Step Inside.Indd

STEP INSIDE Japan: Language Culture Mission

by Henry Ayabe 2 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language Culture Mission

Japan Evangelical Missionary Association

3 4 Scripture verses marked KJ are from the King James Version of the Bible. Scrip- ture verses marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Founda- tion, La Habra, California.

Copyright 1992 by the Japan Evangelical Missionary Association (JEMA). All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho- tocopying, recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher.

JEMA is a corporate body of evangelical missionaries, which aims to provide service and fellowship and is the united voice of evangelicals in Japan. Membership includes evangelical mission organizations and individual missionaries.

JEMA publishes the JEMA Directory annually, listing the addresses and telephone numbers of all Protestant missionaries and missions working in Japan. It also publishes the Japan Harvest, a quarterly magazine designed to promote the cause of the evangelical church and mission in Japan as well as the ministry and activities of the association.

Japan Evangelical Missionary Association 2-1 Kanda Surgadai, Chiyoda Ku, Tokyo 101 Japan

Cover design: Mukaiyachi Design Offices

Printed in Japan: New Life League 1-9-34 Ishigami, Niiza Shi 352 5 Contents Foreword

From the Author

Linguistic Conventions An Important Start 1. The Missionary as a Wise Master Builder 14 2. By What Authority 21 The Social Step—Social Relationships 3. Interpersonal Relationships and Social Status 30 4. Social Groups and Relationships 35 5. Go Muri Go Mottomo Relationship 40 6. Predestined Relationship 43 7. Marriage and the Japanese Church 46 Step Inside—The Language and Idioms 8. Idioms from the Animal Kingdom 54 9. Idioms from History 58 10. Living Japanese Idiomd 64 11. Idioms to Liven Conversation and Witness 71 12. Towards Picturesque Speech 77

6 The Gospel Step—Preaching the Word in Japan 13. The Japanese Word for God 84 14. Preaching the God of the Bible 91 15. Communicating the Word “Life” in Japanese 97 16. Buddhist, Bushido, and Biblical Views of Life 101 17. Tsumi in the Context of Preaching the Gospel 104 18. The Meaning of Gi 109 19. Aganai, the Heart of the Gospel Message 114 The Mission Step—Building His Church in Japan 20. Overcoming the Preaching Barriers 122 21. The Decision Making Process 127 22. Progressive Objectives in Evangelism 134 23. Discipling in Evangelism 140 24. Discipling the Japanese 146 25. Forming the Local Church 150 26. Organizing a Japanese Church 156 27. Church Practice and Missions 162

7 Foreword

Henry Ayabe has been my close friend, colleague and fellow missionary for the past thirty years. We both began teaching at Tokyo Christian Col- lege in 1961 and for eighteen years we invariably would sit next to each other during endless faculty meetings and other activities that are part of the academic scene in Japan. For me this was an unusual opportunity to interact with Henry on such subjects as the Japanese language, cross-cultural barriers and pitfalls in church planting. It was a fascinating learning process in which I benefited greatly from Henry’s deep insights. Here at last was a missionary who understood the Japanese people! In addition to his rich heritage and upbringing, Henry is a scholar whose life is dedicated to meticulous research and extensive reading. Henry was generous in sharing his insights. At times I felt selfish receiving all that blessing. When I became the editor of Japan Harvest in 1976, my first effort was enlisting the support of Henry Ayabe in writing articles for the magazine. To the delight of many readers Henry for the next fourteen years became a prolific contributor; in fact he wrote more articles than any other person. Now at last these articles, thanks to the efforts of the JEMA Publi- cation Commission, have been compiled in book form. Generally the content of the material is as timely today as it was when it first appeared. I am convinced that this information will be invaluable to new missionaries in orienting them to Japan. Veteran missionaries, too, will find these pages extremely helpful. Seminary and Bible college students will now have available a concise source of reference that will open the door to a better understanding of Japan as a mission field. I know that the author and publisher would appreciate hearing from you. Your comments, suggestions and corrections will be taken into account when compiling future editions.

June 1, 1992 Siegfried A. Buss Ph.D., Litt.D. Tokyo Christian University

8 From the Author

The potter shapes His vessel to fit His purpose “as it pleased the potter to make it” (Jer. 18:4). I was born in Hawaii of parents who came from Fukuoka, Japan. Father came to Hawaii as a carpenter and when he had made enough money, he returned to Japan and married mother. They left for Hawaii where I was born, a third son in a family of four brothers and two sisters. As a child, I attended three schools. I went to the public school in the morning until school let out in the early afternoon. Then I was sent to the Japanese language school. On Sundays I attended the Buddhist Sunday School. In our home there was a god-shelf, kamidana, a Buddhist altar, butsudan and a framed picture of Emperor Hirohito and the empress. From my earliest recollections, we were taught to pray at the god-shelf and the Buddhist altar, and to show reverence to the emperor. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the ensuing World War II set our generation free from our Japanese parental authority and released us to act according to our American birth-right. The emperor’s picture was first to come down. The leaders of the Japa- nese community, such as the Buddhist and Shinto priests and the principal of the Japanese language schools, were sent to re-location camps. This left me with nothing to do on Sundays, so I began attending a church. Unfortunately the pastor of the church had no gospel message. This made it easy to exchange my Buddhist religious practices for “Christian” ones. For me, attending Sunday School and morning worship services were just like observing the Buddhist religious rituals. So I began to think that I was now a Christian. In April 1945, I was inducted into the U.S. Army and was

9 trained as an interpreter. I was a member of a special detachment to the Marines and was sent to the Philippines in the month the war ended. Our detachment went to General Headquarters in Manila, after which I was transferred to the Far Eastern Air Force’s field intelligence unit which was sent to Japan. After concluding the mission, I was re-assigned to the 13th Air Repair Squadron at Tachikawa. There were about ten Christian soldiers in our squadron and as a group we witnessed to the Japanese, especially the youth in Toyooka City, Saitama. Saturday meetings were held at the Meth- odist church with the pastor interpreting the chaplain’s messages. I sat through those meetings hearing the gospel in English and Japa- nese, and this woke me to my unsaved condition. But, because I feared to be exposed as a counterfeit Christian, I could not confess my sins. God showed great mercy by sending me literally through the fire so that I could accept His sacrifice for sins. The midnight fire in our barracks almost took my life. I was severely burned, but God not only saved my life, He also gave me the opportunity to accept the Savior on my first-aid bed. God called me to be a missionary to the Japanese in my first year at Stout State College, Menomonie, Wisconsin. I left Stout for Moody Bible Institute and graduated from the pastor’s course in 1951. Then I graduated from BIOLA College in 1953 and was ordained the same year. While waiting to be fully supported, I pastored in Hawaii for a year before arriving in Japan in April 1955. After language school we were assigned to Utsunomiya, Tochigi, and learned first hand the hard labor of sowing and reaping. Dur- ing our first furlough, I earned an M.A. at Winona Lake School of Theology. I returned in 1961, and was accepted at Tokyo Chris- tian College as a full-time faculty member. I began as an assistant professor of New Testament and was full professor by the time I left the college to join the teaching staff at Japan Bible Seminary in 1979. All through the years of teaching, the Lord gave me weekend

10 ministries, helping to bridge the missionary’s church planting work with the establishing of Japanese-pastored churches. Bible teaching ministries in church retreats and Bible conferences were also opened to me. Those were years of not only teaching in the classroom but also of being discipled by the Lord in the crucible of joyful as well as difficult labor in His vineyard. In those busy years, I was invited to write an article for the Japan Harvest, which led to over twenty articles in fifteen years. The JEMA Publication Commission then recommended publishing them in book form. The past editors, especially Dr. Siegfried Buss, labored hard to put my articles into acceptable print. He not only invited me to write many of the articles, but also encouraged me all through the years by gentle suggestions and kind words. Like all Christians, I can look back and see the work of the Potter’s hands; shaping this vessel to do His will that many will believe His Son. “O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8 KJ).

Acknowledgements

Special thanks should go to editorial assistants Edith Buss, Mizuko Matsushita and others too numerous to mention, and to production assistant Tim Selander. JEMA Publications Commission Don Wright, Chairman

11 Linguistic Conventions

Please keep the following in mind as you use the Japanese language material: 1. The idioms and expressions will improve your conversation, understanding and communication of the gospel. However, when seeking to master these, it is wise to have a Japanese give feedback as to the proper way to use them in daily life. 2. Here is an explanation of how the Japanese vowels are written in Roman letters. There are only five vowel sounds in Japanese. These are written in Roman letters as a,i,u,e,o. The pronunciation is as follows: a - as in “far” i - as in “see” u - as in “rule” e - as in “ebb” o - as in “note” Lengthened vowels are indicated in Roman letters by the doubling of the vowel, even though this does not correspond with the actual kana writing. Examples: Coffee - koohii Company president – shachoo 4. Concerning English translations, please note that at times the Eng- lish will seem unnatural. This is to show the actual use of various words. Also, at times an infinitive form translation is used where the actual Japa- nese could technically be translated in the indicative form. For instance, shinjiru can be translated as, “I, you, he, she, it, we or they believe.” In order to simplify this, the translation may be left in the infinitive form, “to believe.” Again, the rule of thumb is to use these expressions with someone who can guide in the actual use.

12 An Important Start

13 1 The Missionary as a Wise Master Builder

JESUS SAID, “I will build my church,” (Mat. 16:19) but He builds it with master builders of His choice. When Jesus said, “I will build,” it was not an expression of volition but rather the future tense of the verb to build. That future tense of “will build” became present tense at the time when Paul claimed that the grace of God made him a “wise master builder.” (1 Cor. 3:10) If missionaries believe that God has called them to plant churches in the mission fields, then they can claim with Paul that the grace of God has called them to be master builders of today’s churches. Since Paul calls the master builders, “fellow workers” and the Corinthians, “God’s husbandry, God’s building” (1 Cor,. 3:9), it argues well that the missionaries of today are also called to be master builders. Paul is not denying that there are others besides themselves called to be master builders but rather that they ought to be wise master builders. So, also, the call of the missionary to be a master

14 The Missionary as the Wise Master Builder builder is not being questioned but how wise a master builder of churches he ought to be. The church can be built with “gold, silver, precious stones,” or with “wood, hay, stubble.” (1 Cor. 3:12) The rewards will be according to the permanency of the building when it is judged by fire in that day. (1 Cor. 3:13-14) As a master builder, the missionary must be able to discern that which is of eternal value and that which is temporal in his building of the church.

With Eternal Values in View The eternal values are transcultural but the termporal is cultural. The necessity of discerning the transcultural truth from the temporal and cultural is implicit in the Great Commission, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatso- ever I have commanded you...” (Matt. 28:19) The transcultural is found in the acts of baptizing and in the teaching of all the commands of Jesus. The cultural is seen in the making of disciples of all nations, for nations have distinct cultures of their own. Today’s wise master builder, therefore, is the missionary with spiritual discernment in placing eternal values over temporal values in the planting of the churches in “all nations.”

The Message of the Cross The wise master builder of the church builds with the message he preaches and teaches. The message of the cross is the basis for his call into the mission of preaching and teaching, “for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16) The message is also the basis for his livelihood because “the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9:14) Therefore, the message of the cross gives life, compels the preaching of the message, and sustains the messenger. The central fact of the gospel message is the cross of Jesus 15 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Christ. The cross is a Roman cultural method of execution of those who revolt against their rule, but because of the redemptive death of the Lord on that Roman cross, it makes the cross a transcultural truth. That Roman cross fulfilled the prophetic type of the bronze serpent lifted up on the pole. (John 3:14) The hanging on the cross meant that Jesus Christ was cursed for the sins of mankind for “cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23) For these reasons, the Roman cross on which the Lord died is no longer just a cultural form of Roman execution but the very heart of the message of the Bible—the climax of the historic redemptive work of God. So Paul could write to the Corinthians in the face of the Jewish and Greek culture, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18) The wise missionary in building the church in Japan cannot and must not alter the gospel message of the cross. He must not “water down” the message of the cross to accommodate the cultural distinctives of the Japanese in order to make the message acceptable to them. Rather, the Japanese must receive the message of the cross without change, though it may be completely alien to their thought and life. If the Japanese women can accept the latest fashion coming out of Paris in its entirety, and the Japanese youth can wear jeans which have no root in their traditional clothing, how much more, then, must the gospel of the cross be preached and taught in all its fullness. Thus, the unadulterated preaching and teaching of the cross is the first and greatest transcultural truth of eternal value to be built in to the church.

Church Location Important The choice of the location of the local church is the third eternal contribution of the wise master builder. The location of the church must be chosen through the leading of the “Lord of the Harvest,” (Matt. 9:38) who is the Holy Spirit. He knows where the harvest is ready. Since the Holy Spirit is sovereign, the church which is 16 The Missionary as the Wise Master Builder located according to His leading, produces results of eternal values. Paul writes of open doors in terms of specific geographical locations (1 Cor. 16:8,9; II Cor. 2:12) and the record of missionary journeys in Acts clearly demonstrates the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the choices of the location of the churches. These churches became the stepping stones for the westward expansion of the church, even according to God’s plan of preaching the gospel to the whole world. Not only did the sovereign Holy Spirit place the churches to channel the expanding growth of the church to the west but the churches contributed to the edification of the whole church. Paul, in answer to the needs which rose out of the geographical locations, wrote letters which edified the whole church. It is imperative, then, that the missionary must be sensitive to the “Lord of the harvest” in the choice of the site of the local church. The area in which the church is built greatly influences the activities and the composition of the church. The church located in a “bed town” will tend to have women members with better education. The church in an industrial center or in a higher income area will have different church activities and members. Thus, the location of the church must be vitally linked with the Holy Spirit’s “harvesting of the fields.” In short, the location should be strategic in its relation to other local churches in order that they may edify one another.

The Sanctified Life Building the spiritual quality of life in the church is the fourth permanent contribution of the wise master builder. The spiritual quality of the members in the church is the sanctified life. The first commandment “Thou shall have no other gods before me” is the foundation of biblical sanctification. The laws were given in order to fulfill the covenant that Israel “shall be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6) To accomplish this, the first commandment lays the foundation of a sanctified life. Idolatry was the “cancer” that corrupted the foundation of the sanctification of 17 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Israel and idolatry sent them into the Babylonian captivity. The significance of the laws governing the worship, the diet, and civil life is for the actuating of the Ten Commandments into the very fabric of the every day life of the Israelites. God gave the Isra- elites through the laws a new culture to counter the pagan culture that surrounded them. For example, the keeping of the Sabbath caused them to be distinctly different in their rhythm of life. It also, made them conscious of the Lord just by the passing of the days by sevens. In the New Testament age, Paul, dealing with the sanctification from idolatry, lays down the principle of the oneness of the body of Christ over against the individual’s Christian liberty. The individual’s knowledge “that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one” (1 Cor. 8:4) can become the cause to “sin against Christ” (1 Cor. 8:12) by causing the weaker member of the body of Christ to stumble. So, also, one should not eat meat offered to idols not for one’s conscience sake but in deference to others. (1 Cor. 10:28,29)

Separation Essential The missionary, by his life and teaching, disciples believers to cleanse themselves from all idolatrous worship in order to build sanctified lives into the church. Since the Japanese are extremely sensitive to the idolatrous forms of worship, the Christian forms of worship and practice of faith must not be compromised in any way with their religious practices. Obviously the god shelves (kamidana) and the Buddhist altars (butsudan) cannot be tolerated. So, also, the worship at Shinto shrines (sanpai) or the Buddhistic practice of memorial services (hooji) on the anniversary day of the dead (meinichi) must be prohibited. The most critical situations for the Japanese Christian are pagan funerals. It is an accepted social rule that those who attend a funeral service must lay aside their personal religious beliefs and follow the practices of the religion of the deceased. The second critical situation is how to maintain their 18 The Missionary as the Wise Master Builder social relationships when they are involved in social functions of weddings, building dedications, anniversary celebrations and other social activities where the Shinto priests officiate. The missionary must teach them how to keep themselves from these idolatrous situations. Beyond these discernible idolatrous practices, there remains a whole realm of the idolatry of the heart. The sanctification from idolatrous practices and reenforcement of Christian practices of worship and life are no insurance against the inner heart conditions of the believer. This is an unceasing battle, “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” (Eph. 6:12)

A Word of Warning The missionary, as a master builder, must be wise, for there is always the possibility of building with “wood, hay, and stubble.” What are some of these temporal values? The first of these temporal values that a missionary is apt to build into the church is a strong bent to instill into the church his own cultural values. Such cultural values are a Christian practice that is accepted in the missionary’s culture that may carry no eternal value as a transcultural truth. Paul, in his letter to the Corin- thians, states clearly that the word of the cross does not meet the Jewish cultural trait of a sign from heaven and neither does it meet the Greek’s cultural trait of wisdom. The North American trait of openness makes for easy contact with the Japanese. The missionary, being a foreigner, attracts the Japanese. This fact can become a very good means of planting the church, but it can become a problem when the Japanese believers are expected to take on this North American trait as a distinct Christian practice of their faith. Other discernible North American traits would be the action-oriented life style, the goal-conscious practicality and achievement or success-centered approach to life. These must be tested by the message of the cross in order to 19 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission ascertain whether it is of “gold, silver, precious stones” or “wood, hay, stubble.”

Spiritual Pride Exposed Another discernible temporal value is the standard of church life imposed by the flesh. Paul lays the blame on the Christians who are “carnal,... babes in Christ” and “walk as men.” (1 Cor. 3:1,3) He accused them of building the church by factions, “I am of Apol- los...of Peter, ...of Paul...of Christ.” These Christians were moved by spiritual pride which boasts of their leaders but the wise master boasts “in the Lord” alone (1 Cor. 1:31). This pride, which finds its root in Satan, rules in the hearts of fleshly Christians in other forms. Aggressive competition for leadership is one form of spiritual pride which Paul encountered in the Corinthian church. Still another is the pride of spiritual gifts. It caused anarchy and disorder in the church. Paul deals with this problem by calling for order in the church (1 Cor. 14:40) “for God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” (1 Cor. 14:33) The aggressive acts for equality by the women, too, bore marks of pride. They ignored the wisdom of God who created woman from man (1 Cor. 11:2-16). Much more can be added to this list but it is sufficiently clear to the missionary that a church built with spiritual pride cannot pass the test of fire which will burn all the “wood, hay, and stubble.” The wise master builder can discern those things which are eternal and those things which are temporal. As a wise master builder of the church of God, the missionary must build into the church in Japan that which is of eternal value.

20 2 By What Authority

Every culture has a number of authority structures. These may differ in their practices, but the element of authority–the power to influence and command–is the same. While recognizing the basic nature of human authority, the missionary must minister in total submission to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. For easy recognition, the following forms of human authority are described.

