It was about 9:40 AM as I was biking my way to my morning language class when I noticed a
long line of people outside of a massive building. What are these
people waiting for? They were the dedicated followers of Japan's
biggest casino-like craze known as Pachinko. Pachinko is
Japan's closest resemblance to legalized gambling. A mix of pinball,
slot-machine, and video game all with the piercing loud sounds of
something like a chaotic battleground encompass the user! (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ITrsWiyvk ) This addicting
adrenaline rush keeps the hapless user coming back for more.
Anyone recalling
our missionary presentation given in America will remember the
mention of Pachinko. Why is it so popular? My thoughts are that for
many it is an escape from the monotonous everyday life of the average
Japanese person who does not know God. In the same way that Americans
are drawn into casinos, many Japanese are addicted to Pachinko. The
only difference being that multiple Pachinko parlors are in every
city across Japan. It is well known that building space as well as
energy are not cheap in Japan. Literally thousands of dollars have to
keep flowing through these massive places each day to keep them
operating. No doubt this has a great impact upon the spiritual
well-being of many Japanese.
How can these
people be ministered to? Being from Montana one quickly becomes
accustomed to seeing multiple casinos everywhere. I recall an old
co-worker with four children going to gamble her paycheck away. This
is a reality for many that we often do not think about. While living
in Montana I used to pray over casinos near my house and leave gospel tracts
in them. Here in Japan I am convinced that the same thing needs to be
done. I have started by handing out gospel tracts to the people
in line at the Pachinko parlor that I bike by every week. I have also
started to walk in and leave gospel tracts in them as it is often too loud to talk to people. Just near my apartment
there are four large parlors that I am aware of. Please pray for
those addicted to this lifestyle. Also, consider the casinos in your
own areas. Perhaps it is time to start praying for those people as
well. Every small act counts.
