Happy New Year 2023!
By the way, do you know a Christian named Shichihei Yamamoto (1921-1991), also known as Isaiah Bendathan, the author of "Japanese and Jews"? When I first got married to my foreign husband, I read this book and learned that the stress I had with my husband was cultural friction, which helped me a lot. It was a time when cultural information was scarce without the Internet.
Another famous work by Mr. Yamamoto is "Research on Air(atmosphere)". In it, he explains "Nihonkyo＊(Japanese religion)"as the reason why missions of Christian do not progress in Japan.
Today, as the first step in 2023, I would like to think about this "Nihonkyo" and "Air(atmosphere)" based on Mr. Yamamoto's book.
＊The translation for Nihonkyo is "Japanese religion" , but I will use orignal "Nihonkyo".
1. What is Nihonkyo?
"Nihonkyo" is what the Japanese people believe in without realizing it, and their values, ways of thinking, and behavior those are regulated in daily life, that is, what Mr. Yamamoto named as a religion.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊From Wikipedia＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Nihonkyo is a word coined by Shichihei Yamamoto that expresses the concept of 'a religion that is unconsciously ingrained in the Japanese people'. Minoru Okuyama points out that Nihonkyo has already been told by Ryunosuke Akutagawa.
In Yamamoto Shichihei's "Japanese and Jews," Japanese people are not aware that they are Nihonkyoist, or there is a religion called Nihonkyo, and it is so flesh and blood that even the Japanese themselves are not aware of it. Therefore, it is "insane" to think that it is possible to convert a Japanese who is a Nihonkyoist to another religion. According to Yamamoto,Nihonkyo is a philosophy of harmony centered on human beings rather than gods.
Minoru Okuyama paid attention to what an old man said to a priest in Ryunosuke Akutagawa's novel, "The Smile of god," (the old man) ,saying, "Our power is not the power to destroy. It is the power to recreate." Everything that is foreign will be Japanized," he said.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊End quote＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
2. Nihonkyo is not Shinto nor Japanese culture!
When I say the word Nihonkyo, people often say, "Oh, it's ancient Japanese Shintoism, isn't it?" Shinto is also deeply involved, but it is not Shinto.
Also, when it comes to regulating thoughts and actions, people say, "It's traditional Japanese culture,isn't it ?." It includes Japanese culture, but it is not the culture itself.
"Nihonkyo" was researched as the reason why Christianity was not transmitted to Japan, and it is rather a negative force. Please understand that it does not represent Shinto nor Japanese culture itself.
3. Characteristics of Nihonkyo ・・・Power to Japanize and recreate
Religion, way of thinking, customs, ideology, whatever it is, it is said that once it enters Japan, it transforms into something that bears no resemblance from the original over there, creating a unique atmosphere.
For example, there are many Chinese restaurants in Japan, but it is said that they have changed to Japanese-style Chinese food.
Even among Christian churches, Japanese churches have a unique atmosphere, and I often hear that people who believed in Christ in a foreign country stumbled when they see Japanese churches. Mr. Yamamoto said, "Everything has been Japanized and turned into Christian Nihonkyo, BuddhismNihonkyo , and Confucianism Nihonkyo . Communism is also Marxism Nihonkyo."
This is the power of Nihonkyo.
4. The Teachings of Nihonkyo ..."Read the Air!"
Nihonkyo does not have scriptures like the Bible, and there are no fixed laws or regulations. What about the teaching? ... that is "read the Air (Atmosphere)!" This "Air" is like God or laws.
"This Air is the problem." This is neither one person like our God nor fixed laws like Holy Bible. It dominates the moment, the content is various, and it changes quickly.
An example is the mask. Although the official announcement says, "You don't have to wear a mask outside!" ,but many do.This is the power of Air. You could call it ”peer pressure.”
In Japan, there are various laws of Air , but no one teaches them to you, so you are always required to "guess" by yourself. Of course you are forced to obey them. This is "read the Air". "Those who don't read the Air" (In Japan those people are called KY, Kuki Yomenai) will be treated as outsiders as a punishment.
5. What is Air? …the power of the law in places
"There are various "places" in the world." Families, friends, communities, companies, schools, clubs, churches, etc. all have their own "Air". For example, in my old company,
・Don't think about anything and keep quiet.
・Greetings should be like this.
・Clean A and B before work.
・Do what C says.
and so on. You are required to realize thiese and implement it yourself.
"Actually, I'm KY (I can't read the atmosphere)." I was unable to comprehend this law of Air, and of course I behaved in ways that disobeyed (rejected) Air, and I was ostracized many times.
6. Nihonkyo: the reason why Christianity is not transmitted to Japan
In the first place, Mr. Yamamoto's book "Japanese and Jews" was also produced as a result of his pursuit of "Why is it difficult for Christianity to spread to Japan?" He even went so far as to say, "It is insane to think that it is possible to convert Japanese who are Ninonkyoist to another religion."
Also, the Catholic missionary Organtino ,the Pastor of the biggest church in the world, David Yonggi Cho, ,,,,etc said, ``It is difficult in Japan . ."
"Missionary work has been difficult in Japan!"
"It's still the same now." . . . Christian population in Japan is less than 1% ! . . . The lowest in the world! . . .even if no persecution nor prohibition. . . .
Also, as I have personally experienced, it is much easier to give testimony and preach the Gospel abroad. And you will have a deeper relationship with God in foreign countries. A deep understanding of the Bible leads to deep repentance..... It's strange, isn't it? Many of my Christians friends say the same thing.
why?
"I believe this is the invisible persecution of Nihonkyo!" Spiritual persecution!
Japanese Christians are persecuted without knowing it, and even their faith is hindered, let alone missionary work, but they are completely unaware of it.
7. What is Air? ・・・The forces that work in the Air are the evil spirits!
Then, biblically, what exactly is the force at work in Nihonkyo, the "power of the Air"?
This is just my personal opinion, but I think it's evil spirits in Ephesus2:1-2.
“ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 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:” Ephesians 2:1-2
And, as it is said there are "eight millions of gods" in Japan, I believe so many aerial forces dominate each place and exert pressure to conform to the atmosphere of that place. I would like to personally call the boss of the evil spirits in Japan
"the spirit of Nihonkyo" .
This Japanese boss-like existence is similar to the "prince of the country" that is also written in the book of Daniel.
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia" Daniel 10:13
For that reason, we have been influenced by it, but from now on, we will have to fight against the spirit of Nihonkyo. It is said that the spirts of Nihonkyo are very good at working in secret and are difficult to notice, when evil spirits of overseas are clearer.
In 2023, the spirits of Nihonkyo will work more intensely and concretely than ever before.
But when you understand the characteristics of Nihonkyo and fight effectively, God's victory will appear! Everyone, let's prepare for battle as soldiers of Christ!
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:11-12.