The Authority of Tradition Japan is a land of strong traditions. The Japanese revere the old ways of doing things. This reverence of traditions rules over the new ways until the new ways are accepted in some form of the old traditions. The authority of the Japanese traditions is succinctly expressed by the word, Zenrei, “precedence,” meaning the rule to authorize a subsequent act of the same or analogous kind. The traditions received from the ancestors carry great weight and can become

21 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission obstacles to complete commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The practical outworking of the authority of tradition is expressed as, “We have always done it this way.” Sometimes they will say, “This is the way we do it in Japan.” But, the missionary, too, can be controlled by the traditions of his home culture and will say, “Do it this way.” Which may mean “This is the way we do it in our country.” Since salvation from sin and life in Christ are completely new, what they are discipled to do at worship and in every day life at the beginning of their Christian faith becomes imprinted in their lives. Once a pattern of precedence is set in their lives, it becomes almost impossible to change that pattern thereafter. For example: a missionary had those who attended his meeting to sit in a semi-circle. When this group grew, it called a Japanese pastor. The pastor changed the sitting arrangement to straight rows but he was im- mediately challenged by the congregation. To the congregation, the semi-circle sitting arrangement was the correct way of conducting a Christian service. In much the same way, weddings and funerals are rife with traditions of the East and West as well as a mixture of both. Traditions hold tremendous authority over the minds of people and can easily usurp the authority of the Lord. The missionary must make Christ the final authority. He judges and rules over the traditions of men.

The Authority of Social Customs Greeting one another is only the very beginning of the many social customs that hold authority over people. In many cases the missionary may find himself bound by not only Japanese customs but also the customs of his home country. No one can escape the authority of social customs. Since social customs and status dictate how we relate to one another in a community, without it the community will lose order and unity. Much of social customs and status are unwritten codes 22 By What Authority of ethical behavior. The missionary must learn the social customs and status in order to communicate the gospel. When learning the social customs, he must exercise the authority of the Lord to accept or reject or redefine Japanese social customs. The social custom of bowing instead of shaking of hands as they do in the West has in its very act the recognition of status according to the degree of the angles of the body in the act of greeting, and in the words used in the salutation. It is not simply a bow. It has subtle significance indicating the one who has the higher status. The Christian also bows in greetings but how can he counter the recognition of status in this custom of bowing when he should be subjecting himself to the authority over them? “It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your servant.” (Matt. 20:25-26). And “Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Eph. 5:21).

The Authority of Religious Customs Human beings are religious because they were created in the image of God. So every heathen country has developed religious customs. These customs legitimatize governments and control the behavior of the people. The myriad of shinbutsu (Shinto and Buddhist gods) has given the Japanese a basic religious concept of how one lives in Japan. Stated in the negative form: Sawaranu kami ni tatari nashi (Keep spirit-gods at a respectful distance lest you should offend them and receive a curse). The positive form is Iwashi no atama mo shinjin kara (It does not matter even if it is only the head of a sardine, it is the fervent faith in the heart that counts). The sardine is the cheapest fish one can get because it is so plentiful. It means, then, that the object of worship can be an insignificant thing but the important thing is the faith of the one who worships. Doing the prescribed forms of worship is the essence of religious customs and these customs have authority. Making vows, divining the future, or seeking prosperity, all demand following prescribed 23 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission rules such as obeisance and clapping of hands, the presentation of gifts, incense, candles, flowers, branches of special trees, votive pictures and the chanting of the prayers and formulas of words, the beating of drums, etc. The idea of the efficacy of the intermediary priest or holy man is also a strong religious concept. All these customs can creep into the practices of the Christian church. The religious customs can be transferred into the religious prescription of keeping Sunday worship or the practice of the order of service or even witnessing and keeping of the “quiet time” and the strict adherence to Christian prohibitions. The missionary must demonstrate the authority of the Lord through the Word by giving the scriptural basis of the practices of the form of Christian worship and life and, thus, establish the authority of the Lord.

The Authority of Politics Politics is always present whenever there is a group of people. Politics is managing, contriving or making deals in order to control others. The essence of politics is manipulation. By its nature it is contemptible power. As the saying goes, “Man is a political animal.” Even in a family the children can “play the game” of manipulating their parents and siblings. Parents, too are prone to do the same with their children. The tools for politicking are varied. A child can “play” on the emotions of his parents by various forms of crying from a whimper to the high pitched wail with all the emotional range that human beings are capable of. Another tool is pressuring by throwing a tan- trum or by silently sulking, faking sickness, or any other acts that will force a decision on the parents. Still another is making deals by bribing, promising, or ransoming. There is the law and order approach which is based on a reward or punishment principle. Then, there is the persuading or selling of “goods” approach: “This is for your own good,” or “It’s going to make you strong,” and ad infini- tum. Although the family was used as a model, the main principles of 24 By What Authority politics which are in the world were presented. There are as many ways of manipulation as there are people and there is no end to politics. The Japanese are no exception and their best known tool for politicking is called nemawashi. This word itself means to dig around the roots but its figurative meaning is to make the rounds of all those involved in order to persuade each one separately so that when they come together to make a decision they will be favorable to the one who made the rounds. Another word is ozendate which comes from the meaning zen, a tray with short legs like a small table with a course of food ready to be eaten. Date means to set up. Thus, ozendate means setting the stage in a theater and from this practice came the manipulative idea of “setting the stage” so that all that is left to do is to perform according to the set stage. The third term is kakehiki, making a deal. Kakehiki no nai means “doing business fair and square.” Kakehiki is a business term but it is used in political wheeling and dealing as well as in diplomatic maneuvering. If man is a political animal, and cannot escape from manipulating people, how does the authority of the Lord override man’s politics? Paul manipulated the Pharisees against the Sadducees before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem (Acts 23:1-11). Although Jesus did say “They will deliver you up to the courts... and you shall be brought before governors and kings... but when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matt. 10:17-20). However the case may be, the end does not justify the means. Paul knew that it was God’s will for him to go to Rome. And there were “others tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword” (Heb. 11:35-38).

25 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

The Authority of Economics Economics has to do with production, distribution and consumption of goods and service. The basis of economics is wealth, and wealth is reckoned in terms of money. Money in itself is not evil but it has authority. The great tycoons or magnates have played a great part in the development of industries and by their use of money have influenced the destiny of nations. Without money, not only the capitalis- tic countries but even the communistic countries cannot develop a prosperous economy. Financial power is certainly a form of authority. The Japanese know the power of money. Ningen banji kane no yo no naka means “money rules the world in all that has to do with man.” Or, Kane ga mono o yuu yo no naka is equivalent to “Money talks,” or “Everyone has a price and can be bought.” “Controlling the use of money” is Saifu no himo o nigiru, and Saifu no himo o shimeru means to “tighten the flow of money.” No mission can operate without money but missionaries must be aware that financial policies hold authority over personnel, mission projects, development of churches and its land and buildings. How finances are handled can enforce desired results. Yet, no work of God should ever operate by economic power. In the beginning of the disciples’ ministry, Jesus said, “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts; or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.” (Matt.10:9,10). But at the end of the Lord’s earthly ministry, He said, “But now let him who has a purse take it along, likewise also a bag, and let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one.”(Luke 22:36).

The Authority of Expertise Today is the day of such an amount of massive knowledge that no one person can know everything in a life-time. This forces depen- dence on people who have special skills and knowledge. By having a certain kind of expertise, they are an authority in their particular field. 26 By What Authority

It has become acceptable to depend on experts in courts when temporary insanity pleas are made or a suit is filed against malfunc- tioning cars. The governments of the world, too, make use of various people of expertise such as media specialists to tax law experts and speech writers. Every aspect of life calls for a specialist with expertise, even going into a game just to boot that field goal. In Japan, the older-younger, sempai-kohai (senior-junior), oyabun- kobun (role of the father-role of the child), and shitei kankei (teacher-pupil) relationships mean that the older and more experienced has the authority of expertise. The missionary, too, does not escape this relationship system. Not only is the missionary looked upon as having been trained to be a specialist, but his age, experience, and the relationships he has built automatically give him the authority of expertise. The missionary being cast into this system should never forget that the authority of the Lord is not circumscribed by his own expertise “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is.55:9). The Lord said, “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Matt. 11:25). God’s authority is His Word and it is not revealed through man’s expertise but through faith.

The Authority of Christ Jesus was challenged during the passion week, “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” (Matt. 21:23). “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition,” (Matt.15:6). Of social customs, “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” (Matt. 9:11). Of politics, “We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented,” (Matt. 11:17). Of religious customs, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven,” (Matt.6:1). Of economics, “Make 27 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations,” (Luke 16:9). Of expertise, “when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matt.7:28-29). As the basis for the Great Commission, Jesus declared that, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18) By His authority missionaries participate in the Great Commission to evangelize the world. Every missionary should challenge himself with the question: “By what authority am I doing these things?” All my preaching, teaching, discipling and organizing the church, is it by His authority? Every thought and action must be judged by faith in his Word in order that it would not be of any authority but the Lord’s.

28 The Social Step– Social Relationships

29 3 Interpersonal Relationships and Social Status

All societies have patterns of social structure. These patterns differ according to ideologies such as democratic, communistic, or autocratic. Whatever the patterns may be, societies are organized for economic and utilitarian goals of survival. To meet these goals, societies are organized according to the division of labor.

Labor and Status Historically, division of labor sets social ranking. The kind of labor a person performs, determines his social status according to the value system of the ideology. For example, the American democratic social pattern ranks the medical doctor very highly. Thus, social structure sets social status for everyone in that society, unless he is an outcast or a deliberate “drop out.”

Tokugawa Shogunate Modern Japanese society received its basic structure from the

30 Interpersonal Relationships and Social Status

Tokugawa Shogunate era. The Tokugawa shogunate created four basic social statuses: the warrior, the farmer, the artisan, and the merchant. The significant factor of the farmer, being ranked second in the social ladder, gives evidence of the importance of the social structure for the economic goal of survival.

Japan’s Industrialization The emergence of Japan as an industrial nation brought about further divisions of labor and a more complex social structure. However, in all these changes it still retains the vertical pattern of the four basic social classes. The industrial advance brought into the social structure the company organization with its operations and its divisions of labor.

Importance of Social Rank The Japanese are so conscious of social status that they call their superiors by their social rank. Shachoo (company president), Buchoo (department head), Kachoo (section chief), and even being in the same level of social status, the senior member is addressed as Senpai (the junior member is called a Koohai but never addressed as such). Addressing the superior by his social position is a form of showing respect to the superior except when used in a sarcastic manner. Even in the family social structure, the elder brother is addressed as Oniisan (older brother), and the older sister as Oneisan (older sister) and when there are more than one older brother or sister present, the younger siblings add to the social designation the name of the older brother or sister to identify which of them they are addressing. The older siblings will not address their younger siblings as Otooto (younger brother) or Imooto (younger sister); for the addressing of others according to their social rank is a way of showing respect to the superior. The Japanese emphasize social status to aid them in making the correct social relationships with one another. When the Japanese are not informed of the social status of those present, they are 31 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission uneasy and uncommunicative. Only when he knows their social status in relation to his own, can he function well in interpersonal relationships. The exchange of meishi (equivalent to a calling card) at the time of introduction helps the Japanese to relate to one another. By self-identification, a Japanese can create a personal involvement in a situation. For example: A little boy is lost and is crying in a deserted park. A man passes by. The man says, Doo shita no, Botchan? (What happened little master?) Note: Botchan is used in addressing boys from homes of higher social status. A man is on safe grounds by assuming the boy’s higher social position rather than to risk a social blunder. By giving the lost boy a social status, an interpersonal relationship can begin. The man speaks again, Moo nakanai. Otoko no ko desho? (“Stop your crying. Aren’t you a boy?”) Note: “Aren’t you a boy?” means that since you are a boy, you are ranked socially higher than a girl and so a boy does not cry. Japanese social structure ranks the male above the female. It is called, danson, johi (males be respected; females be humble, i.e. be low or abased). The man continues, Ojisan ni hanashite goran. (Tell it to me, your uncle, what the matter is?) Note: Now the other end of the relationship is established. The man, though he may be a stranger, by assuming a social status of an uncle to the boy, the lost boy can now relate himself to the man. This illustrates the fact that personal involvement in the Japa- nese social structure begins with the mutual recognition of social status by which they can relate to each other. It used to be that one of the most cruel things to say to a Japa- nese was, Mi no hodo o shire! “(Mi comes from mibun, social status.) “Know the limits of your social status!” This is said to a Japanese who has gone beyond the privileges of his social status. To act out of the character of your social status in the prewar years, was the ultimate social crime. In the postwar years, this idea of acting according to one’s own social status is still important. In other words, 32 Interpersonal Relationships and Social Status the Japanese must first acknowledge his social status in order to perform its requirements.

The “Web” Where social status becomes the main basis for inter-personal relationships, there will be reactions to this tight social structure. This tight web-like society creates a recognizable social trait. The Japanese term for it is tatemae to honne (that which is in principle or in a system and that which is one’s true underlying motive). This Japanese trait means that in some occasions of inter-personal relationships, one acts and speaks according to the demands of the social system for mutual recognition of social status. This can be in conflict or completely opposite to one’s true wish or intent. Since this happens quite frequently among the Japanese, they have developed a keen sense of recognizing this kind of situation in their relationships. The person, who has this conflicting demand of a social status in the social relationship against his own true heart’s desire, shows this through subtle wording and bodily stance while speaking that which is socially correct.

Missionary Status The missionary has been assigned a social status in the Japanese social structure. The missionary social status of western gaijin (one who is from the outside of Japan) is accepted in the vertical social structure rather highly because historically Japan has received so much from the western world. The missionary is also addressed as sensei (broadly translated, “teacher” but according to the kind of relationship, it can be used for addressing a medical doctor, a professor, lawyer, pastor, professional teacher, and even a Sunday school teacher). Of course, a religious sensei is not highly ranked in the Japanese society.

Biblical View All this idea of social ranking, is it Christian? 33 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

The Lord Himself declares a ranking principle: “Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” (John 13:16) Paul gives Christian principles for interpersonal relationships and he clearly demarcates each social status: “Wives...” (Eph. 5:22); “Servants...” (Eph. 6:5-8); “Masters...” (Eph. 6:9), and also in many more passages. Relate yourself to the Japanese according to their system and fill it with Christian principles; this will make you an effective servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

34 4 Social Groups and Relationships

A society consists of social groups. The primary social group of all societies is the nuclear family. The individual is born and raised within this primary social group which implants a basic social attitude into his relationships with others.

Two Social Relationships The individual Japanese recognizes two basic social relationships. Those who are his shiriai (people he knows and is known by) and tanin (people who are of the other, i.e., strangers).

World of Seken Since there are multitudes of tanin, he relates to them as the world of men (seken). He expresses this thought in the following ways: Seken wa hiroi yoo de, semai (The world seems so large but yet so small). Wataru seken ni oni wa nashi (Journeying through this world,

35 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission there is no demon, i.e., cruel man). Tooi shinseki yori chikaku no tanin (A close friend in time of need is better than a far away relative). He also personalizes the world of men by saying, Seken no temae “The rules of society,” meaning, “to save face for appearance sake.” Seken no tsukiai ga dekinai (A person who cannot keep in good terms with society). Seken ni kao muke ga dekinai hito (One who cannot face the public). Seken ni sumanai hito (One who apologizes to society at large). These last four expressions deal with moral values as in the case where a person has committed a crime or has brought shame to the whole society.

Shiriai Relationships The second major area of his relationship is his shiriai. The first social group in this relationship is his immediate family and his blood relations. This social group is called miuchi (those who belong in the circle of self). The well-known saying goes, Tanin yori miuchi (roughly, “Blood is thicker than water”). Socialization begins in the home, kyoodai wa tanin no hajimari (Social relationships are learned through life with siblings).

Nakama Relationships The non blood-related shiriai are classed as nakama (a person accepted within the group) relationships. These nakama relationships fall into two major kinds of social groups. There are the social groups by which he is involved in securing a living and the other is the free-association kind of social groups.

Choonaikai The Japanese steps out of his primary social group of family into the world seken ni fumidasu which would be the neighborhood social group chonaikai. The extended neighborhood social group 36 Social Groups and Relationships would be the social distinctive group created by the geographical locality such as Kansai Area known for their business acumen or the Hokuriku Area for their dark moodiness, etc.

Expanding Relationships As the Japanese steps out into the world, his shiriai relationships grow and he will be involved in social groups of classmates dookyuusei and schoolmates gakkoo nakama and after graduation doosoosei. If he had close friends with whom he played pranks, they are his itazura nakama.

Ranking Even after graduations, they do not get out of these social groups. Though they may have been scattered because of employment, they still refer to anyone graduating from their alma mater as being ikkyuu shita or ue (one class year behind or before) or ikkyuu sei (being of the first graduating class). The word kyuu means rank. Thus, changing the numeral before the kyu would signify what relative ranking of relationship he has in this social group (doosoosei). Employment follows schooling and here again a Japanese finds himself in a social group. If he is employed in a company or factory or a teacher in a school, his nakama will be called dooryoo and if he is craftsman, a doogyoosha. If he joins an organization—political or whatever—his nakama is a kumiaiin or kaiin. These social groups are all patterned after the Japanese vertical social relationships. There is a rather rigid ranking (bound by custom and traditions) within each of these social groups. The second kind of nakama social groups are not directly related to making a living. These are fishing companions (tsuri nakama), literary fraternities (bunshi nakama), enjoying one another in activities other than work (asobi nakama), drinking partners (nomi nakama), betting companions (bakuchi nakama), and many more. All of these could be classified as shumi or dooraku nakama “hobby” or “doing things for the sake of enjoyment” social groups. 37 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Outlawed Society There are nakama social groups in the outlawed society. Akutoo nakama (a member of a gang) and kyoohansha (a confederate or accomplice in a crime) are the common expressions for these social groups.

Characteristics Outlined These shumi or dooraku class of nakama social groups have the following characteristics: 1) These social groups can be entered into freely (nakama ni hairu), unlike the social groups in which the individual has to earn a living. 2) The individual within these social groups finds his place in the group according to his ability rather than his credentials or social status. 3) The social ranking within each group is made by peers, much like the choice of a captain or a playing positions in a soccer or baseball team. 4) The individual can engage or disengage himself from the group members or from the group itself according to his own volition. 5) Though there is recognition of ranking within the group, the relationship to each other is always as equals.

Shattered Relationship In these social groups of free-associations, coercion of any kind or fanaticism that compels uniformity will invariably shatter the unity of the group. It could start with fighting between members (nakama genka) and cause a schism (nakama ware) or expulsion of members (nakama hazure).

