Hinomaru,”
which can be seen flying at the front of the hall, as if
it has taken the place of the goshintai, [sacred body ofthe gods] and the singing of the Kimigayo, which isemperor worship, is still being enforced in entrance andgraduation ceremonies of public schools. Some teachers have faced negative consequences for refusing toobserve these rituals because of their beliefs.
In schools where free education should be practiced,
freedom of thought and conscience has been compromised by the enforcement of Hinomaru and Kimigayo
as if it were a fumie (a picture of Christ or Mary which
Christians were forced to step on in the Edo era). For
Christian teachers, requiring such a complement to idol
worship is threatening their freedom of religion.
The Liberal Democratic Party, newly in power, intends to enforce emperor worship and shrine worship associal rituals by amending the constitution. This mostdefinitely will intensify the enforcement of Hinomaru
and Kimigayo. We will oppose such changes. And wemust be determined that from this day forward, evenif such an age may come, we will never bow to the enforcement of idol worship (Daniel 3:18).

JEA Disaster Response Project Update
On February 5-7, 2013, JEA Relief Commission and
DRCnet (Disaster Relief Christian Network) hosted thefirst official training of the “Disaster Response Chaplain
Training course” in Narita, Japan. We invited Dr. Kevin
Ellers of the Salvation Army USA who has developed
extensive training courses in ESC (Emotional and Spiritual Care) after the 9.11 terrorist attack in the USA.
Most of the 51 participants have been involved in relief work in Tohoku and they said the emotional statusof the survivors is getting worse than ever. As many
relief organizations are closing their ministries, regional
church networks in Tohoku are trying hard to continue
to help the survivors. The JEA Relief Commission willcontinue to support such regional church networks in
Tohoku as well as equipping churches for the next disaster. Fukushima HOPE project (p.7) is one of suchprojects that we support.
Please continue to pray for Japan.
Send donations to the JEA Relief Commission:
The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ[ SWIFT code:BOTKJPJT ]Jinbocho Branch 013-0305243
JEA Relief Commission
Please send an email to adminoffice@jeanet.org
to let us know your name and the amount sent.
Visit http://jeanet.org/ for more updates.

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Testimony: Relief Work andEvangelism Following the Great
East Japan Eathquake
It has been two years
since the Great East
Japan Interna- Japan Earthquake oftional Food for M a r c h 11 , 2 0 11 i n
the Hungry, which 15,880 people
died and 2,700 people
Tohoku Office remain missing. On
by Aya Itobehalf of the earthquake survivors, I would like toexpress my deepest thanks for all the funds that weregathered from within Japan and abroad, and for all thevolunteers who gathered to help and encourage the survivors of the earthquake.
Especially for the earthquake survivors, these last
two years have been a long and hard two years. At thesame time, it has gone by quickly. Amidst these difficult circumstances, Christians were quick to take action. Even when communication networks were cut off
and it was difficult to grasp what was going on, various
denominations and interdenominational organizations
put together relief supplies and sent truckloads to thedisaster areas. Although survivors themselves, churchcongregations in the disaster region gave a lot of support by taking in volunteer workers from the outsideand helping out in distributing supplies in their areas.
One does not need a reason to help hurting people
right before one’s eyes. Peoples’ hearts naturally moved
them to action and they became “Good Samaritans.”
Within a few days after the earthquake, volunteers were
cooking and serving meals to survivors, handing out
supplies, and helping out in the removal of rubble andclean-up.
Non-Christian volunteer workers were also working hard in the same way. Their work can in no way bediscounted. However, the comments that came frommany survivors with whom I had the opportunity to fellowship was that the enthusiasm and the finishing touchof Christians was different. In this way, I sensed thatamong those who saw and heard how Christians worked
and helped out, there was a stronger sense of attachment. These
Christianv o l u n teers may
not have
preached
the gospel
in a loudv o i c e .
H o w e v e r,
through these volunteers, earthquake survivors definitely saw the “ Light of the World.” In this way, an unspoken gospel was heard, and many survivors, on the edgeof despair, were encouraged, comforted and led toward
the path of Truth.
Japan is considered to be one of the most difficult

