Group Circles

 

As understood by those who have spent any length of time trying to understand Japan knows, it is considered to be a group culture. It is said that this culture was developed out of necessity from living on a dangerous island containing a scarcity of vital resources to support life. Valuing the group over the individual became necessary for continued civilizational survival. Over time from Confucian influenced ideas Japan's unique Bushido culture was developed. In it are a few important tenants described as follows from this video :

1) Keeping harmony is the top priority. It is more important than progress or development or truth.

2) People have an advanced ability to read the air (sense the mood) and sense relationships between people within the group.

3) Each person will try to act good and be polite to not stand out, regardless of what they are truly thinking. (Less honest, more two faced)

4) People will automatically trust the people in their community, because there is hardly any merit in betraying or creating disorder within the group. (strong organizational power)

5) People will be extremely exclusive against outsiders, because the common rules and system of the group won't be applied against strangers. (low communication skills)

These Bushido concepts help to form the invisible set of rules that all Japanese adhere to. They are primarily taught through the education system and are enforced by society as well as the home. In many regards to be Japanese is to adhere to these principles without question. Those who follow these tenants closely are highly valued, whereas those who do not are by others shamed. Those who can control the group through their powers of persuasion yield the greatest authority. Every group has different morality yet still generally adheres to these invisible Bushido principles. The benefits are high social trust, social harmony, and low crime. The downsides being no truth, low compassion, low moral courage, and little progress. Safety and adherence to the rules are more important than freedom. For the sake of social harmony Japanese people can wear multiple “masks” depending on which group they are dealing with. When continuing in this manner it would be easy to get lost and forget what is true and what isn't. It is a reason why it is difficult for Japanese to have free conversations, to think outside the box, or to mature in general. To lose one's identity in a web of confusion would not be hard to do here. Japanese people do just that by escaping the strict societal rules with alcohol, sex, gambling, and entertainment.

Many Japanese people see the flaws in this system and are at odds about how to fix it. Inevitably, many like the man in the video above will double down to try to revive Bushido traditions hoping to seek a utopia. However, the very definition of insanity is to try the same thing over again expecting different results. To continue on that path would also be following pride that leads to destruction. The solution is not more strict adherence to the man-made traditions set forth in Bushido in the hopes of cultural redemption for a broken nation, but for each person to embrace a loving relationship with their Creator through Jesus Christ. Harmony needs truth. Jesus Christ is that truth.

Law versus Reality

 

As of the writing of this blog, I have lived in Japan for eleven years now. Coming from a Rule of Law country where laws determine the rules rather than arbitrary decisions from groups or individuals, over time I was surprised to see how things actually work in practice in Japan. Though Japan is considered a rule of law country, its core societal beliefs can be traced back to three concepts: No God, No Ultimate Text or Truth, and No Contracts. These core beliefs impact their view of truth, daily life, and the role of the law greatly. Before World War 2 Japan was ruled by an ancient god-emperor setup. After defeat it was reluctantly transformed into a Westernized style government complete with an Americanized constitution guaranteeing certain rights which brought with it a Rule of Law type system. On all outward appearances Japan is just that, a Rule of Law country. The Japanese people have come to tolerate or even appreciate living under this type of system as long as it does not interfere with their cultural norms. However, when it comes to enforcement of laws, often time Japan is very much a system based upon subjective ideas that have more to do with maintaining harmony according to group specifications. In short, the local official determines the enforcement of the law. Often times when consulted local officials will give very different answers! It may also be why Japanese people are known to take a very long time meeting in groups to discuss important matters before making any decisions. A careful harmony-based risk aversion society beneficial to the group is in place.