Group Consciousness The Japanese have a strong sense of social group consciousness (rentaikan, nakama ishiki). In social groups where the Japanese have 38 Social Groups and Relationships to earn their livelihood, company customs and traditions set a rigid social ranking to insure unity within the nakama groups. This rigid social ranking of this category causes tensions in their relationships. In the free-association type of social groups, where there is no direct benefit toward support for a livelihood, the relationships of the individuals must be of a very high bond of fellowship in their pursuit of their individual desires which generate group consciousness (nakama ishiki). Since an individual Japanese can be a member of more than one social group, there are bound to be conflicts between the demands of the differing social groups. He is forced to make a choice and his choice is made according to the value he places on these social groups. He will, with almost no exception, choose the social group that supports his livelihood.

Inescapable Conclusion The inescapable conclusion is that the church in Japan is, in the mind of the Japanese, a free-association nakama social group. The missionary need not resist this cultural trait but rather he can infuse the distinctives of the church within this social group form. Some of the major church doctrines correspond well with this social group. These are : (1) gifts of the Holy Spirit for ranking within the group (Rom. 12:10, et al.,) in the household of God (Eph. 2:19, et al,) for relationships and (3) a spiritual house of worship (I Pet. 2:5, et al.,) for the highest pursuit of all mankind—spiritual enjoyment of God.

39 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

5 Go Muri: Go Mottomo Relationship

All life is a variegated kaleidoscope of relationships. These relationships can be of varying situations such as intimate, routine, unavoidable, friendly or antagonistic. They could also be legal, as marriage, or genetic as a “family tree,” or racial, national or cultural. These relationships are “colored” or “toned” with emotions of love, hate, anger, resentment and all the rest of man’s emotions. There are psychological feelings of superiority, inferiority, aggres- sion, repression and other kinds of neurosis. Yes, all humanity is bound together by inter-relationships.

Authoritarian Relationship It has been established that the Japanese social bonds are of the vertical authoritarian relationship. In any given situation there is an accepted hierarchy of social status and it is always in a vertical order and ranked one above the other. The ranking is based on family social standing, age, seniority, sex, kinds of occupation and many other minor things, such as possession of a driver’s license. 40 Go Muri Go Mottomo Relationship

Four Basic Classes This national cultural trait came from the long Tokugawa period which divided the people into four basic classes. These were the warrior, farmer, artisan and merchant classes. Each class is again divided into different strata. It is in such a social relationship that the Go muri: go mottomo* situation finds its roots.

Kinugasa Story There is a rather finely formed hill called kinugasa in the northwest suburb of Kyoto. According to a legend, a lord demanded from his men a snow-covered hill in the middle of summer. His retainers called Go muri: go mottomo. They must obey their lord but this was an impossible demand. By sewing together white silk cloths, the retainers were able to fashion a white cone-like umbrella to cover the top of the hill and make it appear like snow. And so, to this day, the hill is called “silk umbrella.”

Practical Applications Today, Go muri: go mottomo situations persist and the relationship of missionary and Japanese believer is not exempted. The missionary forcefully “lays down” a rule which makes demands on the believers. To the believers living in a different society, such demands could be violations of social ethics. Either such things are not done in Japan, or even if the demand is carried out, the result is mean- ingless and the desired end cannot be attained. There are things a missionary, being a foreigner, can do which the Japanese cannot do without running the risk of becoming a social outcast. But, it must be said, that there are some Go muri demands which by their own nature are biblical and “cut across” not only the Japanese social ties but those of the missionary’s national culture as well. In this situation, the missionary must lead the believers to exercise their faith. However, the point to be learned is, how to apprehend this Go muri: go mottomo situation. The vertical authoritarian relationship, in itself, is amoral. It is a legitimate relationship in Japan. How to 41 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission seize the situation and solve the conflict, as a matter of Christian faith, is important. The Go muri: go mottomo situation forces the subordinate into a number of ways of meeting the superior’s impossible demands. 1. Feigning obedience with much “do nothing” activities, until the superior comes to his own senses or forgets the original demand. 2. Delaying the carrying out of the demand by building artificial barriers of why it can not be done. Artificial barriers are employed because the subordinates do not want to offend the superior by telling the truth of the matter. It is impossible. 3. Producing a substitute to the original demand. He will attempt to produce a Japanese version which would be similar. This has curious results-some good, some hilarious, some bad. 4. The last resort is to resolve the relationship by resigning. This is a form of hara kiri by which he atones for his failure to carry out the demand of the superior. In such cases, this mystifies the missionary, for he does not know why a very promising believer suddenly drops out of the group. The missionary in Japan, being a foreigner from the west, is looked upon as the superior in the eyes of the Japanese, but in reality, in the eyes of the Lord, the missionary is in a servant relationship.

Scriptural Teaching Jesus said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise do- minion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Mt. 20:25-27. That is the meaning of Go muri: go mottomo.

* “Honorable impossible demand; honorable rightful demand.”

42 6 Predestined Relationship

From ancient times, man has believed that there are extraordinary forces in the world that control life’s “wheel of fortune.” Whether believing in a pantheon of gods intervening in the lives of men, such as the Greeks, or mystic formulas and cultic devotions of the Near Eastern religions, or modern philosophies of social and psychological determinism, man has a residual sense of being predestined in life. It is from such a concept of predestined life that the Buddhistic idea of karma came to have meaning among the Japanese. This Buddhistic concept of life is expressed in the following well-known words: Sode fureau mo tashoo no en. Sode means the long sleeves of the kimono, both male and female. Unlike the western sleeve, since it is long, it flutters and tends to touch, (fureai), another person’s sleeve while passing others on the road. Tasho no en means “to a greater or lesser degree of karma relationship.” All of which means, “Two persons passing each other on the

43 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission street by chance are predestined by karma relationship.” Or more elaborately, “When one journeys through life he tends to come into contact with others who in a greater or lesser degree influence his life’s destiny which was predetermined by his works in a previous incarnate life.” This Buddhistic idea of karma is expressed in Japanese as shukuen-predestined relationship. This destined relationship is determined by goo in goo ka, which is, “out of the acts in the previous incarnate life come the acts of this present life,” in a cause and effect principle. Karma is also expressed as innen (relationship having a cause from the previous life). Thus, the Japanese, who faces great physical sorrows and misfortunes of life, becomes fatalistic and will say, Innen to akirameru, or Kore wa mina shukuen da (All that has happened to me is my karma). The akirameru (resigned to fate) Japanese cultural trait comes from this Buddhistic concept of life. This pessimistic attitude of life is expressed as En wa mama naranu (Nothing can be done against fate.) This en idea is carried over into everyday life. When my family and I toured Sapporo and Hakodate, we met many young people on touring buses and in youth hostels. On one particular day we met the same small group of young people at as many as three separate places—all unplanned. About the third time, one of them called out, upon mutual recognition, Mata goen ga arimashita, ne. That youth may not have been so religious as to make our frequent meetings to mean karma relationship (goen-honorable, meaning karma relationship). Yet, the idea of relationships by chance having some predetermined significance is strong and clear. Since the idea of relationships is a strong cultural trait in Japa- nese society, this idea of en-relationships is all inclusive and meaningful. No one escapes these en-relationships. Thus, the following expressions are used: en ga fukai—to have a deep or close relationship; en ni hikareru—drawn into relationship by affinity; kitte mo kirenai en—indissoluble relationship; 44 Predestined Relationship

en musubi—to form a relationship, like marriage; en o kiru—to cut relationship, as of father and son; en ga aru—to have relationship or affinity to somebody or something; en ga nai—to have no relationship or affinity to somebody or something. There are many more en expressions, all of which reveal how real and meaningful personal relationships are to the Japanese. Every relationship is nanika no goen desu (having some significance to life’s destiny). Anyone who lives in Japan is always making various kinds of en-relationships. People you meet in any place, such as your neighborhood, or in any circumstance, such as having somebody practice his English on you on the trains just because he happened to be next to you, form an en-relationship of some kind or another with you. Do not minimize these relationships because out of these can be formed en no hashi (bridges of relationships) that will “bridge” them to the greatest determinate factor of all life—the LOVE of God in Christ. “...I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”(I Cor. 9:22)

45 7 Marriage and the Japanese Church

The longer the missionary works in Japan the more acutely he sees the problem of marriages. The missionary in some fashion or other soon becomes involved in Christian weddings, usually in a happy yet vague, uncertain manner. He may recognize the great danger of a believer marrying an unbeliever, yet seemingly he leaves the final responsibility in such cases to the individual, or even worse, to the individual’s parents. Generally, the missionary thinks that the choice of a husband or wife is the responsibility of the individual. Yet in marital problems such as we face constantly, there lies before the missionary and the pastor an effective and opportune ministry.

Marriage Ideals The American ideal of courtship and marriage, even among the Christian community, is based on romance. Two young people get acquainted and through a time of courtship discover responsive love in their hearts. This finding each other in love seems to be the 46 Marriage and the Japanese Church only basis for their marriage. Being Christian becomes secondary. The Christian with a stronger conviction, of course, will lay stress on Christian faith. Most missionaries have come to Japan with these preconceived ideas. All seems based on an idealized kind of romantic marriage. Since the ideal is romance, albeit being Christian is acknowledged, the missionary tends to think that all Christian marriages must be based on the individual to individual type of romantic marriage for the Japanese Christian too. They are amazed to know that in “old” Japan, marriages were arranged by parents. They tend to think that this is strange and non-Christian. In reality, not only in Bible times, but in most European countries marriages are arranged by the parents. Currently, the marriage ideal in Japan is undergoing a change toward the American romantic ideal. In any group of young people where marriage is a topic of discussion, there is lively discussion as to whether one prefers ren-ai (romantic) or miai (arranged marriage). Ren-ai will be preferred by the majority. Ren-ai has been steadily gaining acceptance since the Meiji era when it made its debut. Miai has changed its form from a strictly “parents only” arrangement to a form where though the parents take the initiative of arranging the miai, the concurrence of the couple involved has a greater weight in the decision to marry. There is also the “hybrid” form where the couple start with ren-ai and go through the formali- ties of the miai and by so doing satisfy the younger generations as well as the older. There are good reasons for parental arrangement for marriage. The choice of partners is based upon securing good family pro- genitors to insure healthy off-spring. This is the primary reason for parental choice of bride for the home, even if not for the son. The go-between becomes a necessity as it is his job to investigate the other family in order to ascertain suitability for marriage. The go-between is a transparent “blind” in that his purpose is very apparent but he is also a face-saving device if and when the marriage 47 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission arrangement is terminated without completing the match. In this way, he functions as a “blind”. The second main reason used by those who favor arranged marriages is the possibility of choosing from within the same particular status in society. Every social strata has its own peculiar way of living. How could a carpenter’s daughter know the role of a wife in a high-society family? There is no need to cite numerous examples. The American missionary may naturally feel indignant over such reasoning, only because he is unaware that even in America where marriage is based on romance, the great majority do marry within their own strata or at least within a very closely related stratum. “Cinderella” type marriages are very rare in America. To marry out of one’s social strata requires tremendous adjustment, especially for the lower strata spouse; this adjustment is even greater should the male happen to be from the lower strata. Such marriages must endure for a considerable time great instability if they would be proven successful. It is with this reason in mind also then, that parents choose a bride for their family. Marriage within the same social strata insures a more stable home. There will likely be the same tastes in entertainment, out-look of life, the day-to-day life in the home, even the menu for the table. All this, and much more, are more readily enjoyed by the married couple. Fulfilment of expectation in the home is realized because of their mutual social up-bringing. In family relationships, both partners will from the outset be acceptable to the parents of the couple. Moreover, acceptance by their social peers will be a stabilizing factor. The stability of the marriage is not dependent so very much on how they were married, but to whom they have pledged their life-time allegiance. The missionary and the pastor should help young people in this all-important point; no one doubts that stable Christian homes reflect a stable Christian church. Thus, the church should be actively involved in Christian marriages if they will produce a stable church. Why does the church not become actively involved in Christian marriages? 48 Marriage and the Japanese Church

Benefits to the Church To the Japanese, marriage makes young people a responsible unit in society. Shotai means a home tied to a place, a unit in a given area. Another word is setai, a tie to society. It means to the Japanese that a family has taken up its responsible unit in the neighborhood. In like manner, a stable church has a large number of Christian homes. It would be much more accurate to count married couples rather than individuals as units of the church. The married couples lend stability to the church and drive the roots of the church firmly into the Japanese society. Thus the Japanese idea of shotai and setai, tying the church to society and married believers stabilizing the church, are the two great benefits that come from Christian marriages. For this reason the church must teach and train their newly- weds. In order to obtain full benefit from their Christian homes these units must be taught to lead Christian lives within their society. A Christian home does not mean just that we aim at getting Christians married. The married must be taught and trained not only to serve the Lord in the church but also to serve where they live as a Christian unit of the local society. Only as the married ones live as a testimony in this way can it be said that the church has a good tie with society.

Involvement In taking its place in society the church will encourage and foster Christian marriages. To be an acceptable part of society, the church must be able to take on the responsibility of seeing that her members marry only Christians and be taught and trained to carry an effective witness in society. Even the shokai business guilds and other strata of society form sub-cultural groups in Japan, so also the church should become a sub-cultural group. These sub-cultural groups have their own distinctive practices concerning their own strata of society and yet are accepted as being Japanese. In like manner, the church should be a part of the over-all Japanese 49 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission society and still be accepted as being Japanese. These sub-cultural groups exist as a society in that they meet all the social needs of its members. Major social needs come at the time of birth, marriage, and death. The most important of these major needs is marriage, for this perpetuates the cultural group. Marriages within their specific cultural group serve to stabilize their society. In like manner, if the church is to send its roots into Japanese society it must be able to meet all the social needs of her members, especially that of marriage. The church must be fully involved with her members. It does not particularly matter how the marriage partners were originally introduced and chosen. What matters most is the church’s involvement in the choice of these partners. In some cases, it may start from ren-ai but even as young people (and older people) begin to single out each other, the alert pastor must be an able counselor. The pastor or leaders of the church must be actively involved in guiding the young people in their choice and courtship. They should not force the church’s will upon them, but in all ways be fully responsible for them. In some cases the church should claim responsibility for the marriage of young Christian girls of unsaved parents. This will help Christian girls from being pressured into non-Christian wed-lock. The church should act on behalf of their parents and seek by prayer and guidance an acceptable mate, suitable for the girl, and for the parents. Still in other cases arrangements similar to the formal miai can be made by getting prospective young people together. In any case, the church must be involved either through the pastor or lay-leaders. In wedding engagements, the church must take the responsibility of getting the two families together. In order to let the parents know how greatly the church is involved, the usual place for the parents to meet should be at the church. The lay-leader should in most cases be the official go-between. This will free the pastor to become a spiritual counselor to the parents, the couple, and the 50 Marriage and the Japanese Church go-between. Preliminary talks will lead to the decision to marry and then the engagement ceremony will be decided upon with the church fully involved. Since the whole matter is the responsibility of the church, the church can specify the kind of ceremony and the necessary expenses involved in the engagement. The church should have a by-law stating what it will do and can do in the case of an engagement ceremony.

Wedding and Reception The church can teach and lead the young couple in their courtship because the engagement ceremony is an official act of the church. The engagement ceremony leads to open courtship for the couple. The pastor must counsel them in order that they will not become stumbling blocks to other young people of the church. When the date of their marriage is settled, the pastor must counsel them both individually and together. Such matters as sexual responsibilities, the biblical basis of the Christian home, and responsibilities to the church and community should be taught in a very frank atmosphere. Books on these subjects should be assigned to be read and discussed together in the counseling sessions. Particular attention must be given to their responsibility to their parents, to relatives, to the church, to society, and to one another. The church will be responsible to get the parents of the couple together to help in planning the wedding ceremony and reception. A thorough discussion of the plans and finances of the ceremony and the reception is a must. Unlike western weddings, where the father of the bride finances most of the expenses, the church can suggest that both sides should share the cost. Be sure that every procedural detail is brought out so that there will be no last minute changes in the plans for non-Christian or anti-Christian customs. The parties involved must know that the church is responsible for the wedding and reception. In so doing the serving of liquor and other non-Christian customs can be excluded without any problem. This means the church must share part of the expense of the 51 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission wedding which is to be in the by-laws of the church. Make a definite effort to meet with all the relatives of the couple who will be present for the wedding about 30 or even 45 minutes before the wedding hour. Gather them as a group and teach them the meaning of the different parts of the Christian wedding ceremony. In so doing, the relatives will actually participate in the wedding ceremony rather than being spectators only. This will also prepare them to receive the wedding message as well as build a good bridge to the church. It will insure non-intervention concerning the Christian home with pagan customs after the ceremony. The message for the wedding should be prepared with the wedding guests in mind. A message with the theme of what Christ can do in the Christian home would lead the guests to consider Christ as Savior. Such a theme would be helpful for the church members, the relatives, and the wedding guests. Plans for the wedding reception should be made at the same time as the wedding ceremony. Each item should be covered thoroughly with the couple, the parents, and the go-between. Plan the reception so that there will be a Christian spiritual emphasis. The different ones who are to be asked to address the wedded couple should be named at the planning stage. Be sure that it is satisfy- ing the minimum of protocol as to the order in which they will be asked to speak. Plan the reception to last an hour. Experience has shown that an hour’s reception ends in more like an hour and a half. Encourage the church people to glorify Christ in their participation at the reception. The church that is involved in every stage of courtship, marriage, and the establishing of Christian homes will reap the blessings of stability and acceptability in the Japanese society.