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countries in the world to evangelize. It is especiallydifficult in the countryside, where old customs have astrong hold and the pressures and expectations within
relationships are binding. In rural areas, often there islittle or no fruit even after decades of evangelism. However, through this disaster it is no mistake to say that thehearts of many people have been opened to Christianity. Also, I believe this has given us an opportunity toreevaluate our methods of evangelism. That is to say,evangelism is not just about inviting people to church,
but it is about going out, and unconsciously fulfilling
the Great Commission, “to go out into all the world andmake disciples.”Pastor Yukikazu Ōtomo of Shiogama Bible Baptist
Church, who has continued to be involved with volunteer relief work since the earthquake up until thepresent says, “The Kingdom of Heaven moves forward
when the wheelsof both relief workand evangelism
are turning. If one
is greater or lesser
than the other, it ishard to make good
progress.”
The desire of Christians involved in relief work is
only that perishing souls will be saved. However, they
don’t try to force people to believe because they are
helping them. Instead, through building good relationships over time, they wait for survivors to show interest
in Jesus Christ or in the Bible. Looking on from the outside, some people may think this is an inefficient way toevangelize. However, many examples have been seen inwhich relationships that have come out of strong evangelistic efforts have suddenly fallen apart. To be honest,
I cannot say for sure which is the most successful way
to evangelize. However, I do know that through continuing volunteer relief work, people who have neverheard the gospel will see the “Real Gospel” in action,right before their eyes.
These last two years, Christians have labored in many
ways. Each small action might not look like much, butjust as many small dots joined together make a line, it is
now the job of the local church to not let that line break.
For those of us who have true hope, it is sometimes difficult to know how we should approach those who were
saved right after the earthquake and those who will get
saved sometime later. I do believe that from now on,
mission work, in the real sense, is just starting.
Finally, for those who have prayed for revival in Tohoku, the question comes up, “Was there no other way
for the gospel to be spread without the sacrifice of so
many?” At the same time, God speaks to me saying,“What have you been doing up until now in response to
the Great Commission, and what is your response to thecall from here on?
“Among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the dayof Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain”(Phil. 2:16 NKJV).

Interview: Sharing True Hopewith Fukushima Families
Interview by Atsuko Tateishi
Assistant Editor, Japan Update
In Fukushima Prefecture, deep anxiety and extreme
uncertainty have become something like the norm in
the aftermath of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011. Mariko
Fuyama and Kyoko Nakajima are walking with andcaring for young local children and their families. They
are the coordinators of the Fukushima HOPE Project(http://fukushimahopeproject.com), a ministry of the
Fukushima Christian Conference (FCC). During thefirst week of January, the two ladies agreed to be interviewed at their Sendai office by Skype. Excerpts follow.
Atsuko (A): Please tell us how HOPE was started.
Mariko (M): The FCC launched HOPE in September
2012 in response to the specific needs of families
with young children in Fukushima Prefecture. In
some families, the mother and children evacuate
for a prolonged period of time, while the father
remains at home. There have been a number of divorces among such families. Seeing that, more andmore mothers and children have been returning toFukushima to be together as families. Our programs
provide families with opportunities to be away from
Fukushima temporarily, so they can breathe and enjoy the outdoors without worries.
A: Tell us about some of the HOPE programs and what
responsibilities each of you carry.
M: We have two programs. One is the short-term campprogram and the other is the long-term homestay
program. Both are for Fukushima families withyoung children. I am responsible for coordinating
short-term camps.
Kyoko (K): I am based in Aomori Prefecture, where I
coordinate the homestay program. I am also a pastor
in Aomori City. Three venues in Aomori Prefecture
are currently available for Fukushima families. Oneof them is the nursery facility of my church. The
nursery has not been in use for awhile. The othertwo are Aomori Christian Center in Aomori City,
and a holiday home in Goshogawara City owned bya Christian.
M: I had been a pastor in Fukushima City for four years
when the Great East Japan Earthquake hit. The
leaders of my denomination did not think it wise fora young woman like me to remain in Fukushima.
But I was not comfortable with the idea of leaving
Fukushima right away. Through my local connections, Keiji Kida, the leader of HOPE, approached
me and invited me to work with him. That is how I
got involved in HOPE from the beginning.
K: Mariko is also a licensed nurse, and I am a certified kindergarten and nursery school teacher. Our
credentials seem to reassure the parents who participate in our programs. We believe God placed us