On paper the law indicates that everyone should wear Bicycle Helmets, but virtually no one does as there is no enforcement. On paper taxes, medical insurance, and governmental fees must be paid, but in reality it is said that only 63% of foreigners living in Japan actually do so. This has been a cause of societal angst. In many cases Japanese do not really know what to do with foreigners because it is expected that the foreign person should know what to do without being told what to do. The idea is that societal rules should be understood over time by living here. The group mentality influence is so great that it is very difficult if not impossible in some ways for a Japanese person to think outside of it and consider other ideas. In many cases they literally do not understand foreigners, which has become an issue in an increasingly internationalized world. No issue is more problematic than that of the issue of child abductions. On paper Japan is part of the Hague Convention for International Child Abduction which requires children to be returned to the country where they lived in mostly, but in reality it is not enforced, so one parent can take children to Japan and keep them for good. This has been a continual complaint for many years as many children have been abducted by one parent and never seen again. The enforcement of the law often times will be to benefit the Japanese person or group rather than the truth. The allegiance is to the group rather than the truth, to maintain harmony in the community, not necessarily to accomplish justice against the 'evildoer' in the name of truth.

This all goes back to the unwritten societal core beliefs of No God, No Ultimate Text or Truth, and No Contracts. Logically, these core principles become the objective truth for Japan even though they reject objective truth! If there is no God, then the government or group become the ultimate authority. This pattern is seemingly repeated throughout history for all societies that reject God. If there is no ultimate text or truth, then the subjective dictates of the group determine what is right or wrong. If there are no Contracts then the written agreements really mean nothing, or they can be changed arbitrarily. When Rule of Law concepts clash with Japanese Culture it will be the culture that wins out in the end in Japan. Rule of Law does not mean anything without an objective truth and moral basis to enforce the law behind it. A society that is made in its own image that does not allow for God, is what the Japanese have made for themselves. Unfortunately, in the West as societies reject God, Rule of Law, is also rejected, which leads to similar situations. Many Western countries still have a sizable portion of the population that adheres to Christian principles. In Japan there is a visible Christian minority that hovers around one percent of the population. Surprisingly, many Christians are in upper levels of Japanese government! Perhaps society as a whole rejects God, however there are many of those in leadership that acknowledge the need for God in order to get wisdom to govern. Let us pray for the Japanese people to break through the fog of subjectivity so that they may come to Christ! There are many unforeseen and foreseen benefits of a society whose people are governed by a Bible based world-view.

Time

 

Growing up in America in the 90s my stereotypical idea of the orient was that of the Zen Buddhist image of peace, serenity, and harmony. When I first came to Japan I expected life to be very much along those same perceptions that were impressed upon me. However, when I arrived I found Japan to be very different from my Zen Buddhist conception. Outwardly the people were very quiet and respectful, but the reality of their daily lives did not appear to be that way. In Japan, especially Tokyo, people are very busy or rather tend to give the appearance of constant busyness. From a young age life is very planned and scheduled to the greatest detail. For most it is expected that at a young age one should be placed into a ideal preschool, then kindergarten, then elementary school, and so on with the ultimate goal being entry into the inevitable competition that leads to never-ending upward mobility. By the time one becomes an adult life becomes so planned that one must carry a calendar around at all times to schedule meetings with friends or family weeks ahead of time. Such is the reality of modern Japan. But, how did it get to be this way?

After World War 2 came to an end the Japanese people set about to reconstruct their country while discovering their new identity in the modern world. Written into their constitution was the solemn pledge to become a pacifistic nation which set them on the path to seeking greatness through economic means, and such they did. By the time the 80s came around Japan was number two economically only to the United States. From a young age Japanese people were put into a system that sought to prepare them to become corporate samurai; to give their life for the company. Hence, the company became number one. It was not until the 90s that the economic bubble burst leading to widespread despair. The hope of constant upward mobility ended abruptly. Yet, up until recent times the Japanese have continued on their path to producing corporate samurai. What other options were their? Now with mounting financial issues, family breakdowns, health issues, population decline, and general future uncertainty the Japanese people find themselves at another crossroads to determine their future. It is all coming down to life priorities.