52 Step Inside— The Language and Idioms

53 8 Idioms from the Animal Kingdom

“The exception proves the rule” is a well known English idiom, but do you really know what this Shakespearean English means? In this idiom the word “proves” means to try or to test. The exception tests the general principle, whether it be true or false. Idioms give color to your speech and Japanese idioms will give color to your messages. Have you read Aesop’s fables recently? Many Japanese idioms contain animal names and refer to the action of animals. Doomo, suru koto ga isuka no hashi de heiko shite iru. “Everything I do, or try to do, is like the bill of the cross-bill and I am caught in a bind.” Unlike other birds, the ends of its bill cross each other. The bill is made this way so that the bird can feed on the seeds of the pine cones. Thus, the idiom means, “All that I do or try to do, goes at cross purposes to my real desires.” Shachoo no tsuru no hitokoe de kimatta. “The decision was reached by the voice of the crane, the company president.” The

54 Idioms from the Animal Kingdom voice of authority is the voice of the crane, tsuru no hitokoe. Tsuru no hitokoe de daremo sakarau hito wa inai. “His word is law and no one dares to go against it.” To the Japanese the king of the birds is the crane. Gunkei no ikkaku, means “In a flock of chickens, the crane stands out”. Hakidame ni tsuru means “It is just a pile of rub- bish to a crane”. Both of these sayings point out the incomparable crane, a symbol of the man of authority. Neko o kaburu. “Put on the cat.” There are a number of idioms involving the cat. A cat is thought to be beguiling, for it often seems to be so tame. Karite kita neko no yo ni otonashii. “Mild and tame as a borrowed cat.” Because of such a seemingly quiet and tame outward appearance, a person who hides his real self by putting on a false front is said to “put on the cat.” The person who cannot drink or sip anything hot is said to have neko jita, “the tongue of a cat.” This idiom must have come from observing that cats do not lap up anything hot. Any description of a very small area is said to be as small a space as the forehead of a cat. Neko no hitai no hirosa. “A cat is thought to have hardly any forehead at all.” When things change in a very fast sequence, it is said to change in color as fast as the cat’s eye. Neko no me no yoni kawaru. It also means being as fickle as a weather-cock. A person who has stooped shoulders is called Neko ze. When a person tries to please another with a sweet syrupy voice, the term, neko nade goe, is used. This means the voice one uses in cuddling or petting a cat. If one tries to please every whim of a small child, this is called neko kawaigari. This means the child is being raised as though it were a pet kitten. It is a known fact that cats like fish. Sore wa choodo neko ni kat- suobushi da. “It was like a cat with a dried bonito fish.” The English equivalent would be like setting the fox to keep the geese, trust- ing the cat with a dish of milk or putting the wolf in charge of the sheepfold. 55 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

When a person receives something that he is unable to use, this idiom is appropriate: neko ni koban. “A cat with a gold coin.” This is similar to “casting pearls before swine.” Cats usually have the full run of the house and are treated as a member of the family. On a busy day when one could wish for an extra hand to help, the Japanese say neko no te o karitai hodo isogashikatta. “It was so busy that I felt I could use even the paws of the cat.” Neko mo shakushi mo asobi ni muchuu de aru. “Even cats and the rice scoop were wildly dancing after such a good time.” Since cats are thought to be part of the family and the rice scoop represents the housewife who serves the rice at meal time, this has come to mean one and all. Kamo ga negi o shotte kita. “The duck brought along onions on its back.” This idiom is used when there is a streak of unanticipated good luck or fortune. Since duck meat has a strong flavor, the duck that comes along carrying onions to season the meat gives the idea of overflowing good fortune. Professional criminals use this term, Kamo, for people who are likely prey for their money-making schemes. Ja no michi wa hebi or Ja no mich wa hebi ga shiru. “The way of the serpent, the snake knows.” It means that similar species have the same nature and follow the same path. So the Japanese would say: “You really can see through to that fellow’s heart, can’t you?” (I can read him like a book.) Another snake idiom goes, Yabu kara hebi or Yabu hebi. Yabu means a thicket. “If anyone keeps beating the thicket, a snake will come out and bite him.” Leave things well enough alone and you will not get bitten. This is equivalent to the English proverb, “Let a sleeping dog lie.” Uma no mimi ni nenbutsu. “Don’t put Buddhist teaching in the ear of a horse.” The horse has no use for Buddhist precepts; therefore, it is futile to preach to a horse. “One may have ears but he can’t understand 56 Idioms from the Animal Kingdom what he hears.” Uma ga au. “The horse fits.” A horse is quick to sense the ability of the rider. The rider also must be sensitive to the nature of his horse. This idiom is used to describe two people who can really work together well. Todo no tsumari is used when one has reached the extreme limit of all things. This is somewhat equivalent to the “end of the rope.” The todo is a fish, a mullet. The Japanese call this fish different names at different stages of its growth. In its first stage, it is called, sobogi and subashiri, then, ina followed by bora and finally todo. Todo is the last stage and there is no other stage. When things wind up to a finale and there is no way out, the saying goes, todo no tsumari. Even the tick gave birth to an idiom. Kazoku ichidoo tsutsu ga naku kurashite imasu. “Our whole family is living without sickness.” Kon shuntsutsu ga naku gakko o sotsugyoo shimashita. “He graduated this spring without any serious difficulty or hardship.” The term tsutsu ga naku can mean without sickness or great trouble. In ancient times tsutsu was the name of a greatly feared disease. It was not until the Meiji era that the tick was discovered to be the car- rier of this germ. The infected person developed a high fever and forty percent of the patients died. Because of the death rate and the unknown cause, this word became synonymous for all sickness and deadly trouble. This word is now a part of many greetings and letter salutations. These are the more widely known Japanese idioms dealing with animals. Have fun.

57 9 Idioms from History

“That’s his Achilles heel,” one would say concerning a person who has a fatal weakness. Any person with a western cultural heritage would easily understand this idiomatic expression. He would know that the mother of Achilles had dipped him in the River Styx and that since she held him by his heel, all the rest of his body was invulnerable except his heel. Likewise, the missionary in Japan, by knowing a bit of history, can understand and appreciate Japanese idiomatic expressions which are rooted in its cultural history. During the rise of the age of the warrior class, the Taira clan gained power over the imperial court. After the Taira clan, the Genji clan gained the ascendency. In the days of warring against the Taira clan, Yoshitsune, the younger brother of Minamoto Yor- itomo, fought with brilliant military strategy and defeated the Taira forces. Yoshitsune was hailed as a great general but because of his fame, his older brother attempted to assassinate him. Yoshitsune escaped but was finally hounded to death by his brother. Before Yo- 58 Idioms from History shitsune fell under the wrath of his brother, he had been appointed as Kebi ishi no jo, who is normally called Hangan. Since Yoshitsune was called Hangan, it gave rise to the idiomatic expression, Hangan biiki. Since then, the Japanese who feel sorry and “pull” for the “underdog” and show favor to him, use this term. One may hear at a Japanese ball game, Kyojin ga katsu koto ga kimmatteitemo, ore wa Hangan biiki da, meaning, “The Giants are sure to win but I still ‘root’ for the weaker team.” One of the most famous of Minamoto Yoshitsune’s warriors was a warrior Buddhist priest, Benkei. He was great in stature and girth. Because he was of such great strength, the Japanese characterizes a child who is a little tyrant at home but timid outside the home as uchi Benkei. Uchi means “inside the home.” The whole expression was uchi Benkei, soto nezumi, meaning “strong as Benkei in the home but timid as a mouse outside of the home.” Another has it, uchi Benkei, soto miso. Miso must come from naki miso, a cry baby. With this same idea of Benkei being strong, another idiomatic expression is Benkei no naki dokoro (the area or spot which causes tears), meaning his shins. Even a man as strong as Benkei will cry out in pain if he gets kicked on his shins. The annals of Yoshitsune describe the battle at the fording of the river Koromogawa as the place where Benkei defends his lord Yoshitsune unto death. In his attempt to keep the attacking forces of Minamoto Yoritomo from reaching Yoshitsune, Benkei stood his ground at the fording of the river. He was pierced with many arrows, and yet there he stood staring down his enemies unflinch- ingly, daring anyone to cross the ford. The enemy was held at bay until a number of horseback riders came bearing down on him and discovered that Benkei had died but had been standing upright to defend his master even after death. From this heroic stand came the saying Benkei no tachi oojyoo. Tachi is standing upright and Oojyoo means to die. So the Japanese will say, Konde ita michi no mannaka de kuruma ga tachi oojyoo shita. “In the midst of a traffic jam, the car engine died and we could neither go forward or back- 59 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission ward.” Fubuki no tame ni, ressha ga tachi oojoo shita. “Because of the blizzard the train came to a standstill, i.e. stalled” Kare wa yajirarete enzetsu no tochuu de tachi oojoo shita. “Because of the hecklers, he stood speechless in the middle of his address.” The ballad of the Hachi no ki sings of the faithful vassal of the Minamoto clan, then ruling in Kamakura. Sano Tsuneo was given a small fief which could hardly sustain his livelihood. Yet he did not complain. As the story is told in the ballad, one cold winter night a traveler dressed as a monk lost his way in the snow in the tiny fief- dom of Sano Tsuneo. When, at last, led by a flickering light in the darkness, the monk found his way to Sano’s house, Sano received him with all hospitality. As it became bitterly cold, and since Sano had no wood left to burn, he spared not his prized possession of bonsai trees and fed them into the fire for his guest. Hence, the title of the ballad, Hachi no ki, “the potted miniaturized trees”. When Sano was asked concerning his liege lord, he declared that poor as he is, he is ready at all times to answer his lord’s call to arms whenever “Kamakura” calls. For his faithfulness to his liege lord, and the sacrifice of his prized bonsai trees for the monk who was in reality his liege lord from Kamakura, Sano was rewarded. Thus, the idiom, Iza Kamakura was born. The faithful will rise up in the day of danger or need or emergency. Iza Kamakura to iu toki ni wa... (when you are in great need of help..) is used by the Japanese. Minamoto Tametomo had a warrior named Hatcho Kiheiji, who could throw a stone 8 cho, about 109 yards. Of course, hatcho could mean any great distance. Whatever this word may mean, it proves stone throwing was a weapon used in battle and a stone for throwing was called tsubute. From this comes the idiom, nashi no tsubute, translated, “no stones being thrown.” Since a stone is thrown from afar, the expression means “there is no word from afar.” The Japanese would say, Tokyo no daigaku ni nyuugaku shita kiri, nashi no tsubute na no desu. (Since he has entered a college in Tokyo, we have not heard from him.) In 1582, Oda Nobuyoshi, had one of his leading generals, 60 Idioms from History

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, lay siege on Takamatsu Castle. Oda had moved out of his own Azuchi Castle and had taken lodging at the Honnoji Temple in Kyoto. He ordered his other generals from their castles in order to reinforce the Toyotomi camp. As one of Oda’s generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, led his troops out of his Kameyama Castle, he suddenly sent his troops against his lord, Oda, crying teki wa Honnoji ni ari, translated: “the enemy is in the honnoji temple,” meaning Oda Nobunaga was the real enemy. This famous betrayal of his master produced an idiom. When the real purpose is hidden by what seemingly is apparent, then it is said, Teki wa Honnoji ni ari, or Teki wa honnoji. For example, kare wa mainichi ano mise ni koohi o nomini yuku ga doomo teki wa Honnoji rashii. “He goes to the coffee shop every day but it seems he has a purpose or motive other than just drinking coffee.” In the year 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi laid siege to the Odawara Castle of the Hojo clan. The vassals of the Hojo clan gathered to plan strategy against the invading forces. The vassals could not agree to a single strategy. There were those who wanted to fight and those who wanted to sue for peace. Since they were evenly divided, the war council could not come to a definite conclusion for days on end. Thus, an idiom was coined, Odawara hyoojo for meetings which drag on endlessly producing no definite conclu- sions. So the Japanese would say, Mainichi kaigi o shiteiru ga, ikko ni kimaru yoosu ga nai. Odawara hyoojo de hi o kurashiteiru no sa. “I have been participating in the meetings but it seems that there is hardly a chance of coming to a decision. I am spending my days at an Odawara hyojo.” From the Heian era until the restoration of the emperor Meiji, the emperor’s chief advisor was called Kampaku. It is the highest rank one can attain under the emperor. When Toyotomi Hideyo- shi retired, he took the title Taiko and had his nephew Hidetsugu appointed as Kampaku. Since it is the highest rank one can attain under the emperor, the saying goes, Teishu kanpaku. Teishu means head of household and so it is a husband who rules the home 61 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission according to his fancy. Sometimes the term carries a mild touch of sarcasm in remarks concerning one’s husband. So, in the case where the husband loves to make a show of his authority over his family, the Japanese would say, Teishu no sukina aka eboshi. “My husband’s beloved red hat”, (the ranks of the men of the emperor’s court were identified by the color of their hats. Red was the highest). In the feudal age, the warriors wore their helmets to do battle. Hence, the wearing of the helmet signified the intent to do battle. The opposite of wearing the helmet gave meaning to the idiom, Kabuto o nugu, “take my helmet off.” The removing of the helmet symbolizes the idea of surrender and not the western idea of showing respect. Thus, Kare no kesshin no katasa ni kabuto o nugu, meaning, “I surrender to his firm (hard) decision.” Or, Koko de kabuto o nugu te wa arimasen. “At this juncture, you should not take the alternative of surrender as yet.” Concerning the helmet, another idiomatic saying is, Katte, kabuto no himo o shimeyo. The translation is “after a victorious battle, tighten the straps of your helmet,” meaning, “victorious in one battle doesn’t mean the war is won” and “don’t let victory make you proud and so become vulnerable.” The Japanese warrior believed that his sword was the mirror of his soul and the principal weapon for battle. Between the cutting edge and the back of the blade, there is a ridge to give strength to the Japanese sword. This ridge is called the shinogi. Thus, when there is great rivalry and hard-fought competition for victory, this idiomatic term is used. Baree booru chiimu wa tagai ni shinogi o ke- zutte tatakatta. The translation is “The volleyball teams fought each other until they ‘scraped off the ridges’ of their swords.” In other words, the teams fought each other so furiously that they wore off the ridges of their swords. This idiomatic expression has the idea of “blood and sweat” with the desperateness of fighting “tooth and nail.” Another idiom dealing with the Japanese sword has to do with the sori, the curvature of the sword. After a Japanese sword 62 Idioms from History is forged, the sheath is made of wood to match the curve of the sword. Since each sword is hand-made, the sheath is made to fit only one blade. To substitute another sheath will not do, for it will not fit. So the idiom goes, Sori ga awanai, which translates as “the curve of the sword does not fit the sheath.” It is used in situations such as Kare wa doomo kachoo to sori ga awanai yoo desu, meaning “Somehow he does not work well with the captain of the airplane.” Or, Hito to sori ga awanai. “He can’t get along with anyone.” And, Ano fufu wa doshitemo sori ga awanai. “That husband and wife just can’t get along with each other.” Finally, when a person is not fully trained but he wants to act as though he knows it all, the Japanese say, Nama byoohoo wa kega no moto. Nama means “green or unripened” and, byoho means “the techniques of fighting with the sword and spear.” Thus, the meaning is “A man who has not mastered the art of the use of arms can get himself seriously injured.” Let this last idiomatic expression from Japanese cultural history make you use idioms accurately and “sparringly”.

63 10 Living Japanese Idioms

Idiomatic expressions come from the collective experiences of a common culture. As the missionary deepens his contact with the everyday life of the Japanese, he will hear Japanese expressions that will not make sense because he has not participated in the collective experiences which underlie the idiomatic expression. Yet, it is possible for the missionary to understand these idiomatic expressions and use them effectively by being introduced to the collective experiences which underlie the idioms. One of the most familiar idiomatic expressions is Ita ni tsuite iru or more simple, Tsuiteiru. This expression comes from the theatrical world. The actors in rehearsals must know not only their parts but also where they position themselves as the play progresses. With all their rehearsing, the opening night is filled with tensions. In spite of the tensions, if an actor fulfills his role so completely that his feet seem to stick to the floor according to his position in the play, then it is said of him, Ita ni tsuite iru. Ita means the wooden floor of the