in Fukushima and
Aomori in advancefor such a time asthis.
A: What blessings
have you been
receiving throughworking for
HOPE?
M: Today, deep divis i o n s a r e h u r t - Rev. Kyoko Nakajima (left) andRev. Mariko Fuyama
ing Fukushima,
because people have a variety of opinions and responses in relation to nuclear power and radiation
issues. It is a joy to provide a safe place for families
to pour out their anxiety. I also thank God when I
see parents smile while their children play freely
outdoors. Our programs are for Christians and nonChristians alike. During each camp, we hold a Bible
time, through which a few people have started going to church.
K: I feel privileged to share the love of God and true
hope and peace with Fukushima families. I see
people’s relationships being restored during thehomestay program. Recently I heard of two families
who have begun to attend church following theirhomestay experience in the summer of 2012.
M: Another great blessing is the support of a broad interdenominational network. I am thankful that God
has brought Kyoko and me to work together, though
we belong to different denominations.
A: How can we support HOPE?
M: Our initial commitment is for five years through2017. Please pray for us. Financial support would
also be appreciated. Donation information is on our
web site. It is currently in Japanese only.
K: A book is going to be published in February, Kodomo no Inochi o Mamoritai (Hoping to Protect Children’s Lives). Published by Word of Life Press, it isabout my experiences as a consultant for some 200
mothers since the disaster, as well as my work as
a homestay coordinator. I hope the book will help
expand the support network for these precious children.

Families from Fukushima visiting apple orchard

JEA Relief Commission is supporting Fukushima HOPE
project. If you are sending donation for HOPE projectthrough us, please send an email to adminoffice@jeanet.org
indicating your name and the amount sent for HOPE project.

5NEWS and NOTES
Christian Art Giving Hope and Comfort

The “Exhibition of Tomihiro Hoshino’s Drawings of Flowers and Poems in Ochanomizu” opened at Ochanomizu
Christian Center in downtown Tokyo on November 2, 2012.
The four-month exhibition was subtitled More Precious thanLife (Inochi yori Taisetsu na Mono) and featured a total of
101 drawings, including 11 new ones. A new collection of
Tomihiro’s works was published by Word of Life Press on
the occasion of the event and carries the exhibition’s subtitle.
Tomihiro paints with a paintbrush held in his mouth. In
1970, as a young junior high school physical educationteacher, he had an accident that rendered him a quadriplegic.
In the midst of his despair, following a friend’s recommendation he began to read the Bible. Over time, he found the joyof life and began to draw flowers with a short inspiring poem
written to one side of the drawings.
Through his work, Tomihiro and the exhibition organizer
hope to convey a message of comfort and hope to those whohave experienced serious loss and grief since the Great East
Japan Earthquake. The organizer hopes to hold a similar exhibition in a disaster-afflicted area in the future.

Suicide Prevention Through Manga

Risk Ride is a short mangastory about two young men,
Kenji and Shin. Unemployed
and rejected by his girlfriend,
Kenji makes up his mind tocommit suicide. However, when
his old friend Shin invites him
on a motorcycle excursion andposes some soul-searching questions, Kenji’s healing journey
begins.
The story was written by writer and counselor trainer Andy
Meeko and illustrated by manga
artist Kelly Shinozawa. It was created as a tool for starting a
spiritual conversation in the context of emotional care. It isavailable online (http://riskride.net/) and printed copies may
be purchased at Christian bookstores. It is currently available
in Japanese and English.
During a five-month period from August 2012, Andy led
a Risk Ride Campaign so that the manga could be used forsuicide prevention in the Tohoku region, which is still struggling to recover from the triple disaster of 2011. The story
was promoted in a series of events, and local Christians inFukushima and Iwate Prefectures were trained how to makeuse of it.

TCU Social Welfare ProjectWith over five million people in need of care, Japan isa substantially aged society. Many challenges face local
churches and communities. The aging of pastors and congregations is becoming a serious problem. Compelled by theneed to get involved in the welfare of local societies, some6churches have started putting effort into this area.
Tokyo Christian University, which recently opened a Department of Christian Welfare, has started the “Care Church
Project” with the aim of supporting churches in thinking
about and starting welfare ministries. With this in mind, on
November 17, 2012 an open seminar was held on the theme“Thinking of the Future of Welfare and the Church.”
The Care Church Project looks to accomplish its goal by 1)
networking churches involved in welfare ministry, 2) becoming a resource center for welfare ministry, 3) defining the reasons for welfare ministry, both theological and physiological,
and 4) training personnel who can minister in these fields.
A Facebook group has been created, in order to facilitate
networking.
The launch committee consists of students and staff ofTCU, ministers of churches already involved in this endeavor, and personnel from welfare facilities.

