What is Japan really like? 
This was one of my main questions when I was preparing to go to Japan for the first time back in the spring of 2001. I had images of technology, samurai, Mt. Fuji, WWII, Tokyo, rustic houses, rice fields, sushi, sumo, and geisha. My image was predominantly based on pop culture. While none of these impressions were wrong, they only represented isolated threads in a tapestry of culture.
There are many great resources on both the spiritual and cultural reality of Japan. First, check out our country profile on asianaccess.org. There you will find information such as an overview on how to pray for Japan. While praying you can look at the sociological needs, spiritual needs, and trends and issues in Japan. Second, ask questions. There are culture as well as religion & spirituality sections on the forum. Go over there and start a discussion. Be brave and ask a question. There are plenty of people who would be happy to discuss their personal experience and insights about Japan.
There are also countless books, documentaries, magazine articles, blogs, and websites offering a wide range of information about Japan. Be tenacious and take the time to discover more about Japan. It is a beautiful nation full of tensions and apparent contradictions. My prayer is that as you learn more about the nation of Japan and its people you would daily fall more in love with them and be burdened to pray for them yourself.

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OFFICIAL NAME
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Japan (Nihon) |
GEOGRAPHY
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Four main islands and 3,000 small islands; only 13% of all land can be cultivated |
AREA
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377,835 sq km / 145,882 sq miles |
COMPARATIVE
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Approximately the same size as California |
POPULATION
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127,435,000 |
CAPITAL
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Tokyo (12.275 million) |
LITERACY
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100% (age 15+ and can read and write) |
LANGUAGE
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Japanese |
RELIGION
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Buddhist/Shinto - 70% New Religions - 25% Non-religious - 4%
Christians - 1%
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POLITICS
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Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy |
INCOME
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Per capita income = US$ 38,160 per year |
CURRENCY
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Yen (¥) |
CHURCHES
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7,765 Protestant churches |
TIME ZONE
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GMT/UTC +9 |
CHURCH RATIO
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1 Protestant church for every 16,288 people |
MISSIONS
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2,362 missionaries |
MISSIONS RATIO
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1 missionary for every 53,285 people |
SOURCES
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Statistics provided by a variety of sources, but mostly the U.S. State Department, the U.N. Statistics Division, and BBC News. |
The Need in Japan
Japan has been, and remains, one of the most orderly and admirable societies in the world. However, Japan is also at a point in its history where it is experiencing unprecedented social upheaval, which creates anxiety and uncertainty throughout the culture. Every segment of the population is impacted.
Country Description
A Window Seat on a Bullet Train in Japan
Read this fun, yet insightful, travelogue account of Japan from the eyes of a first-time visitor...

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