64 Living Japanese Idioms stage and tsuite iru means sticking on it. The idea behind this idiomatic expression is fulfilling perfectly one’s intentions or performing flawlessly. For example: Shinjin no senshu desuga, yondasu yon anda dashite imasu. Kyo wa ita ni tsuite iru ne! “He is a rookie, but he has four hits for four times at bat. He is at his best today.” Or, Kyo wa nani o shitemo shippai bakari. Tsuite inai! “Everything I did today ended in failure. I’m just not good for anything!” Here is another familiar idiom that comes from the theater. When the script calls for small animals, such as mice, rats, or cats, and birds or butterflies at the Kabuki or Japanese plays, these animals and insects are made to look like the real thing. They are strung on the end of a black rod and manipulated off stage by a stage hand. These rods are called sashigane. Thus, it has come to mean in idiomatic expressions instigating or inciting to do something by someone who is hidden. Ano hito ga kenka shita no wa aitsu no sashigane ni chigainai. “That fight must have been surely instigat- ed by that guy.” Jibun kara kononde yatta no dewanai daroo. Oya no sashigane deshoo. “He did not do it because he wanted to do it but it must be by the instigation of his parent.” From the world of Waka and Haiku poetic literature comes a well used idiomatic expression, Keri o tsukeru. Almost all poems of the Waka and Haiku ends with nari keri. These words mark the end of the poem especially found in the Hyakunin Isshu book of poems. Since nari keri marks the end of the poems, keri o tsukeru became an idiomatic expression of bringing things to an end. Sono mondai mo sorosoro keri o tsukeru beki desu. “That problem should soon be brought to conclusion.” Ryoosha no ayumi yori ni yotte keri ga tsuita. “By drawing closer to each other’s positions they reached a mutual compromise.” In Japanese poetry parties, the poems that are chosen as the best, receive a special mark on the paper on which the poem was written. That mark is called Gatten. A well-written Japanese poem, though brief and austere in its use of words, presents comprehen- sion and understanding of the mind and heart of the writer in- 65 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission stantly. Thus, the idiomatic term, Gatten ga yuku, came to mean to understand, to comprehend, and, also, the ability to apprehend or grasp the idea. Sono hanashi wa doomo gatten ga ikania. “I somehow can’t quite comprehend it all”, i.e., something is not quite logical or something does not “ring true.” Gatten ga iku made ohanashi shimasu. “I will explain until it makes sense to you.” Kare ga okotte kaetta koto wa gatten ga ikanai. “It leaves me without a clue as to why he got angry and went home.” A worse situation is Hitori gatten de hanasu. “He kept talking as though he knew his subject well but he really does not know what he is talking about.” In the olden days, miso, bean paste, used for flavoring food, was all made in the home. Since miso was home-made there was no standardized taste as one would find in today’s stores. This home- made miso was made of various ingredients which caused various tastes. Since one gets used to his own home-made miso taste, that person believes that his own miso tastes the best. This idea gave birth to the expression, Temae miso de shio ga karai, or in shortened form, Temae miso, “Everybody thinks his own miso tastes best. Temae miso naraberu, “one who sings his own praises” or in the Western idiom, “blowing his own horn.” Or, temae miso ni suginai ga ..., “I know I am a bit proud but...” Finally, Sore ga miso da...,” That’s his point of pride.” Dashi is soup stock. The Japanese uses katsuo, dried bonito fish shavings, konbu, sea tangle and tori no dashi, soup stock from chicken bones. Once the flavor of this dashi is taken out, these items are of no use and are thrown away. Thus, the term, dashi ni suru, is used when someone uses another to get what he wants. Tomodachi o dashi ni shite sake o nomu. “He uses his friends as an excuse to drink rice wine.” Or, Kodomo o dashi ni shite asobi ni dekakeru. “Using one’s own children as a pretext to go on their own pleasure trip.” This term could be used with ideas such as, Jizen o dashi ni shite shifuku o koyasu. “In the name of charity, i.e., collec- tion for the poor, he masked his self-profiting schemes.” At any rate, because the material used for dashi becomes useless after the 66 Living Japanese Idioms flavor is drawn, this idiom is always negative in nature. The idiomatic expression ocha o nigosu, may originate from either of the following ideas. (1) It may have come from the formal tea ceremony where the one who serves stirs up the tea to the right consistency, it only looks like the real thing. Or, (2) it may come from serving hot water that looks like the real tea but in reality it is not tea. Whichever is the true origin of Ocha o nigosu, it means doing something that looks like the real thing. Thus, the Japanese will say, wazukana sharei o motte ocha o nigoshita, “With a small amount of honorarium, they make it seem that all is socially right.” Hontoo no riyuu o iitakunai no de betsu no riyuu o tsukatte ocha o nigoshita, “Because he did not want to tell the truth, he gave a different reason and covered his tracks.” There are other idioms dealing with ocha. Cha ni suru or chaka- su, meaning to tease, corresponds to the American idiom of “to kid” someone or “to pull someone’s leg.” Then, there is ocha no ko, which means an easy task or matter. Shogi de makasu no wa ocha no ko sai sai da, “I can beat him at (Japanese) chess as easily as ‘fall- ing off a log.’” Sansu no shiken wa ocha no ko desu, “Math exams are to him as ‘easy as eating pie.’” Ochappai can mean a girl who is a “chatter box” or a precocious girl or a saucy girl. In the villages and towns, everybody participated in the making of mochi, rice cakes. In the cities, the mochi shops make mochi for the city dwellers. Since the mochi shops make the mochi, the ordinary people do not know how to make mochi. Thus, the saying goes, Mochi wa mochiya, meaning, “everything has specialists,” and so when you need something done well, get it done by those experts in their respective fields. It can also mean, “every man has his forte” or, “every man to his own trade”. Another idiom dealing with mochi is E no naka no mochi. This idiom is used when something is really desirable but it is unattain- able, much like the sweet mochi that one would like to eat but can not because it is only a painted picture of a mochi. In the making of mochi, rice is steamed, then pounded with a 67 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission mallet-like pestle. This mallet-like pestle is called kinezuka. One who has learned how to pound mochi with the kinezuka in the past has not forgotten how to do it again. From this idea comes the idiomatic expression, Mukashi totta kinezuka, meaning that anyone who has learned an art or technique in his youth is able to recall and can do a credible job of it again. So in a conversation, Sugoi; Yoku oyogeru, “Wow! You can really swim.” Datte, mukashi totta kinezuka da mono, “Of course, I was a swimmer for our national sports competition when I was in junior high.” This can cover any skill that may surprise others who had no idea that he had it in him. Fuki is a vegetable that Japanese eat. They cook the stalk of the leaves. By April, the main stalk of the fuki plant shoots up about two feet high and bears a flower on its end. When this happens, the harvesting of leaves for food ends because fuki loses its special flavor as soon as the main stalk flowers. This main stalk is called too and so the idiomatic term is too ga tatsu, the main stalk has shot up and it is about to flower and the harvesting of leaves for food has reached its peak and is on the decline. This idea is applied to people. Ano yakyu toushu wa moo too ga tatsu koro ni natta, “That baseball pitcher is just about to pass his peak performance.” Another idiom from among the Japanese vegetables is udo no taiboku. Udo is a kind of vegetable that the Japanese eat raw, when it is still a shoot. The closest thing in Western vegetables would be white asparagus, but the taste and consistency is like celery. Since udo is good to eat only as a shoot, if it grows into a large tree (taiboku), it is useless. This term is used when anything or anyone becomes useless. Or, it can mean, just because it is large, it does not necessarily mean it is profitable. Kyaku o yoseru tame ni ookina kanban ni kaeta ga, udo no taiboku datta, “Tried to get more custom- ers by enlarging the front of the store but it was not effective.” The noren was introduced to Japan from China during the Kamakura era. It was a piece of cloth, something like draperies, used to shelter the occupants of a room from the drafty winds. They hung these cloths over the bamboo lattice which were the 68 Living Japanese Idioms windows. In the Edo era, these cloths were hung at the entrance of the store fronts. When one enters the door, he uses his arm to push aside the noren which gives way easily because it is attached only on the upper edge of the cloth leaving the rest hanging in the air. The act of pushing aside the noren with the arm gives meaning to the idiomatic expression of noren ni udeoshi. So the Japanese would say, Ikura shikattemo, ano toshi ja, noren ni udeoshi da, “At that age, no matter how many times you scold him it makes no impression; it’s like pushing the noren aside.” A variation to the idiom is Noren to ude oshi, “it is useless, it is ‘water off a duck’s back,’ or ‘beating the air.’” In the olden times, abura, oil for lamps, was sold from house to house by the oil peddler. As he made his rounds, he had to deal with the housewives or maids and so naturally he had to enter housewives’ “talk about nothing.” So the oil peddler lost a lot of time making his rounds which gave meaning to the term, abura o uru. Still another idea is that pouring oil into smaller household containers takes a lot of time. Whichever the origin of the meaning may be, this term is used when a person spends more time than is necessary for a certain task. He is confronted with these words, “Doko de abura o utte ita no ka,” “Where have you been wasting time, talking about nothing?” Another version says, that an oil peddler must talk people into buying. Therefore, Abura o uru can mean to sell oneself to others. Mata, mata, abura o utteru, “There he goes again, selling himself to all who would listen to him.” Since the time of the Muromachi era, the Japanese merchant used display shelves for his wares. At the end of the year, these goods are taken off the shelves (tana oroshi) in order to take a thorough account of his goods. Thus, this term became an expression of making a thorough inspection. Hito no tana oroshi o suru no wa hometa hanashi de wa nai, To make a thorough inspection of another’s words and deeds to find fault is not praiseworthy.” Jibun no koto o tana ni oite, hito no tana oroshi o suru, “He is not critical of himself, but he is very critical of others.” 69 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Original Japanese paper is made in such a way that it is easy to tear the paper lengthwise but it is hard to tear it crosswise. If one tries to tear it crosswise, the paper is torn with jagged edges. This is the fact behind the term, yokogami o yaburu, “One who gets his own way even if it may be ‘against the grain,’ or custom, or reason.” Such a person can be perverse, wayward, impulsive or cranky. Uchi no shachoo wa yokogami o heiki de yaburu hito desu, “Our company president has no scruples when he wants his way.” The nose has to do with the sense of smell. The idiom, Hana- mochi naranai, has the idea of even though one can pinch his nose against the stench or revolting smell, he can’t escape the smell. The corresponding sense is one who can’t stand the revolting acts of another. Kare wa kusai shibai o suru, “his acting stinks,” or the corresponding meaning his pretense sticks out “like a sore thumb.” Of course when something stinks, Hana o tsumamu, one pinches his nose, which is expressive of Kare wa kinjo no hana tsumami da, “His reputation is the worst in the neighborhood.” And so, Hana tsumami ni naru means, it is intolerable, or he is disgusting, repul- sive and makes me “sick to the stomach.” Now the nose can be quite expressive of one’s feeling. Hana ga takai, being haughty and proud. Hana taka daka to..., feeling trium- phantly proud. Hana saki de ashirau, to treat a person with scorn; “to turn up one’s nose” at something. Hana de warau, to laugh sardonically or with glee. Hana ni kakeru, to hang whatever he is bragging about on his nose which is held high. And for people who boast, they are apt to meet the fate of hana o oru, or hana bashira o kujiku, which means to “bust” or smash a nose, meaning to deflate another’s boasting, or to have one’s pride humbled. Finally, Hana o akasu, to outwit or foil another’s pride. Enrich your Japanese. Use idioms.

70 11 Idioms to Liven Conversation and Witness

God’s graciousness and the greatness of all His works are beyond the thoughts and words of man. The Japanese idioms for “beyond the words of man” is kotoba ni zessuru and “beyond imagination” is soozoo o zessuru. So, also, the prophecies concerning Christ, the vir- gin birth, the cross and the resurrection are things that have never been repeated in history. “Have never been repeated in history” is expressed by the idiom, kokon ni zessuru (from ancient times to the present it has never been surpassed.) God has given His Word to mankind and it must be received literally even as His Son said that every “jot and tittle” will be fulfilled. The Word of God is to be received literally. Kami no kotoba wa moji doori ni uketoru no desu. Moji doori means “according to each letter,” so that mikotoba o moji doori ni kaishaku suru means “to interpret the Word literally.” Another expression of moji doori is moji ni koshu suru, “to adhere to the letter of the word.” The God who gave His Word is the Almighty God. Mikotoba 71 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission o ataeta kami wa bannooo no kami desu. According to the “kanji”, bannooo means “ten thousand powers,” with “ten thousand” meaning unlimited. In opposition to bannoo no kami, the modern world believes that science is all powerful. Kagaku bannoo no jidai desu. “This is the day in which science is all powerful.” But there may be others who say, “Money is all powerful in this world.” Ogon (gold) bannoo no yo no naka desu. God made man in His own image but He gave to everyone individual characteristics so that there are infinite kinds of person- alities with no two the same. “Infinite kinds or variations” is sensa banbetsu. The “kanji” means “a thousand degrees of differences and ten thousand separate ones.” Thus, “The hearts of people are infinitely different and each different in degrees.” Hito no kokoro wa sensa banbetsu desu. Although people are individually unique, yet they are in principle alike. Without Christ, they are all self-centered. The following idioms express the natural person as living for one’s own self. Shiri chuushin shugi desu. The “kanji” spells out, “self-profiting interest or advantage-centered principle-way of life.” This self-centeredness is, also, riko shugi (selfishness principle) and jiko hon’i (egoism) with self-preservation not far behind, jiko hozon. Selfishness has another aspect with shiyoku, (selfish greed). It has a number of expressions: “Pursue one’s selfish greed,” shiyoku ni hashiru. “Be enslaved by one’s selfish greed,” Shiyoku ni torawareru. “Be blinded by one’s selfish greed,” Shiyoku ni me ga kuramu. “A person driven by his selfish greed, “ Shiyoku itten bari no hito. And one good aspect is “Put away selfish greed,” Shiyoku o hanareru. Still another aspect of selfishness is jibun katte, (self willed). “All mankind is self-willed or willful.” Hito to yuu mono wa jibun katte na mono desu. Jibun Katte is expressed in another term as migatte. Will- ful behavior is migatte na furumai. Putting all this together about self and selfishness is the term 72 Idioms to Liven Conversation and Witness shiri shiyoku, (self-interest and selfish greed). Everybody lives according to this self-interest and selfish greed. Dare de mo shiri shiyoku ni yotte ikite iru. The body and soul in Japanese is mi mo tamashii mo and mi mo kokoro mo. In Chinese reading of on, it would be read as shin shin tomo ni. Sometimes the mi represents the whole of the person. “To reap the fruit of one’s own action” is mi kara deta sabi, (the rust that comes out of one’s self). A Buddhist term bearing the same meaning is jigoo jitoku, (what one does in this life, he will reap the consequence). The natural man seeks his own self-interest before others. Dare mo waga mi wa kawaii, (everyone loves himself dearly). But, being blind to one’s self interest and selfish desires, he brings destruction to himself. Shiri shiyoku ni yotte me ga kurande shimatte, jibun no mi o horobosu. However, man can put himself in the “shoes” of others and view things from their eyes. “Put yourself in your parents’ place and see for yourself.” Oya no mi ni natte minasai. Then, too, one can feel or be touched in one’s self by the actions or words of others. Anata no shinsetsu ga mi ni shimiru. “Your polite considerations touched my heart deeply.” Yasashii kotoba ga mi ni shimiru. “The kind words penetrated my heart.” In both sentences, mi ni shimiru in “kanji” means to permeate the body which is representing the heart. “He is completely taken up with his work.” Kare wa mi ni shimite shigoto o shiteiru. Speaking of work, a person can give himself to any cause. “He gives himself completely to his work.” Shigoto ni mi o ireru. The same thought is expressed as Shigoto ni mi o uchikomu or mi to tamashi o uchikomu. Uchikomu means to strike and lay into. And finally, a well-known proverb dealing with mi is “Nothing gained; nothing ventured.” Mi o sutete koso ukabu se mo are, (risk all by throwing away yourself; the chance of floating over the cataracts of difficulties is there). The heart is important to man. In many ways, English ex- 73 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission pressions dealing with the heart correspond easily with Japanese idioms. “Serve the Lord with all your heart.” Kokoro o komete Shu ni tsukaemashoo. “Set your heart to serve the Lord alone in all things.” Nani goto moo shu nomi ni tsukaeru koto o kokoro gake na sai. One can have change of heart so easily. “Man has a fickle heart so he is not dependable.” Hito wa kokoro gawari no ooi mono na no de tayori gatai. “Man can be heartless.” Hito wa kokoro nai koto o suru. “Heartless” corresponds exactly in Japanese, kokoro nai (no heart). Sometimes it can mean “inhuman” as well as “insensitive as a human being.” One should be cautioned that kokoro nai and kokoro ni nai are not the same. The latter means unintentional and not malicious. “No one can live in this world according to one’s heart’s desires.” Nanigoto mo kokoro no mama ni naranai no ga kono yo no naka desu. (You can not always have everything according to the desires of your heart. Such is the way of this world). “According to the desires of the heart” is kokoro no mama. To live according to ones heart’s desires may be against God’s will.” Kokoro no mama ni ikiyoo to suru koto wa kami no mikokoro ni hansuru koto ni naru deshoo. In conversations with others, speaking heart to heart is para- mount. “Speak without reservation,” kokoro oki naku hanasu. “I am sorry. I said things that were not intentional (not in my heart),” Gomen nasai,. Watakushi wa tsui kokoro ni mo nai koto o itte shimai mashita. Literally, “It gives me pain in my heart or it grieves my heart” is kokoro gurushii. “Just seeing it, grieves my heart,” Miru dake demo kokoro gurushii. “To see them misunderstand my true intentions grieves my heart,” Watakushi no shini o gokai sareru koto wa kokoro gurushii. “To commit such an act will cause me grief in my heart,” Sore o suru koto wa kokoro gurushii. “To one’s heart’s content,” kokoro yuku bakari is also used in “reading to one’s heart’s content,” kokoro yuku bakari ni dokusho suru. This idiom can be used in other activities, such as “taste,” either actual or in metaphor. Kokoro yuku bakari ni ajiwau. Or, “to gaze” to one’s heart content, kokoro yuku bakari ni nagameru. 74 Idioms to Liven Conversation and Witness

The eyes are very expressive in any language. When one bangs his head, he sees “stars,” me kara hi ga deru. When something spectacular or unusual enters one’s sight, “your eyes pop,” me ga tobideru yoo ni or me ga tobideru hodo ni. When one gets so busy and gets dizzy, the eyes seem to spin, me ga mawaru hodo ni isogashii; or isogashikute me ga mawaru. If looks could kill, he would have mur- dered him with that look, me de hito o korosu. What is a sight for “sore eyes,” me no hoyoo or me o tanoshi masu, (generally: a feast for the eyes). And finally, without uttering a word, the eyes can speak eloquently, me wa kuchi hodo ni mono o yuu. There are two biblical idioms concerning eyes which correspond with the Japanese. The Lord of Host says, “for he who toucheth you (the Jews in captivity), toucheth the apple of His eye.” (Zech. 2:8). To touch the eye is to touch the most sensitive body part. Thus, anything that becomes an offense to the eye (a junk yard is an eye-sore), is me zawari, (touching the eye). “What he is doing is offensive,” Ano hito ga shiteiru koto wa me zawari desu. The opposite of me zawari is me ni iretemo itaku na. The other biblical idiom has to do with Eve. When Eve saw the fruit to be good to eat, it was “the lust of the eyes,” (I John 2:16), which corresponds to yoku ni me ga kuramu. Kuramu means, to be darkened and, thus, unable to see rightly. Yoku ni me ga kurande jimetsu shita, “his greed blinded him so that he caused his own destruction.” And, thus, anyone who becomes enslaved by greed or desires is said to be blind to that particular thing me ga nai. The following are strictly Japanese idioms. He showed anger in his eyes, me o sankaku ni shite ita, or me no kado o tatete ita. A very shrewd or highly intelligent person is said to be me kara hana ni nukeru yoo na hito. To express the idea of a very short distance, me to hana no aida (distance between the eye and the nose). To teach a person a lesson with vengeance, me ni mono o misete yaru. The missionary is always sensitive to others in communicating the gospel. If anyone is offended, it should not be because of the missionary but because of the gospel. Christ is the “rock of offense, 75 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission for they stumble because they are disobedient to the Word,” (I Pet.2:8). Even so, in communicating the gospel, be quick to grasp the situation so as not to “hurt their feelings” kanjoo o gai sanai yoo ni. Japanese feelings are easily bruised. The following are good idioms to heal broken communication. “ I am sorry (or regret) I hurt your feelings but this is God’s Word.” Oki ni sawatte zannen desu ga sore ga Kami no kotoba desu. “Forgive me if I have hurt your feelings.” Oki ni sawattara, gomen nasai. “I did not do it with an evil heart (or intention),” Warugi ga atte shita no de wa arimasen. “Please do not get hurt in your feeling” or “Do not go away angry.” Oki o waruku shinaide kudasai. “Please think nothing of it.” Ki ni shinaide kudasai. Try these expressions in your on-going witness to your Japanese friends.