ANRC12 -- Encouraging and Equipping Returnees

The Third All Nations Returnees Conference (ANRC12)
was held in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture on November 22-25, 2012. The overall theme “Respond to the Callingas a Vessel of Mercy” was set to encourage and equip “returnees” (young Japanese people who have become Christians while living overseas). Among the 600 attendees, some120 were ministers or ministry leaders. However, to help
develop natural relationships, it was decided to address everyone during the conference with the generic honorific saninstead of sensei (teacher), the honorific customarily used toaddress pastors and ministers.
The four keynote speakers, Nobuyuki Uchimura, Yuichiro
Nakano, Michael Oh, and Akira Sato, preached on God’s
powerful and infinite mercy while sharing their respective
life stories. During the panel discussion, representatives ofregional returnee groups shared about their ongoing efforts
in networking and equipping old and new members. Some of
the commonly mentioned challenges were the geographicalscattering of members and the scarcity of active members.
In the “Follow-up of Returnees” multiplex session, a few
follow-up leaders shared tips for supporting returnees, andways being used to connect returnees with local Christiancommunities. One of the leaders stressed the importance of
empathizing with the unique struggles of returnees going
through cultural adjustments.
Regional gatherings of 10 regions of Japan served to facilitate networking, information exchange, and follow-up at
the local level.
There was also
a time for 35
leaders of all
regions to gett o g e t h e r, t opromote partnership acrossthe regions,and to confirm

NEWS and NOTES
that effective returnee ministries were able to serve the local
church through following up each returnee across the regions. During the post-conference fellowship, vision was castto build returnee groups in the Chugoku and Kyushu regions
and to enhance understanding about returnees among local
churches.
Information about returnee events and regional groups may
be obtained by writing to info@allnations.jp.

JEA Religious Liberty Seminar

The Social Issues
Commission of the
JEA hosted the 2012
Religious Liberty
Seminar on December 1, 2012 in Tokyo.
Keynote speaker
Norikatsu Sasagawa,
Professor Emeritus ofInternational Christian
University, discussed the issue of the imperial succession in
relation to the Constitution.
Sasagawa noted that in 1989 the rites of the imperial succession from Hirohito to Akihito were carried out according
to the pattern of the Imperial Household Ordinance, eventhough the ordinance had been abolished the day before thecurrent Constitution became effective [in 1947]. He observedthat the rites were Shinto, implying the Emperor’s lordshipover his subjects. The current Constitution stipulates in Article 2 that the imperial succession shall be carried out in accordance with the current Imperial Household Law. The Law,however, does not stipulate the details of the imperial succession rites, and Sasagawa pointed out that this is a problem.
He also referred to Emperor Akihito’s wish for his own
funeral rites to be simple, which was reported in April 2012.
Sasagawa will be watching how the Imperial Household
Agency will officially reply to Akihito’s statement in the near
future.

Interdenominational Holy Communion Service
in Okinawa

The Okinawa Evangelical Federation (OEF), an interdenominational association in Okinawa, will have a united Holy
Communion service at Ishikawa Gospel Church on March
13. Their purpose is summed up in the thought, “Although
we belong to different denominations, the gospel in the nameof Jesus is just one. We should build our churches together.”
The OEF includes about 30 denominations, including theJapan Church of the Nazarene, the Japan Evangelical Church
Association, Immanuel General Mission, Japan Alliance
Christ Church, Japan Holiness Church, Evangelical Free
Church of Japan and other independent churches in Okinawa. For more than 50 years, they have been meeting oncea month and planning various gatherings, but have never had
an interdenominational Holy Communion service.
A visit by Rev. Toshio Takahashi, Pastor Emeritus, Kasukabe Evangelical Free Church Japan, to Okinawa in 2011

was the beginning of this event. He appealed, “We need tosee the future of mission in Japan. We must not be against
each other, but go forward together in the name of Jesus.” Hesuggested having an interdenominational Holy Communion
service. The pastors of the OEF, who approved his suggestion, discussed it in their general meetings, regular meetings,
and with their boards of directors. Finally, they decided toschedule it for March 13. On this day, all the pastors of OEF
will meet and share Holy Communion together. Pastor Kazunari Fukushima, Naha Evangelical Church Japan, a memberof the OEF, said, “This is a testimony that we can collaborate
to make by the mercy of God. This will be a great encouragement for each church. It will be good news for future mission
in Japan as well.”Obituaries

Dr. Tsunagu Tenda, composer, Professor Emeritus, Tokyo
Christian University, passed away at home in Chiba on November 17, 2012, at the age of 74. After completing his studies at Tokyo University of the Arts and Kunitachi Collegeof Music, Tenda dedicated himself to composing and teaching worship choir at Tokyo Christian Theological Seminary(Tokyo Christian University) until he retired in 2012. For 44
years, Tenda’s sincere attitude toward church music and his
gentle personality greatly influenced church music major students at TCU, who have inherited his spirit. He was honoredwith the Meritorious Person in Otsu City award in 2011. His
masterpiece composition is Kirisuto no Ai Ware ni Semareri(Christ’s Love Compels Us)