To past generations the company was clearly the main priority. Now that Japan is a seemingly wealthy country with complex issues the company does not seem to be the main priority any longer. Perhaps family, hobbies, or even God are starting to be considered as relevant to daily life. After observing the realities of Japan's past, this current generation seems to be a lost generation seeking new purpose. The promises of godless capitalism seem increasingly empty to them. In a world where everyone appears busy, safe, and with life scheduled to the Nth degree; people are disconnected from one another, but what can be done? For many the solution is denying reality through some various form of escapism. Yet the senses can only be dulled for so long. For a small number willing to see, hope comes from God through the gospel message. In a world where time is gold, will there be a few brave souls willing to invest their gold into eternal returns? In the meantime I will take out my calendar and schedule a meeting with anyone here willing to learn about God.  

Japanese Education

 

With our recent venture into establishing a mission in Japan it would be a good time to talk about education in Japan. After having lived in Japan for awhile we have found that the main reason that Japanese people want to interact with us is so that they may learn English. There is not much interest in spiritual things. Only fear prevails. It is understood at this time in history that English is the “lingua franca” of the business world. It is said that to understand English is to gain greater access the world at large. At one time in history Japan even considered making English the official language! How does education play into this? Japanese society places high emphasis on education. Some of the highest literacy rates in the world are frequently flouted as proof of the Japanese dedication to education. It is not uncommon for Japanese parents to fiercely compete for placement into the best pre-school so that they may in turn get into the best schools further down the line. The whole of Japanese life is really built around education which is said to be the core of their civilization. Think to your perception of Japan in media. The whole stereotypical image of the “Sensei” and the student was projected onto the Western mind through movies such as “Karate Kid” as well as children's TV shows such as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. The teacher is highly valued as the wise master with all of the answers. In Japan there is great reverence even for the term “Sensei” which is not to be instilled lightly upon anyone. So much so, that we are careful not to call ourselves Sensei when instructing others. How is it that Japan has placed so much emphasis on education? In what way do they view education?

When Japan opened up in 1868 during the Meiji Era a strong desire was instilled by the leadership to catch up to western advancements. At the time Japan lagged behind as a backward country compared with the West in almost every way. Compulsory education combined with Japanese distinctives was seen as the way to rapidly advance. Within a few decades Japan was transformed into an industrialized advanced nation upon all outward appearances. To this day it is ranked number four worldwide for economic prowess which is said to have come from a strong educational emphasis. In their mind education has made them great and it is what makes them truly Japanese. What exactly is distinct about Japanese education?

Believe it or not, the main purpose of Japanese education is essentially to teach children how to be Japanese, not necessarily education. In Japan it is essential to be obedient to the dictates of the group. This is continually reinforced as a learned behavior from a very young age. Obedience to authority without question, working together in unison, rote memory of select information, and no allowance for critical thinking or questions all are used to create a uniquely ideal Japanese society. A uniquely man-made utopia on earth. How is this achieved? Through conformity. It must be learned that to be different from the group is bad. From a young age children are taught to dress alike, act alike, think alike, and are paired together in similar groups. This is said to create harmony. There is a strong emphasis on “inside the group” versus “outside the group”. There is also strong emphasis on giving good outward appearances, while concealing your true self. Though not intentional, this system creates a strong idolization of what is considered “inside the group” or what is uniquely Japanese above everything else. Coupled with Darwinian evolutionary thought this makes for a survival-of-the fittest scenario to play out. Foreigners, Half-Japanese, the “weak” or even Japanese who lived overseas will never completely be part of this ideal in-group. This also leads to an epic level of bullying that is prevalent throughout Japanese society at all levels. This then leads to the concept of enduring pain and suffering. Children are taught to endure all personal hardships for the sake of the group. For instance, to be exhausted all the time is to be Japanese. It is common for Japanese children to be placed in cram-schools for two to four hours after school each day. This is done not necessarily for learning, but to instill the concept of enduring hardship for the group to succeed. The main goal is to create good Japanese citizens who will unquestionably obey. Lack of analytical thinking, group-oriented conformity, and abdicating personal responsibility over to the group collective are the hallmarks of Japanese education. This is the reality of Japan. However, can this system be maintained?

