• An Investigation into Societal Pressures Faced by Japanese Christians

In Japan the greatest cultural faux-pas is non-conformity, encapsulated by the oft-quoted Japanese proverb translated as ‘the nail that sticks out gets hammered down’. In a country where less than 1% profess to be Christian, Christians certainly stick out. This paper investigates the societal pressures Japanese Christians face as members of a minority religion. The primary methods of investigation were interviews with Japanese Christians and an exploration of relevant literature produced by both theologians and anthropologists. 

The paper found that indigenous Japanese Christians face a multitude of difficulties regarding their national identity, familial relationships and balancing their religious life with a culture of overwork both in education and employment. Being a Christian means rejecting the national religion of Shinbutsuju Shugo, which is tantamount to rejecting their Japanese identity. Focus is also given to how Japanese Christians cope with the stigma, such as combining elements of Christianity with Japanese folk religion.