76 12 Towards Picturesque Speech

Partly due to the peculiarities of the Japanese language which cannot signify a plural noun by adding an apostrophe and a “s” and partly for emphasis, the juugo, double-folded word,” can supply a variety of attractive expressions in the teaching and preaching of the gospel. Possibly one of the earliest of these expressive terms the missionary is apt to use is Shoo shoo omachi kudasai. The Juugo term is shoo shoo. The reduplication of shoo, meaning “small, little,” expresses the idea of a few short moments or minutes. “Please wait a few moments or minutes.” This is much more expressive than saying, Chotto matte kudasi. In this same vein is jo jo ni, a reduplication of the word omomuro ni, meaning, “gently, quietly.” Kurushii seichoo shiteimasu. “He is having a difficult (or suffering) time in his Christian life but he is growing slowly but surely (jo jo ni) in his faith.” So, jo jo ni as an adverb modifying a verb expresses the idea of “gradually, steadily, or 77 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission by degrees.” In contrast to jo jo ni is the term, joo joo ni which is the reduplication of ue, “up”, expressing that which is the best. Shiken no seiseki wa joo joo deshita. “The grade of the examination was the best.” Tsumi o kokuhaku shite kami no yurushi o uketa hito no kimochi wa harete joo joo desu. “He, who has confessed his sins and has received God’s forgiveness, his feelings are as clear as blue skies, is having the best (joo joo) of feelings.” Something similar to the previous jo jo ni is dan dan, reduplicated dan, meaning “gradation”, so that dan dan, is “gradually, step by step.” Dan dan to agatte iku, “gradually going up” and dan dan to saggatte iku, “gradually descending”. Katei shuukai ni kite kudasareba seisho no oshie ga dan dan to owakarini narimasu. “If you would come to the home Bible study, you will get to know step by step (dan dan to) what the Bible teaches.” Jun means “in turn” or “in its order”. The reduplication of jun would mean “each in its own turn”. This term is more expressive than junban ni. Kyookaiin no otoko no kata wa jun jun ni seijitsu reihai no shikai o shimasu. “The men of the church will take their turns (jun jun ni) as receptionist (uketsuke).” In the old Japanese way of telling time, koku is a unit of time. Ikkoku mo hayaku means “as soon as possible.” To emphasize the inevitalbe passing of time, the reduplication, ikkoku ikkoku or koku koku or kokkoku, expresses that idea. Kokkoku to Shu no sairin no hi ga chikazukimasu. “The day of the Lord’s second coming draws near as time passes by (kokkoku).” Or, “Each passing moment brings the day of the Lord’s second coming closer.” The idea of “soon after” is expressed by the reduplication of soo, “fast.” Raishuu soo soo ni ojama shitemo yoroshii desuka? Is it all right with you for me to visit you early next week (as soon as the week begins)?” And so rainen soo soo, raigetsu soo soo after nouns will connote the time element of year and month. Soo soo can be used after a verb also. Kare wa Iesu o shinjita soo soo ni kyookai no kata to kekkon shimashita. “He married a member of the church soon after 78 Towards Picturesque Speech

(soo soo ni) he believed Jesus.” To emphasize the greatness or largeness of things, dai, “big, great,” is duplicated. Musume no kekkon o dai dai tekini iwatta. “He celebrated his daughter’s wedding with the greatest of celebrations.” Yo no owari ni kohitsuji no kon-in de shinja tachi wa Shu to tomo ni dai dai teki ni iwau koto ga dekimasu. “At the end of the world, believers will with the Lord at the wedding of the Lamb celebrate with the greatest (dai dai tekini) of celebrations.” A poetic way of expressing dai dai is the reduplication of yama, mountain.” Any mountain is great in comparison to other things. Yama yama in its proper meaning is “mountainous.” Its figurative meaning in the reduplication is “want very much; have a great desire; have much longing for;” and “wish I could”. Isshoo ni asobi ni ikitai no wa yama yama desuga, seijitsu reihai ga aru no de sochira ni ikimasu. “I want to go and play with you ever so much (yama yama), but I will be going to the morning worship service.” Taka daka to shoori no yorokobi no uta o utau. “We will sing the song of victory at the top of our voices (or as high as our voices can go) (taka daka to).” Taka means takai, “high”. The reduplicai- ton, taka daka means “as high as the highest,” or “nothing can go higher.” Shoori no kanmuri o taka daka to sashiageyo. “Raise high, aloft (taka daka to) the victor’s crown.” The reduplication of “one,” ichi expresses the idea of “one by one” or “all and everything” or “in minute detail.” Torakuto haifu suru no wa ie to yuu ie o ichi ichi hoomon suru koto desu. “In distribut- ing tracts, all and everything (ichi ichi) that can be called a house should be visited.” Kyookai ni kuru hito bito (reduplication of plural- ity) no namae o ichi ichi oboeru koto ga taisetsu desu. “To commit to memory the names of each and everyone (ichi ichi) who comes to church is important.” seisho no muzukashii kasho no kaishaku no ten o ichiichi oshieta. “He taught in detail every point (ichi ichi) of interpretation of the difficult passage of scripture.” Now, in reference to things, hitotsu hitotsu or hitotsu bitotsu is used. “Point by point” is itten itten and for persons hitori hitori or hitori bi- 79 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission tori and for larger animals ittoo ittoo and smaller animals ippiki ippiki. All of these have the meaning of “one by one” or “one and all.” “All things; one and all; completely; utterly; every bit,” is expressed as kotogotoku. It is the reduplication of koto, “thing, matter, fact.” Shu wa ningen no tsumi o kotogotoku osabaki ni narimasu. “The Lord will judge each and every (kotogotoku) sin of man.” Sono Kirisutosha wa mochimono o oshiminaku koto goto ku Shu ni sasage- mashita. “That Christian gave to the Lord his possessions without sparing even one thing (koto goto ku).” When expressing the idea of “increasing” or in the negative of “decreasing,” the reduplication of masu is used. Kare no shinkoo wa masu masu tsuyoku natte itta. “His faith became increasingly (masu masu) stronger.” Kare no shinkoo seikatsu wa mishinja no yoo na oko- nai ga masu masu nakunatte itta. “His life of faith shows less and less (masu masu, decreasingly) of the works of unbelievers.” Another often used “double-folded” word is shimi jimi. Ac- cording to its usages, it can mean, “keenly, deeply, thoroughly.” A synonymous term is tsuku zuku. Shimi jimi is usually used with the verb, kanjiru, “to feel,” although it can be used with other verbs. Seisho o yomi hajimete kara jibun no jiko chuushin no fukasa o tsuku zuku omoi shirasareta. Kami no ai no fukasa to yurushi o shimi jimi to kanjisaserareta. “since I began reading the Bible, it has keenly (tsuku zuku) brought to my mind the depth of my self-centeredness. I can deeply (shimi jimi) feel the depth of God’s love and forgiveness.” Yuku yuku is a good “double-folded words” to express the course of progression. Yuku yuku wa kono dendoojo wa jiritsu shita kyookai to narimasu. “This evangelistic group meeting will finally progress (yuku yuku) into a self-sustaining church.” Nihon no kyookai wa yuku yuku zensekai ni senkyooshi o okuru beki desu. “The church in Japan as it progresses (yuku yuku) must send missionaries to the whole world. These juugo, “double-folded words” are usually adverbs but there are adjectival reduplicated terms also. For example: yoo yoo taru zento, meaning “the great and rosy future.” Yoo means “ocean” 80 Towards Picturesque Speech so the reduplication makes it to have the meaning of vastness or boundlessness of the ocean. The opposite expression is bi bi taru. Bi meaning “insignificance, minuteness.” There is also doo doo taru, ‘dignified, majestic, grand.” There are many more Japanese Juugo terms that cannot be listed here. One can go on and on: san zan, “severe, harsh, terrible, thorough, utter”; or, han han, “half and half, fifty-fifty, by halves.” The pronunciation yo can come from three different kanji expressing three different “double-word” meaning such as yo yo, “world after world”; or another kanji meaning “age after age or generation after generation”; and finally, “night after night.” There are still others such as, miru miru, reduplication of seeing expresses the idea of “in an instant, in a twinkling of an eye”. Naku naku, “ tearfully, with tears, weeping”, and figuratively, ‘with an aching heart - heavy heart or with bitterness.” So there are many “double-folded words” in Japanese. Naka naka ooi desu. Naka naka means “very exeed- ingly, considerable, quite.” The Japanese are very fond of using juugo to express their feelings. The use of these “double-folded” terms will help the missionary to be more expressive of his thought and feelings to the Japa- nese. And perhaps, they may give you a ban ban zai.

81 82 The Gospel Step— Preaching the Word in Japan

83 13 The Japanese Word for God

The Japanese word for god has its origin in the Chinese word shin. When Buddhism gained adherents during the 6th century, this word came into use in order to differentiate between Buddhism and the indigenous Japanese religion. It is recorded in the ancient writings as kan nagara which means kami nagara no michi and thus, shinto-popularly translated as “the way of the gods.”

Nara and Heian Periods The gods of the Nara and Heian periods were spirits that resided in a given area or mountains, streams, trees or fearsome animals. These spirits were called in the manyo kana reading kami. Manyo kana is a system of writing that uses Chinese characters and a form of pronunciation for writing Japanese words. In these writings, they distinguished between the kami meaning up and kami meaning gods. The Chinese character for ka was the same but in differen- tiating between up and gods, the mi Chinese characters used for 84 The Japanese Word for God up and gods were different. It was thought by some that anything above or higher than man was the fundamental idea of gods but through recent philological research, this idea of god has changed. The manyo kana writing called the following things gods or kami: Among animals, wolves, ookami the tiger, tora snake, hebi and the fox, kitsune were referred to as kami. The lightning, kaminari, mountain, groves, and rivers had their resident chinza kami. Ghosts, ap- paritions and the like were also referred to as kami. It is concluded from these usages of kami that gods were spirits tama that resided in animals and natural inanimate things and in unnatural phenomena which arouse awe and terror against which man is no match. This idea of gods as tama (spirit) appears in terms such as ko- dama (spirit of trees), kotodama (spirit that lives in powerful words of men), funadama (spirit that lives in boats and ships) and other combinations of the word tama.

Kojiki Record In the kojiki (Ancient Annals), the gods resided in the Takamaga- hara (high heavenly plains) from which lesser gods descended to earth. These gods are essentially agricultural. The important ones are Tsukiyomi (god of the moon), Yamatsumi (god of the mountain), Wadatsumi (god of the sea), Ikazuchi (god of trees) and Orochi (god of snakes which has mythical relationship to rivers). The idea that these are gods residing in these material things is fundamentally the same tama (spirit) concept of god. The people believed that these gods could bring calamity or prosperity to them. Since water is the basic need for survival in a rice culture civilization, the people placated or appeased these gods in order to secure a good harvest. The people lived in the low lands and water flowed from the mountains, “the high heavenly plains.” To appease these gods, they set appropriate times of “worship” according to the agricultural seasons. They designated a place and time for the calling of the god (tama) to come upon a prepared “body” such as a branch of the sakaki tree or a prepared place built 85 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission with three elements. These are rock, tree or branch and earth which when built is called yashiro. Later, it was enclosed with a building called a jinja (Jin is shin meaning god and ja which is yashiro). Offerings were made to insure a good crop or good fortune. These offerings were made to appease or placate the tama (spirit) so that they would not incur wrath but receive their cooperation in insuring a good harvest. To determine the response of the gods to their offerings, various forms of contest are held before the shrine (jinja). In some areas of Japan the contest could be wrestling, or racing of two horses from the bottom of the hill to the top where the shrine is built. Another form of contest is the tug-of-war with rope made of rice straws. Whatever the form the contest may take, the outcome of the contest decides the response of the god to their plea. Through this element of chance, their god relays his message. It is this idea of chance which is carried into the form of omikuji which are written oracles of god picked by lot. When tama (spirit) comes to embody an object, the object is called shintai (body of god). The body of god can be a mirror, a sword, a religious symbol (mitegura), a tree, a huge rock, a forest, or even a mountain. In later periods of history because of the influence of Buddhism with its Buddha statues, the body of god could be an engraved statue. Since the god as a spirit enters the object, the body of god is never the object of worship. They worship the spirit in the body of god (shintai). When the attendant of the embodied god becomes the “body” of the tama (spirit), whatever he speaks becomes an oracle. This is shamanism. This form of shamanism was banned in Japan by the ultra nationalists of the Meiji era, who wanted to present Japan as culturally equal to the western world. Yet, there remained pockets of this form of shamanism called ogamiya, who practiced in semi- secrecy. From one of these practicing ogamiya came the Tenrikyo religion of today. 86 The Japanese Word for God

Ancestral Gods Another form of Shinto gods is the ancestral or clan gods. There is some controversy as to the origin of these gods. Some think that these ancestral or clan gods originated from an ancestor who had extraordinary powers by which he benefited those of his clan. After his death, his spirit resides in this earth and he cares for his people. After scores or centuries of years, his great exploits were remem- bered but his human frailties are forgotten and so he is deified. The Meiji shrine is a good example of this. Others think that ancestral or clan gods came from the tama (spirit) residing in a local area where a certain clan made their home. The clan that lives in that area took the resident tama (spirit) as their god ujigami (clan god). The Yamato clan took Amaterasu Oomikami as their clan goddess. Because of the Yamato clan’s early political ascendancy, it helped to form the imperial family of today. Another aspect of this clan god can be found in the special powers of certain Shinto gods. Its logical origination came through the distinctive exploits of the clan which lived in the territorial resident of that god. Of such is the Hachiman shrine in Kamakura city. This Hachiman god was the clan god of the Usa clan of northern Kyushu. During the Mongolian invasion of 1274, the Usa clan distinguished itself in battle against the Mongolians. From that time, the Hachiman god was adopted by the Kyoto imperial court as a god who protects against military invasions of Japan. The god was transported to Kyoto and installed in a shrine. After the Minamoto clan defeated the Taira clan in 1185, the Hachiman god was transported to Kamakura, the seat of the Mina- moto shogunate. This god took on the special power of giving victory in battle and so became known as the god of war. Today, this god is noted for giving success in the “battles” of life. This same development can be said of the Inarisan. It was at first the clan god of the Hata clan in Fushimi, Kyoto. This god was noted for its power to bring in a good crop, and so today, it is believed to prosper people in merchandising and commercialism. In this fashion, cer- 87 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission tain gods became known for particular powers in a special area of human activities. The more popular a god became, the more believers it drew. Since distance became a problem in seeking the favor of a particular god, the idea of branch shrines came into being, much like a branch office of a leading bank. So today, there are Hachiman shrines and Inari shrines and many other popular gods in other parts of Japan. The proliferation of branch shrines made it easy for the Japanese to feel free to mairu (to visit in order to worship) other gods if they did not receive any benefits or blessing (goriyaku) from any one god. They feel this way for the simple reason that gods have power in a particular regional area or that it is good only for a certain kind of power. Today, the word kami connotes an additional meaning. When Francis Xavier landed in Kagoshima (1549) and led the Roman Catholic missionary endeavors, he and his aid, Yajiro, were faced with the cultural barrier of implanting the idea of an omnipotent and sovereign God of the universe. They attempted to find an indigenous word to express this idea of God with Dainichi (great sun) but soon realized that they could be mistaken for the Shingon Buddhist sect. With no indigenous word to express the sovereign God of the universe, they invented a new word, Tenshu (Lord of heaven) to be read phonetically as Deos. In the Meiji era, when a great influx of western technology and culture came like a flood into Japan, the idea of the sovereign God of the universe was again introduced. The Japanese use the term Bunmei kaika Jidai (the period of open door to civilization) to char- acterize this period of their history. The Japanese translators began translating western books. In their translations, they struggled to translate the western idea of God. Some bold attempts were made. Some translated God as ten (Heaven) under the influence of the Chinese concept which teaches that heaven is the place where the spirits that control the earth reign. Others translated God as Jootei 88 The Japanese Word for God

(the King of kings), or Otentoo Sama (personified as the sun) and even others dared to translate it as the “real God.” Of all these translated terms none became universally accepted usage. In this same era, Protestant missionaries entered Japan and were actively preaching the gospel. The translation of the Bible was undertaken by Dr. Hepburn (1815-1911). In the translation of the Bible, a cultural barrier for the translating of the scriptural idea of God arose. After much discussion, the translators finally decided upon the word, kami. The translation and publication of the Bible exerted great influence in introducing into the Japanese word, kami (god) the additional idea of the omnipotent and sovereign God of the universe.

Westernization As the Japanese became westernized, the introduction of western idea of God through translation of the western books and the translated Bible created a bifurcation of ideas in the word, kami. On the one hand, the traditional animistic idea of kami as tama (spirit) is still instilled in the minds of the Japanese. Today’s advanced technologically oriented society is unable to discredit the traditional tama (spirit) idea of gods. On the other hand, although the Christianized idea of God can be conceived by the people, the abiding inclination of the masses is still the tama (spirit) idea of gods.

Common Grounds There are some common grounds of thought with this kind of animistic concept of gods. 1) The recognition of the existence of the world of matter and the world of spirits (Eph. 6:12; et al.). 2) There are spirit forces stronger than man (1Pet. 5:6-9; Acts 19:13-16). 3) Man can communicate, however crudely, with the spirits of the unseen world (1 Sam. 28:7; Acts 13:8-10). 89 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

4) Man can gain benefits by worshiping them (Matt. 4:8-9; Col. 3:5). 5) Man can be possessed by these spirits (Matt. 9:32-34; et al.) and speak oracles (Acts 16:16). Concerning these animistic concepts of gods, the God of the Bible commands that, “You shall have no other gods before me.” “You shall not make for yourself an idol...” “You shall not worship them or serve them...” This is the great foundation of our gospel. There can be no compromise. Therefore, the scripture categori- cally forbids communications with spirits in any form; be it sorcery, magic, divination, or even partaking of “meat” offered to idols. “... the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God...” (1 Cor. 10:20).

Application Knowing these facts concerning the Japanese idea of god, the missionary should not use the word kami apart from scriptural adjec- tives that identify the biblical concept of God. He should address God in his prayers as Go zai ten no Kami sama (God who resides in Heaven) or Zenno no Kamisama (Omnipotent God) or Chichi naru Kami (God who is my Father ) or simply, Ten no Otoosama (Heav- enly Father) but not just plain Kamisama (god with honorific). In preaching, use scriptural attributes to identify Him as the God of the Bible: soozoo no Kami (God of creation), or Ai no Kami, Megumi no Kami (God of Love, Grace) and many others. Scriptural attributes in combination with kami will communicate clear biblical concepts of God to the Japanese people.

90 14 Preaching the God of the Bible

Protestant missions to Japan have left the translated Bible as a legacy to Japan. Through the translation of the Bible, many gospel terms were coined through the corresponding words of the Japanese language. Central to the translation of the Bible is what Japanese word would best translate the God of the Bible. Instead of coining a non-existing Japanese word, zeos (written as Ten Shu), as the Roman Catholic mission did, the translators chose Kami for God. Although the Japanese concept of Kami is inadequate in expressing the God of the Bible, it gives a point of contact with the Japanese.

Misconceptions The idea of kami in a polytheistic (tashinkyoo) religious society, leads to a great many misconceptions of the God of the Bible. The hearers will conceive only the idea of Kami in their own religious understanding. The most popular idea would be the Kami of the 91 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

West or Christianity. If they have many gods in Japan (yaoyorozu no kami), it is understandable that there would be a god for the people of the Western world. Another reaction would be, even if the preaching of the God of the Bible is clearly monotheistic (isshinkyoo), the Japanese could accept the only-one-God (yuiitsu no kami) according to their religious responses and practices. Even as they have sought the blessings (goriyaku) and favours (kami no kago) from their kami, in the same manner they will seek the kami of the Bible. The Japanese have a very strong sense of self-help as in the same idea of “God helps those who help themselves.” It is hard for them to conceive of God who rules the universe and can know even the heart of every being. Kurushii toki no kami danomi (seek god’s help in times of sufferings) is generally their concept of kami. When times are good, sawaranu kami ni tatari nashi (uninvolved with any god, brings no curse) and when one kami cannot meet your need another kami can (suteru kami areba tasukeru kami ari). Preaching the existence of God (kami no sonzai) is not the problem, but preaching the monotheistic concept (yuiitsushinron) of God with all the biblical attributes (kami no zokusei) is a barrier overcome “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth” (I Cor.2:13). Acknowledging the God of the Bible is by faith, “for he that cometh to God must believe that He is” (Heb. 11:6).