The truth is, is that this system has been in decline for awhile. Japan's economy, birthrate, and conformity have been on the decline for years. Many are quietly rebelling by not get married, dropping out of the system, moving overseas, or sadly committing suicide. Their hope needs to be found elsewhere: not in this Utopian world system or any world system for that matter. Only the gospel can give them as well as mankind hope for the future. That is why we are here to spread the good news. No man-made system can free mankind from the shackles of sin. So, we are here to slowly and patiently teach the Bible to the few who will have the courage to look beyond the education that this world has to offer.  

Reading the Air

 

Anyone who has spent time learning about Japan knows that this country has a group-oriented culture. Group-oriented meaning that the group takes priority above the individual with regard to decision making. Before a decision is made Japanese people are taught from a young age to consider all possibilities of the group first. In fact, one of the Japanese educational system's objectives is to instill this way of thinking upon children. This concept is known as 空気を読む or “Reading the Air”. Without the ability to read the air it would be easy to make a social faux pa and seriously damage their reputation, therefore Japanese people are very careful about how they interact with each other. Smooth communication depends on understanding group norms even when they are not clearly communicated. To understand these norms is to be Japanese. To go against the group could mean loss of connection with friends, family, or co-workers which could have serious long-term consequences. Suddenly communication could be cut off without warning. Suddenly friends, family, or co-workers could stop interacting with you. Therefore, harmony with the group is of the utmost importance.

Because Harmony is valued above truth, objective morality does not seem as important. Rather whatever the group deems as important takes precedence. So, to avoid incurring the wrath of the group from a young age children are taught to comply with the group at all costs at the sacrifice of their individuality. The advantage is an outwardly harmonious as well as highly obedient society whereas the disadvantages are abuses, bullying, depression, escapism, intimidation, suicide, no questioning, etc. This can also be used to not take personal responsibilities for evils because they were “just doing what the group told them”, I.E. “just following orders”. Older group leaders continue the legacy of conformity to group pressure because the same was done to them when they were younger. When the potential evils of the group are realized and cannot be changed hopelessness sets in. This leads to compromising any values to please the group, intentionally becoming shallow, not asking questions, or escapism. Japanese people will either go with the group whether good or evil, try to change or dominate the group, drop out of the group and isolate, intentionally move to another country, or end their own life.

This immense group pressure is at the crux of the Japanese culture. It is the “power of the air”. As Christians, in the Bible we know that we are not to conform to this world, but are to conform to the image of Christ. The one who rules the “air” is the prince of the power of the air. In the Bible Ephesians 2:2 states, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” It is no wonder that a group of unsaved people trying to conform to each other will work against God. It is the way of the flesh which is greatly amplified with many people working together. Is it no wonder why it is so hard to break through this power to reach the hearts of Japanese people? For a Japanese person to even consider God comes at a great risk to them. Great fear exists to go against the power of the air because it is all that they have known. The only way out is for the Japanese people to realize that Jesus Christ is greater than all of their fears, and that He is the source of true freedom that they are seeking.

"Yes, but I'm Japanese."

 

After hearing a powerful gospel presentation, even being moved by God's Spirit in ways never experienced before, most Japanese will respond that they cannot become Christian simply because they are “Japanese.” What does this mean? To the Japanese person they are taught at a very young age that their primary identity is to be “Japanese” above all other things. That Japanese identity consists of elevating the group beliefs above the individual's personal desire or conscience. The personal desires or beliefs of the individual are seen as selfish if they are in opposition to the group norms. The individual has little value compared with the group, so much so that even in the Japanese language “I” or “you” are rarely used. Even if a Japanese person knows that Buddhism and Shintoism are false while Christianity is true, they still will not embrace this truth because their identity is mixed up with the false notion of what it means to be Japanese. They are captive to this domineering mindset. Japanese are taught to forcibly suppress their own desires (and conscience) in order to please the group at any cost. This is the cost of societal cohesion in their understanding. So when the eldest son of a family refuses truth not because he knows that it is true, but because he is expected to do it for the sake of his family and ancestor's dignity, he is seen as valiant by his fellow countrymen. To the Western mind, especially the American, this is a particularly hard concept to grasp or begin to even understand.