Rev. Nobuo Watanabe, former pastor of Okubo Baptist
Church, died of pancreatic cancer on November 16, 2012, atthe age of 82. He was a researcher of Buddhism for Christian mission in Japan. In 1948, he was baptized at Todoroki
Church. He studied Buddhism at Komazawa University andChristian theology at Seinan Gakuin University. He thenserved various churches in the Japan Baptist Association as
pastor. At the same time, Watanabe visited many local towns
for lectures or mission activities as head of Evangelists Fellowship of Japan (EFJ). As a comparative religions scholar,
he wrote many valuable books such as Oshoo to Yobareta
Bokushi (A Pastor Called “Buddhist Monk”), Kirisuto-kyo to
Nihon no Shukyo (Christianity and Japanese Religions)Rev. Yasuo Sakakibara, Pastor Emeritus, Reformed
Church in Japan, passed away of cancer of the esophagus on
January 6, 2013 at the age of 81. Sakakibara studied in theengineering department of Osaka University but left to enter
Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary to become a pastor.
While serving Tokyo Oncho Reformed Church until he retired in 2001, he held a number of important posts, including
Director of Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary, Lecturerof Tokyo Theological Seminary, and Chairperson of theBoard of Directors of Japan Evangelical Theological Society.
He also wrote or edited many books about the Bible that havebeen published by well-known Christian publishers.

7Please Pray for Japan
1. That the Holy Spirit would lead and empower the churches
in the Tohoku disaster areas to go out into their local communities and live out the “whole gospel” with Christ’s love.
2. That churches elsewhere in Japan would learn from Tohoku churches and take up the challenge of the “wholegospel” in their own local context, as well as continuing tosupport the recovery of Tohoku region.
3. That children in Fukushima would be protected from theeffects of radioactivity and that true hope in Christ would
be shared with those families.
* You can also find prayer requests at our website:
http://jeanet.org/bind/Relief/relief_en.html

JEA Schedule
DATE		

EVENT

PLACE

May 20-21

JEA Youth Mission Seminar

Okutama

June 3-5

JEA General Assembly

Kobe

July-AugustDisaster Chaplain TrainingTokyo

early in Sept.

JEA Next Generation EventTokyo

Nov. 18-19

JEA Mission Forum Fukushima Fukushima

Editorial
When we started planning this issue, the working
theme was “Holistic Mission in Tohoku”. Since the 3.11
Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster in 2011, churches in Japan have learned many lessons from serving
people in the disaster-stricken areas through relief work—removing
mud from houses, cleaning destroyed photo albums, listening to stories
of suffering, and so on. All these experiences weren’t very clean-cut.
They often were rather dirty and clumsy.
These feelings lead us to use the term “whole gospel” = marugoto
no hukuin in Japanese. The term marugoto conveys the meaning of“everything included and not separated”. I feel we need to get ourhands dirty and really start to engage people’s lives as a “whole” rather
than as separate bits and pieces—because the gospel of Jesus Christ is
so much richer than our limited conception!
Kenichi Shinagawa, Editor in Chief

http://jeanet.org/

Japan Update
Spring 2013 - Number 65
English Newsletter of theJapan Evangelical Association (JEA)
Chairman :Nohsei Ando
General Secretary : Kenichi Shinagawa
Japan Update is pub­lished biannuallyby the JEA. Through Japan Update, the
JEA seeks to dis­s e­m inate in­f or­m a­t ion
about the Japanese church in order tosti­mu­late Chris­tians around the world topray and work together for the advancement of God’s kingdom in Japan. Views
expressed by in­di­vi­dual auth­ors do notneces­sarily reflect offi­cial JEA posi­tions.
Japanese names appear in Wes­tern order(sur­name last).
Per­m is­s ion to reprint is gran­t ed, butplease give cre­dit and send one copy of
any pub­li­ca­tion con­tain­ing reprin­ted material to the edi­tor.

Japan Update Staff
Editor in Chief
Kenichi Shinagawa
Asst. Editor
Atsuko Tateishi
Translation Editor
Gary Bauman
Translation Staff
Mizue Uchida
Tomoko Kato		
Timothy Williams
Heather Mine
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