Jesus and Paul It is not facetious to say that Jesus had no problem in teaching and preaching God to the Jews for they know of whom Jesus spoke. Although the Jews misinterpreted the scriptures and were without faith, nevertheless they knew the God of the Bible. When Jesus declared that God is His Father, the Jews in righteous anger sought to stone Him for making Himself equal to God. It was even harder for Paul to preach God to the Gentiles with their multitude of gods and goddesses. Paul’s evangelistic experi- 92 Preacing the God of the Bible ences in Lystra and Athens, as well as his letter to the Romans clearly mark out the way to deal with paganism with all their gods. Paul’s basic approach was to present the God of the Bible as the God of creation (soozoo no kamisama).

The God of the Bible The missionary should use his Japanese Bible in the following verses and familiarize himself with the biblical words and concepts found in them. He should read aloud the Japanese verse and sum- marize the concept doctrinally. (a) Acts 14:15 says that the God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it is “ikeru Kami” (the living God). (b) Acts 14:7 In this verse, God is the God of grace (megumi no Kamisma) for He supplies man’s every need. (c) Acts 17:24 Here, God is preached as the God who made the world (sekai o tsukutta kamisama) and the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth (tenchi no shu de arareru Kamisama). (d) Acts 17:26 God is preached as the God who controls the destiny of nations (kuniguni o tsukuri dasu Kamisama and kuniguni o osameru Kamisama). (e) Acts 17:27 & 28 God is the omni-present God (fuhenzai no Kamisama). (f) Acts 17:30-31 These verses speak of the God who will judge in righteousness (Seigi o motte sabaku Kamisama). (g) Romans 1:18 God reveals Himself as actively against unrighteousness (fugi ni taishite bassuru gi naru Kamisama). (h) Romans 1:19 God reveals Himself through His creation (hizoobutsu o tooshite gojibun o keiji suru Kamisama). The missionary can use this form of preaching the attributes of the God of the Bible from any verse.

Creation Story of Japan Creation is not a completely alien thought for the Japanese. Many are familiar with Kojiki (Record of Ancient matters) and Nihongi 93 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

(Chronicles of Japan). In both books, the creation story is found in the age of the gods (kami yo). The creation story relates how Japan was created. Except for Onogashima, all of the rest of the islands of Japan and all the phenomena of the Japanese world were created by the mating of Izanagi (male god) and Izanami (goddess). Death and destruction of the fleshly body came through the birth of fire which fatally burnt Izanami. After her death, she had to go to Yomi the land of the dead. When Izanagi longed for his wife, he entered Yomi but he barely escaped death. When he washed himself from the filth of Yomi, all the diseases causing death were brought into this world. For this reason, cleansing from evil rather than forgiveness from a Holy God is basic Shintoism. Buddhism does not deal with the created world, for the whole physical world is an illusion. At best, the physical world is “center stage” where living things act out their destiny/karma, which leads to reincarnation. Sookagakkai type Buddhism stresses the blessings of the “here and now” world. Preaching the God of creation involves the revelation of original sin (genzai) which is sin committed by our ancestors, Adam and Eve. (Watakushitachi no sosen Adamu to Eba no somuki no tsumi). Use Romans 5:12-21. It also involves the truth that God, the Creator, is sovereign over all that He created, both animate and inanimate things. The Japanese will struggle to grasp this concept of God.

Communicating biblical Concepts Communicating Jesus Christ also has its problems. Most Japanese think that Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity. They tend to think in this way for Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. Some would even think that Jesus Christ is unrelated to the God of the Old Testament and would take Him to be a lesser God to be wor- shipped as they do the Seven Fortune Bearing Gods (Shichi Fuku Jin) or any special patron god. The missionary must present Jesus Christ as the Son of God but 94 Preacing the God of the Bible not as a son of god according to the Shintoist idea of higher gods begetting lesser gods. Jesus Christ is God from eternity past ; He is not a lesser God. The Japanese mind will tend to accept the fallacy of a hierarchical order of relationship of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their vertical social relationships naturally fit this concept. It is most difficult for them to accept the fact that the three Persons in the Trinity are equal to one another. The deity of Christ can be shown by His acts in the creation of the world (John 1:3). Preaching the fulfilment of prophecy is one of the best ways to show the unity of the Godhead and the unity of the Old and New Testament. The Japanese mental frame finds it difficult to embrace God, the Father, as being loving and merciful and gracious (ai to Jihi to megumi) because the average Japanese do not experience this from their fathers. The qualities that God, the Father, has in being long-suffering and forgiving and supplying all our needs while being strict as well as all-sacrificing, fits the image of a Japanese mother rather than a father. Mother image has a most powerful hold on the Japanese. The Japanese language betrays this, for they do not say “fatherland”, as they do in the West but Bokoku, “Motherland” or sokoku” (ancestral land), but not fukoku (Fatherland). God, the Father, as authoritarian figure is lost among the Japanese, for in this post-war era, the father is not feared, as the saying used to go, the things to fear are earthquake, lightening, fire and father (jishin, kaminari, kaji, oyaji). This is not true now. Jesus as the obedient Son who sacrifices His life for the will of the Father can be appreciated and understood by the Japanese. The teaching of Confucius on filial love to parents leans towards this teaching. The most difficult to teach is the third person of the Trinity, God, the Holy Spirit. The best term to use in Japanese is Go seirei or Seireisama. If one uses the term Mitama (honorable spirit), it may confuse the hearers. All living things even inanimate things have a spirit (tama). Ancestral worship is based on the worship of 95 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission the (tama) of the dead ancestors who are able to cause things to happen in this physical world so that it would bring good fortune to those who worship the spirits of ancestors. The dead spirits (tama) can also bring a curse (tatari). The missionary must teach the personality of the Holy Spirit to be in the same personality and character as the Lord Jesus Christ. “He shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:16). “Another” means the same personal characteristics as Jesus Christ. (Iesu Kirisuto to dooshitsu no tasukenushi o ataeru). With Jesus Christ sitting on the right hand of God, the Father, the Holy Spirit comes to minister to us even as Jesus did minister to His disciples. (Iesu Kirisuto ga Michichi no migi no za ni orareru no de, Iesu ga chijoo de deshitachi ni tsukae yashinawareta yoo ni, Goseirei ga watakushi tachi ni tsukae yashinatte kudasaimasu.)

96 15 Communicating the Word “Life” in Japanese

The single word “life” in English connotes 21 different meanings according to its usage in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. If this is so in English, the missionary must be sure what connotation of the word “life” he intends to communicate to the Japanese. He must be sure also of the Japanese word which accurately expresses what he intends to communicate. The Japanese language currently utilizes the kun yomikata or wago, the original Japanese pronunciation and expression of ides, and the on yomikata or Kango, the imported Chinese pronunciation and expression of ideas. In the Shinkaiyaku Bible, “life”-inochi is not written in kanji which would express the idea of “life” in a Chinsese way. Since it is written in hiragana, it gives the reader the kun or wago, Japanese expression of “life”. The translators were very wise to take the kun or wago expression because the kango for “life” written in kanji can signify a number of specific meanings which may or may not accurately connote the meaning intended in the particular 97 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission context of the Bible passage. “Life” in “kanji” is expressed in a number of ways. The “kanji” for inochi has the kango reading of mei and retains the idea of fate or destiny. Its combination with sei, life, as in “being born” and “having life”, is seimei, expressing the whole of one’s life as in seimei hoken, life insurance. Life as a span of life, however, is shoogai as in Kirisuto no koo shoogai, the public life of Christ (Japanese theological term: the public ministry of Christ). Jinmei is human life as in Jinmei o soncho suru, to hold life sacred. Under the Buddhist idea, meinichi is the anniversary day of the one who died. And, of course, unmei is fate or destiny. The idea of life as being generated is ikiru in wago and sei in kango. Thus it is used in wago for being born umareru. Kore ga Betoben no seika desu, “This is the house in which Beethoven was born.” Seika is sei, to be born, and ka, house. Since sei has to do with generating of life, it is also used of all forms of life including the animal and plant life. Haeru, sprouting or germinating, is the kun reading for plants. “All that has life will die.” is sei aru subete no mono wa kanarazu horobiru. If life is so the combination of sei and shi, death, means life and death as in seishi no toosoo, living is life and death struggle. Seishi sadamarinai hito no unmei is “Life and death is an undetermined or unexpected factor in a man’s destiny.” Then, there is seizon, life as in existence. Seizon kyoosoo, struggle for or competing for existence, can be put in terms of Darwin, “survival of the fittest.” Another kanji read in wago as ikiru, life, as in action, is katsu, meaning to be active, alive, mobile. The kanji combination of katsudo is to be actively engaged, thus, Sakan ni Fukuin dendoo no katsudoo o suru, “To be fully and actively engaged in gospel evangelism.” Fukkatsu is resurrection. Shu Iesu wa shi kara fukkatsu sare- mashita, “The Lord Jesus was resurrected from the dead.” Katsuyoo means put to practical use. Seisho no chishiki o nichijoo seikatsu ni katsuyoo suru, “Make practical or apply Bible knowledge to your every day life.” “Morning devotional times will nourish you with 98 Communicating the Word “Life” in Japanese vital power for Christian living,” is Asa no kojin reihai no jikan wa anata no kurisuchan seikatsu no katsuryoku o yashinau. By the combination of sei and katsu, we have a most versatile Japanese word. Seikatsu, as life, stresses the practical and concrete ways of living. Seikatsu, way or manner of living, is used in all aspects of Japanese life. Seikatsu in its use in individual’s life: Kojin seikatsu, personal manner or way of life. Shoku seikatsu, personal manner or way of life as pertaining to food. Fuufu seikatsu, manner and way of life of husband and wife, or married life. Otona no seikatsu, manner or way of life of an adult. Kodomo no seikatsu, manner or way of life of a child. And many more combinations dealing with the individual’s life. Seikatsu in its use in collective manner of life: Shakai seikatsu, manner or way of life of a society. Shuudan seikatsu, manner or way of life of an organized group. Katei seikatsu, manner or way of life of a home or family. Noomin no seikatsu, manner or way of life of farmers. The same will apply to gyomin, fisherman, Roodoosha, laborers, sarariiman, salaried man and with other collective social life. Seikatsu in its use with place: Nihon no seikatsu, manner or way of life in Japan, or Nihonjin no seikatsu, Japanese way or manner of life. Gaikoku no seikatsu, manner or way of living abroad, which can be combined with the name of specific country. Tokai no seikatsu, manner of life in the city. Inaka no seikatsu manner of life in the countryside; Any other combination is possible with a regional designation. Seikatsu, manner or way of living, is an all encompassing word. When used in the context of the Christian world, the following are some good examples: Shinkoo seikatsu, manner or way of living one’s faith and it could 99 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission be restated as Kurisuchan seikatsu, Christian life. Kyookai seikatsu,, manner or way of church life but would have a slight difference with Kyookaiin no seikatsu, stress is as a member of the church. Bokushi seikatsu, manner or way of a pastor’s life which could also have other combinations with Senkyooshi, missionary, Den- dooshi, evangelist, etc. Fukuin no akashi toshite no seikatsu, manner or way of living as a witness of the gospel, to which can be added yakuin, chooroo, etc. One caution must be made. By delineating the specific areas of life in which the kind of life is to be lived, the Japanese tend to compartmentalize these differing areas of life. While shinkoo seikatsu and Kurisuchan seikatsu may seem to cover the whole life, it could mean to a Japanese the equivalent of Kyookai seikatsu, manner or way of life in the church. The Japanese is prone to think this way because of their understanding of the word seikatsu. Neverthe- less, this is a spiritual problem. It is easier to compromise with the way or manner of life with the secular world and isolate Christian living to the church alone. Seikatsu deals with the concrete and specific manner or ways of living. This being so, the missionary must disciple the believers, first as living example, and second, teaching the Bible in its practical application to every day living experiences of the Japanese.

100 16 Buddhist, Bushido and Biblical Views of Life

Once again spring has ushered in the cherry blossoms. The symbol of the Emperor is a fall flower, the sixteen double-petaled chrysan- themum, but the symbol of Japan and its people is a spring flower, the cherry blossom. Since ancient times the belief that there are life-giving forces in nature has drawn the Japanese to relate to nature in such forms as the landscaped garden, flower arrangements, and bonsai. By being in direct physical contact with flowers, they hoped to absorb in some way these life-giving forces. In some areas of Japan, they even raise flowers which are edible. The Japanese realize that nature can teach them a way to live and for this the cherry flower is the best teacher, Yo no naka wa minu ma no sakura ka na, is the most well known proverb. “Life is as short as the three-day viewing span of the cherry blossoms.” The meaning of this saying can be understood by looking at two distinct philosophical views of life, the Buddhist and the Bushido. 101 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Buddhist View The Buddhistic meaning of this proverb views life as short and ever changing. This idea is carried in another saying dealing with the cherry blossoms. Tsuki ni muragumo; hana ni kaze. The full moon can be shaded from view by the clouds just as cherry blossoms are blown to the ground by the winds. The word hana can only mean the cherry flower, for only it can be spoiled by the wind. The Buddhistic philosophy is evident here teaching that all life’s good things can easily be upset by the changing fickleness of clouds and wind over which man has no power. This results in akirameru, to give up and forget, a basic Buddhistic way of life.

Bushido View The second philosophical view of life is Bushido, the way of the warrior, roughly equivalent to chivalry. Hana wa sakuragi; hito wa bushi. “The best tree is the cherry; the best man is the warrior.” In feudal days, the samurai was a man of letters, self-possessed and trained in martial arts, an ideal man. He should be as brave in death as in life. The cherry blossom is a good illustration of this. Though its lifespan is for only a few days, it remains pure and unstained. When its time to die comes, it does not cling to life but falls gently to the ground still beautiful to behold. It remains clean and pure in life and death. These two concepts of life still remain in modern Japan. There is a patient striving for life but suddenly for some almost impercep- tible reason an abrupt abandonment. What wind or cloud caused this failure? There are others who like warriors protest their innocence by suicide or resignation from an office.

Biblical View May we as Christian missionaries live a different way. “For what is your life? It is even vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof 102 Buddhist, Bushido and Biblical Views of Life falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.” “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (James 4:14,15; I Peter 1:24-25; Psalm 90:12)

103 17 Tsumi in the Context of Preaching the Gospel

Wherever and whenever the gospel is preached, the cross is the central message of love as Apostle Paul declared, “For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him cruci- fied” (1Cor. 2:2). “For God so loved the world...” (John 3:16). Yet, that love of God can be truly understood only as the cross is preached as the sacrifice for sin, for “He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sin of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). So, the word tsumi, sin, is a key word in the preaching of the gospel of the cross. Every missionary has been taught that tsumibito as a biblical term is a sinner and the very same Japanese kanji characters are read zai(tsumi)nin meaning criminal. It is plain that the word tsumi, sin, connotes a different meaning outside of the biblical context. The Japanese, without any biblical knowledge may hear the same word but may understand it in its secular meaning according to their own context of life. 104 Tsumi in the Context of Preaching the gospel

Tsumi as a Legal Term Tsumi, to the Japanese, in a legal context means the breaking of the law. Tanin no okane o toreba nusumi no tsumi ni towareru. If you take someone else’s money, you will be charged with the crime of theft. So, then, anyone who breaks the laws-tsumi o okasu-commits a crime. If anyone is involved in “shady” dealings, he is said to be doing something sinful, tsumi na koto o shite iru. The other extreme is goku aku no tsumi, the most evil crime. The word tsumi in a compound kanji is read zai. In the Japanese court the judge’s decision would be either yuzai, “have committed crime” —guilty, or muzai, “have no act of crime” —not guilty. The person who is pronounced guilty is a zainin, “criminal.” Although these legal terms of tsumi are not currently widely used, a person, in court, can plead innocence by saying, Tsumi no nai mono desu, meaning, “I have not committed the crime,” or, plead guilty, tsumi ni fuku shimasu, meaning, “I plead guilty, or I throw myself on the mercy of the court.” Kare wa sono tsumi o yurusareta means, he was acquitted for that particular crime. When these three sentences are used in the gospel message, it can mean: “I have no sin; I admit my sin; he was forgiven his sin.” The context determines the meaning of the word.

Tsumi as an Ethical Term Ethical and moral ideas are expressed in inter-personal relationships. Tsumi gains ethical meaning within the framework of the web, like inter-personal relationships in a social group. When someone causes an inconvenience to another because of a delay, he would say, Enin no tsumi o shasuru, “I apologize for my sin of procrastination or delay”. In moral issues of time he would say, Jikan no roohi wa isshu no tsumi desu, “the wasting of time is a kind of sin”. Other expressions in this category are: Okane o misete wa tsumi desu, “to tempt him with the sight of money is wrong”; Kono shippai wa dare no tsumi desu ka? “Who is to be blamed for this mistake?” Sono tsumi wa watakushi ni aru, “the fault is mine;” Sore 105 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission nado wa mada tsumi no nai hoo desu, “those things can be hardly classed as being morally wrong;” Kodomo ni wa tsumi wa nai, “Chil- dren are too young to know right and wrong”; Sono tsumi o nikunde sono hito o nikumazu, “condemn the offense, the sin, but condemn not the sinner in the context of gospel preaching”. Expressions like the following will give yet another view of the moral implications of tsumi, involving others: Tsumi no nai uso, a harmless lie; the same as uso mo hooben. Tsumi no nai goraku, harmless amusement or hobby. Tsumi no nai koto o yuu, to say harmless things. Thus it can be readily seen that to the Japanese mind, it is a moral tsumi if someone is wronged or harmed. As in the legal context of tsumi, so in the ethical, the contextual element decides the meaning of the word. Examples are: 1. Watashi ni wa tsumi wa nai, “I am not at fault.” 2. Tsumi wa watakushi ni aru, “the fault is mine or I am to be blamed.” 3. Tsumi kara sukuu, “to be saved from faults.” 4. Tsumi nashi to suru, “to acquit from blame.” These same expressions in the context of gospel preaching, can mean: (1) I have no sin; (2) Sin is in me; (3) To be saved from sin; (4) To acquit from sin.