As Americans we often take for granted the fact that we can freely choose our beliefs without changing our identities as Americans. However, for most of the world the identity along with beliefs are combined together into one system. This is why when America was founded it was such a radical experiment in so many ways. We can thank the Baptists for this system of understanding that they gleaned from the Bible. Early Baptist Americans understood the necessity for separation of church and state, which allowed the individual to freely choose their beliefs without being compelled by the state as was in the case of Europe. In the European system an infant identified with a church and state combined system was baptized into a certain church thereby establish his loyalty as well as identity for life to that system. Their loyalty was said to be cemented to God and the state where they lived. The concept of freely choosing beliefs derives from the Baptist idea of individual soul liberty, or the ability for each man to choose a belief according to his conscious, which is why the ancient Anabaptist was hated so much for the crime of “re-baptism” or “believer's baptism” as we know it now. To re-baptize was seen as an act of rebellion against the state that you were committed to as an infant through baptism. In most of the world the individual is simply an arm of the state. The state dictated what the individual was to believe whether it be Islam in Saudi Arabia, Catholicism in Italy, or Anglicanism in the U.K. for example; various countries imposed belief systems upon their populace. In Europe loyalty from birth to the state was unquestionably accepted until certain peasants began to read the Bible for themselves in their own language. The rest is history.

So, back to Japan. What is the Bible's response to this mindset? Interestingly, Jesus himself confronted a similar mindset in the scriptures. Matthew 16:21-26 KJV recounts the situation. “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” In this situation Peter is trying to convince Jesus to suppress Himself in order to maintain the status quo. For the sake of maintaining life as usual in the group Peter essentially tries to get Jesus to deny what He knows to be true about Himself. Jesus response is telling. He rebukes Peter, calling him Satan. Jesus says that Peter values the things of men above the things of God. This is essentially the same temptation that Japanese are faced with in responding to the gospel, which is to value the things of men (in their case group norms) above the things of God (truth of Bible). Jesus then takes it a step further and says to his disciples that any who wish to follow Him must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. He is saying to them to deny their own comforts in this present world, to embrace the truth with all of the sufferings it will bring, and follow after Him. To follow Christ is to go against the norms of the world system no matter what country is represented. He continues by asking what profit is there from gaining the world at the cost of the soul. Anyone who rejects the truth of Christ may gain comfort or riches in this world, but will ultimately lose His own soul eternally. So, for the Japanese person the cost to be with the ancestors is great, but are they completely aware of the eternal implications? The epic struggle of truth versus harmony lives on in the Japanese soul whenever the gospel is presented.

The Family Unit: East and West

 

What makes a family a family? Recently this question has been causing conflict in Western society as societal norms have increasingly been challenged in the ongoing culture war. The Anglo-Saxon world view in specific constituting the “Anglo-sphere” has at its core foundation the typical Protestant Biblical world view of a family that comes directly from Genesis 2:24 as follows:

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they both shall be one flesh.”

From this solitary verse we can gather the necessity of monogamy, independence, and distinct male headship over the nuclear family. From this worldview we tend to have an individual un-egalitarian nuclear family structure in each household. People tended to move away from their family to start a new family. A new family supported themselves economically by not sharing housing with parents or siblings. Though the father is considered the head of the house, he was not generally authoritarian when it came to the decisions of his adult children. There was no tier system of hierarchy where the oldest son dominated the rest of the family in decisions and inheritance once the father passed on. From this mindset came the great expansive spirit to settle new lands, bold risk-taking, bold creativity, innovation, and adaptation to challenges on a great scale. In “Protestant” Christianity this led to great freedom of choice within interpretation of the Bible through different denominations for better or for worse. In the West in general this also led to freedom of choices with multiple religions and opposing ideas as opposed to one core identity that could not be questioned.

All of these characteristics are what we traditionally in the “Anglo-sphere” understand and accept. Even outside of this within the Western world (Latin America, Catholic Europe, Protestant Europe, Slavic Countries, etc.) there are many similarities and core traits that allow us to understand each other easily. For this reason in the West we also have the tenancy to be able to accept the gospel in a much easier way. However, there were also weaknesses with one being that many became so individualistic as to ignore the group completely by embracing a form of rebellion against the system. (Think counter-culture 1960s era thinking.) No system is without its weakness. Even today in more urban areas people in general in the West are moving away from the traditional nuclear family understanding.

However, what if your core idea of a family is not bound by these Western ideas? What if your idea of family comes from Confucianism rather than the Bible? Take this quote for instance:

“There are three degrees of filial piety. The highest is being a credit to our parents, the second is not disgracing them; the lowest is being able simply to support them.” - Confucius

In Japan, the ancient tradition of filial-piety still strongly influences society. At the head of the family is the father who traditionally makes all of the important decisions including who their children marry and what they will do for work. The eldest son is to inherit this role as family retainer and must take it seriously without personal choice once his father passes away. The father is in turn subservient to the larger group community in his area or greater family if he moves to an urban area. These families were registered with the local Buddhist temple for legitimacy. For the Japanese for hundreds of years group loyalty guaranteed survival on an island with limited resources and the inward thinking mindset that it developed. In this filial-piety system, the young were to serve their parents, often living together in the same house, which became particularly hard for a new daughter-in-law coming into a new group having to obey her mother-in-law in a servant-like capacity. Rather than leave and cleave, children were to stay and obey. Marriage was based upon continuing the family unit (clan), not necessarily choice or love. Arranged marriages were the norm for hundreds of years. Only after World War Two were the introduction of the nuclear family and Western ideas of marriage popularized leading to a weakening of the traditional filial piety system. To this day many Japanese are confused as to what system they should embrace. From these few examples we can see some radical differences in the understanding of the family unit.

Why does all of this matter? In more ways than one when a Japanese person is introduced to the truth of the gospel they have to consider what impact it will have upon their filial-piety oriented family structure, which is especially powerful in rural areas. They are taught to consider the will of the group before the will of the self. If they go home and tell their father that they are now Christian they often times are disowned believing that they bring great shame to their family as well as the community for going against the ancient traditional belief system as well as parents wishes. Shame and loss of group connections is the ultimate source of pain and rejection in this system. Japanese people are taught from a young child that pleasing the group wishes is the ultimate measure of happiness. To go against this system is to cease to be Japanese. It is also a reason why Japanese Christians tend to be secretive, not evangelistic, and often times turn inward when it comes to their churches. Japanese churches tend to become a filial-piety oriented buddy system based upon culture rather than biblical example since they often times are overwhelmingly influenced by their world. If they do live by the biblical model they are often shamed by society at large as well as actively shamed from other church members who still retain the deeply rooted filial-piety system mindset. This mindset hinders the spread of the gospel as well as the planting of new churches, which may be one of the reasons why the growth of the gospel is slow here. If Westerners are hesitant to allow their kids to spread the gospel elsewhere, how do you think those living under the filial-piety system will feel about their children spreading the gospel? Becoming ministers? Often times in general Japanese know that the gospel is true, however they are just afraid to accept it because of the dire consequences that they perceive it will bring them. To many they would rather lose their own soul and gain the only world that they have ever known and were taught to embrace as the key to happiness. However, for those who wish to reject the world and obey God there is always great reward. Often times dedicated Japanese Christian families are some of the most spiritual, sacrificial, and dedicated people out there due to their up-bringing. Their respect as well as obedience to God is great. We in the West could learn from these type of Christians. Pray for Japan and Japanese Christians to fight the power of the world's influence in their lives.