Tsumi in the Religious Context The word tsumi in the Japanese religious context is almost non- existent except in compound words such as shuku zai (tsumi) which is the same as shuku go and zai(tsumi)ka. These words refer to bad works done in the life before the present life. The Buddhist doctrine of rinne, “transmigration of souls,” teaches that there is zense, “life before this present life,” gense, “the present life,” and raise, 106 Tsumi in the Context of Preaching the gospel

“the life after this present one.” One’s bad works in the past life are the cause of the evil circumstances of the present life. If one would be able to live a life of good works in this present life, when he dies and returns to earth again (transmigration of the soul), he will gain a better life circumstance which may help him break the cycle of transmigration which is Karma and, thus, enter Nirvana or Nehan in Japanese. Japanese Buddhism has many sects and their teachings vary greatly but one concept is constant: obtaining Nirvana depends on go, (works) which one has done in the past life (zense) and the good works one will do in this present life (gense). Thus, one earns his way into Buddhist salvation. This principle is Jigoo jitoku (one’s work begets one’s profit). Popularly, it is spoken dispar- agingly of people who get their just desserts for their eveil works. In Western idea: “reap what you sow.” Bonnoo (passions and lusts) hinder good works. The Buddhist counts 108 bonnoo which “dogs” the way to Nirvana. The saying goes, Bonnoo no inu o oe domo sarazu, “One may try to chase the dogs of bonnoo but they never leave you.” Devout exercise of Buddhistic shugyoo (ascetic devotions and practice of austerities) should make it possible to cut the bonds of bonnoo. Incidently, to aid people from their bonnoo, the joya no kane (temple bell) is tolled 108 times to ring out the old year. In Shintoism, the idea of sin is absent, for the great concern of the Shinto religion is to be cleansed from evil spirits and to be placed in a favorable position of the right gods/or of the spirits of ancestors. The evils of calamity, misfortune, disaster, and ill luck are called yaku. Yaku yoke are means of warding off these evils. De- pending on what evil a person wants to avoid, he selects the right shrine or the right prescribed method of worship and numerous other Shinto practices, such as jichinsai, “pacifying the spirit of the land before putting up a building on a site.”

Tsumi in the Context of the Gospel Since the average Japanese has no biblical knowledge to conceive 107 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission of the meaning of tsumi concept in legal and ethical terms, tsumi, in gospel preaching and teaching must be given full biblical content. Genzai (tsumi) “is original sin.” Genzai to wa ningen ga umarena- gara ni shite tsumi o okasu no wa shiso Adamu to Eba no dazai (da “is to fall” and zai is “sin”) no kekka desu. “Original sin is human beings’ sin from birth because of the result of the fall into sin (dazai) of our first ancestors, Adam and Eve.” Adamu to Eba wa soozoo no Kami no kotoba ni shitagawanakkata fujuujun no tsumi o okashite imasu. “All, who are not doing the Word of God, the Creator, are defying or acting against His will (mikokoro ni somuku) and so they are sinning.” There is the phrase, Somuki no tsumi, “a sin of rejection and deliberate enmity.” These are just a few examples of the use of tsumi which sum- marize the biblical idea of sin in Genesis, chapters 1-3. There are many other Bible passages which necessitate the use of the word tsumi in order to make the preaching of the cross biblically contex- tualized. There are, also, cognate words expressing sin in the Bible which are translated other than tsumi. However the case may be, the important factor is to give those terms of sin biblical content in the context of the preaching of the gospel without being misunder- stood by the pervading Japanese cultural context.

108 18 The Meaning of Gi

Basic to the preaching of the gospel is the word, righteousness. In the Japanese Bible, gi is the basic translation for righteousness.

Deep Roots Gi, with its many compound words, has very deep roots in the Japanese culture. It is one of the five universal virtues propounded by Confucius which were adopted into the Japanese society during the Tokugawa Era. There are five universal virtues: Jin-”Benevolence;” human-to-human relationships Gi- “Righteousness;” right social relationships Rai-”Propriety;” observance of social customs and manners Chi-”Wisdom;” making right decisions Shin-”Fidelity; or sincerity;”—the trust between persons. The second of these five universal virtues deals with the relationships within the social structure. Gi, also, has five basic interpersonal social relationships. 109 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

These five basic interpersonal relationships of gi are still being practiced today in some form or another. It has not been practiced as strictly as in other eras but it is generally resorted to in all of the major events in the life of the Japanese such as weddings, funerals, and in all the relationships in family, school, and company. Fusai is the relationship between husband and wife. This relationship points out differences of the life roles of male and female. Chooyoo is the relationship of the younger giving precedence to the older as in the older brother and younger brother relationship. It is the basis for the sempai-koohai (senior-junior) relationship in today’s society. Hooyuu is relationship between friends.

Secular Meaning The Japanese secular meaning of gi (righteousness) has to do with human relationships and the right observance of these relationships is called giri ninjoo (right thinking and human feelings). While the rightness of things is inherent in the Japanese meaning of gi, it is exclusively based on human relationships with a strong vertical authoritarian pattern. Although gi is purely righteousness of interpersonal relationships, it wields a powerful influence on the Japanese people. Gi wa kunshin; joo wa fushi. By gi the emperor is the highest authority to the people but according to joo (human feelings) it is the relationship of father to his children. With such slogans, militarism gained political power in prewar Japan. Gi o mite sezaru wa yuu naki nari. “Seeing the right thing to do (in a certain social relationship) and failing to do it, demonstrates the lack of courage.” Sore o suru koto wa gi ni oite shinobinai. “Concerning such things, I cannot bear to do it on humanitarian (human to human) grounds.” Watakushi wa gi ni oite, kare o tasukezaru o enai. “He will die for a just cause” (fulfilling of obligation or duty in a gi relationship). There are records of men in Japanese history who did not count their lives 110 The Meaning of Gi dear in order to free their fellow man from oppression of petty officers to the lord. In making these formal accusations, they often had to sacrifice their lives even after successfully righting the wrong. People who are virtuous in their relationships are called gi no katai hito (a person who keeps right relationship without breaking them). And a man who willingly fights for maintaining the right relationships is called, gi ni isamu hito (courageous for gi). Gi no atsui hito is one who is faithful in performing his social relationships with deep human feeling. Then there is also rigai o sutete gi ni shitagau hito, a person who does not count the gains or losses in obeying the right demands of duties and obligations of social relationships. Gi, therefore, demands a tremendous sense of duty and obligation in social relationships. While it is true that today’s younger generation has “watered down” the harsh prewar demands of gi relationships, it is still the basic pattern woven in the “warp and woof” of the fabric of Japanese society.

Biblical Context Since preaching and teaching the gospel is done in the Japanese language, we must use Japanese words to communicate God’s Word. Some Japanese words share biblical meaning even though the words themselves had no contact with the gospel. In the case of gi (righteousness), there is no corresponding meaning to share with the biblical meaning of righteousness, gi and its compound words are used in the Japanese Bible. Gijin (just person) as in “The just (gijin) shall live by faith,” means in the Old Testament one who has met the demands of the Law by faith. And so Joseph, being a “just man”, sought to meet the demands of the Law by attempting to put Mary away. In the New Testament, because of the cross and the resurrection, they who believe are justified by the free gift of God. And that is the meaning of “The just shall live by faith” in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. This same word, gijin, in the past meant a person whose loyalty to his master was unquestionable in the gi 111 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission relationship of kunshin. Thus, it is imperative, in preaching and teaching the gospel, to give gi and its compound words, its biblical meaning. Fugi (unrighteousness) in secular Japanese means unfaithfulness in a marriage relationship. Adultery breaks the right relationship of fusai. Fugi is used in Romans 1:18, “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness (fugi) of men.” The context of the verse dictates a meaning other than illicit intercourse or adultery. Fugi, then, has a biblical concept of sin. The thoughts and actions of man are weighed according to the absolute norm of God’s own character. All that does not meet His standard is fugi or biblical unrighteousness. When Abraham “believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him as righteous” (Gen. 15:6), the Japanese Bible says, gi to mitometa and in Romans 4:9, Aburahamu niwa, sore o gi to minasareta and in verse 11, gi to mitometa. The Lord declares that by faith Abraham was reckoned righteous (gi to mitometa-minasareta). This “reckoned as righteousness” is an exclusive biblical meaning and the Japanese theological term is ginin (gi combined with nin-mitomeru, recognize). The judicial or forensic meaning of gi in the Bible is evidenced best in Romans 3:26, “To declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness (gi) that He might be just (gi) and the justifier (gi to mitomeru) of him which believeth in Jesus,” the first gi denotes the character of God as righteous and the second and third gi are judicial in meaning. In Colossians 4:1 we read, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just (seigi) and equal.” In another verse, “having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14), is translated, mune ni wa seigi (righteousness ) no muneate o tsuke,” “Justice” in the first verse is “righteous” in the original. Both are translated as seigi which is a compound word made up of seigi tadashii, meaning to be straight, correct, and exact, plus gi. The Japanese meanings of seigi are as follows: 112 The Meaning of Gi

Seigi o tsukusu,- “Do all you can until justice is done.” Seigi no tame ni tatakau- “Join the battle for justice.” Seigi wa tsui ni katsu- “Justice or right will prevail in the end.” This term does share some of the meaning of justice and righteousness of the Bible but it does not carry the basic biblical meaning of God’s justice and righteousness in dealing with people and with the host of evil spirit beings. “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). “Righteous judgment” in the Japanese Bi- ble reads, tadashii sabaki o shinasai. Tadashii means upright, truthful, and honest when it deals with people. Kare ga yuu koto mata suru koto wa tadashii- “What he says and what he does are right or correct.” Tadashii michi o ayumu, “Walk the true (or right, or straight) path.” Tadashii hito wa kokoro ga tadashii, “A just man is a man with a right (or just) heart (or correct thinking mind).” But the Bible says, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). “The righteous” is translated as tadashii monotachi wa. Thus, the biblical meaning of righteousness does not correspond to the secular meaning of tadashii.

Application It is common knowledge that the Old Testament is written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. God used human words to express His mind and heart to mankind with His exclusive meanings. All the translations from the original biblical languages are also human words expressing divinely intended meanings. The Japanese language is no exception. The key to communicating God’s message is to be aware of the secular human concepts of a given word and to fill that word with the biblical content in order to preach and teach the gospel in all its power.

113 19 Aganai, the Heart of the Gospel Message

The Lord Jesus declared that “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mk.10:45; Mt.20:18). The heart of the gospel message is made plain by a single phrase: “to give His life a ransom for many.” The Japanese Bible translates this phrase: Ooku no hito no tame no, aganai no daika to shite, jibun no inochi o ataeru tame desu. The ransom, aganai no daika, is the price paid for the release from slavery in the Graeco-Roman world as well as in the Bible situations of captured people (Is.45:13) and of accidental man- slaughter by an ox (Ex. 21:30). But there shall be no ransom paid for a guilty murderer (Num.35:30-32). He must be executed. This idea of ransom, aganai no daika, in the New Testament oc- curs only in this passage but it is explicit in the Old Testament sacrifice which foreshadows the cross, “by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption, eien no aganai (Heb.9:12). 114 Aganai, the Heart of the gospel Message

Aganai, the noun, and aganau, the verb, have two kanji forms. The usual form for buying back as in the idea of ransom is read in the on yomi, (Chinese reading) as koo. This kanji form of aganau or “redeeming of buying” deals almost exclusively with money. Shichiya kara aganai motomeru, “seek to redeem (a pawned article) from the pawn shop (shichiya).” In today’s usage it is usually in a compound kanji such as, Aru dake no okane de sono tochi o koonyu(ko-aganau and nyu) suru, “He purchased (koonyu) land with all the money he had.” The other kanji for aganau in on reading is shoku. This kanji form means “to atone for,” or “paying an indemnity.” This particular aganau deals definitely with tsumi, sin, although the Japanese word, tsumi has a different concept than the Bible. Tsumi no tsugunai o suru, “To compensate” or “to make restitution” is redeeming (or atoning) for sins (fault or offense). Tsumi horoboshi no tame no kane (or buppin, goods) de aganau, “Redeem by abolishing sins with money or goods.” Tsumi no tsugunai (making restitution for sins), Tsumi horoboshi (destroying, abolishing, blotting out sins), Tsumi no umeawase, (fulfilling the corresponding cost of sin) are ideas involved in the word aganau, or the kanji shoku. This kanji form is used in the Japanese Bible for redeeming. To redeem is aganau or aganai dasu. Redemption is aganai. The redeemer is aganainushi. In gospel preaching and teaching, the following will be some examples: Shu Iesu sama wa juujikajoo de watakushi no tsumi o aganaimashita, “The Lord Jesus redeemed me from my sins on the cross”. Mattaki no tsumi no sonaemono to shite Iesu wa watakushi no aganainushi to narimashita, “By His perfect sacrifice for sin, Jesus became my Redeemer” (Saviour). Tsumi no daika o haratta Iesu sama wa juujika no kurushimi o ukete kudasaimashita, “Jesus paid the price for sin by taking upon Himself the sufferings of the cross”. 115 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Watakushitachi no tsumi o aganatta shu Iesu wa yomigaetta, “The Lord Jesus, who redeemed us from our sins, rose from the dead.” Aganai is the heart of the gospel message. In the older Japanese Bible the compound kanji, shokuzai was used. Shoku, (aganai) and Zai, (tsumi) means “redeemed from sin.” The church terms usually follow this term. Shokuzai sha, “the redeemer;” although aganai nushi is better. Shokuzai kin, “the ransom money;” tsumi no daika. Shokuzai fu, “the indulgence certificates” (Roman Catholic). Shokuzai no inori, “prayers to help those in purgatory” (Roman Catholic). Whenever it is possible, it is always more effective to use Japa- nese language in the kun or wago reading such as tsumi no aganai, rather than shokuzai, which is the kango reading. A word that is closely related to aganai is nadame, to appease. The blood of Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins. The Bible term for propitiation is nadame no sonaemono (I Jn. 2:2; Rom. 3:25). God’s wrath and anger towards sin is appeased by the satisfaction of the death on the cross. As a general meaning of appeasing anger, the classic example is Jacob’s approach to Esau on his return to Canaan with his family. “I will appease him with the present that goes before me,” (Gen. 32:22). The Japanese people do have some idea of turning aside punishment as found in some of their ancient writings. Ayamari o nadameru hiroki nasake, “Cool the anger or wrath (nadameru) against the transgression (ayamari) with an enlarged compassion.” Nadame naku kibishiku okonae “Punish severely without any slacking of the wrath.” Thus, in the ancient era, the idea of appeasing wrath or anger was in the word, nadameru. In the present day the emphasis is more on appeasing the anger between people. 116 Aganai, the Heart of the gospel Message

Kenka o nadamete, nakanaori o saseru, “Calm down the fight and bring reconciliation.” Are kore to nadamete, aite no kimochi o hogosu, “Think of may ways of turning aside the opponent’s anger and bring a relaxed feeling.” The central idea of turning aside anger and wrath is related to the idea of aganai as the result of redemption. The aganai is the price paid for redemption which is the nadame no sonaemono, the propitiation, which resulted in the turning away of God’s wrath. Tsumi no aganai no daika o haratte, shu Iesu sama wa watakushi tachi no kami no miikari no nadame no sonaemono desu, “The Lord Jesus paid the price of redemption and became the propitiation that turned away the wrath of God.” Tsugunau “to compensate” or “make restitution” is another aspect of aganau. The general idea of tsugunau is to make up for the loss incurred. Sonshitsu o tsugunai ete amari aru, “Offset the financial loss” (sonshitsu) and having more than enough. Sono rieki wa hotondo sonshitsu o tsugunau ni itaranakatta, “The financial gain (rieki) was hardly enough to offset (tsugunau) the financial loss.” Thus, we have the idea of meeting the demands of a loss. Tsugunau used in a compound word, benshoosuru, has become familiar in the present world of suits before the court. The Shoo of benshoo is the kanji of tsugunau, and so it means to pay indemnity for lost life, property, and injury. Tsugunau in the Bible would correspond to restitution. But this word can be used in preaching and teaching the Bible in the following examples: Kami ni taisuru tsumi o okashita mono wa sono tsumi no tsugunai wa dekimasen, “The sin committed against God cannot be paid back or the loss be recouped (tsugunau).” Kirisuto wa juujika no aganai ni yotte watakushi tachi no tsumi no tsugunai o shite kudasaimashita, “By the redemption of the cross, Christ paid in full for our sins’ cost.” 117 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

The third word that aganai is related to is minoshiro, “in place of a person.” This is not a biblical term but the idea of ransom and redeeming is involved. In old Japan, it was a practice to sell a member of the family in order to survive. The money received in this practice is called minoshirokin, “money paid for the price of a person.” In more recent Japan it is the ransom money in kidnapping crimes, minoshirokin yuukaizai. Minoshiro goromo refers to the clothes left behind so that the family can sell it for money. At other times, it means the clothes of a departing person being dedicated to some idol. The dramatic Japanese example of this idea is found when a rich customer of one sold into prostitution pays the price of her freedom, the minoshirokin. The one who pays the price is called miukenin, and the act of buying back the freedom is miuke o suru. This can be richly illustrated in the preaching of the gospel of aganai by what the Prophet Hosea was commanded to do. And in the New Testament, “I am carnal, sold under sin,” which is in Japanese, watakushi wa tsumi aru ningen de ari, urarete tsumi no shita ni aru mono o minoshirokin to shite juujika no aganai no daika o hara- imashita, “The Lord Jesus bought back those who have been sold into bondage of sin by the redemption paid on the cross.” Gisei is the fourth word that clearly expresses the idea of aganai no fukuin, the gospel of redemption. Gisei originally means animal sacrifices (ikenie). But in ancient times, there were not only animal sacrifices but hito mi go kuu a compound word composed of the kanji, person-body-honorable-sacrifice, meaning human sacrifice. In very difficult Japanese, the emperor’s decree concerning the war declaration at the Yasukuni Shrine is as follows: Jitsu ni hajime yori heiwa o gisei to shite, sono hiboo o togen to suru mono to omou wa suru bekarazu, “Verily, from the very beginning, that mistaken ambition was to be accomplished by sacrificing (gisei) should have never entered the mind.” The idea of sacrifice is rooted deep in the Japanese mind. Now, there is one aspect of gisei which has the meaning of being 118 Aganai, the Heart of the gospel Message victimized or being a victim. Sensoo wa kanarazu yuushi no inochi ga gisei ni naru, “Valiant men will surely become the victims of war.” Tonneru kooji wa tasuu no giseisha o dashimasu, “Building tunnels claims a great number of victims” (giseisha). Kotoshi no roodoo funsoo wa hitori no giseisha mo dasanakatta, “This year’s labor offensive did not cause anyone from being dismissed” (giseisha o dasanakatta). For today’s Japanese, the idea of jiko gisei, self-sacrifice is mean- ingless. But, in the recent past, they were people who knew the meaning of self-sacrifice. Kookyoo no tame no jiko no rieki o gisei ni suru, “Sacrifice one’s personal gain for the community or public good.” Haha wa kodomo no tame ni wa ikanaru gisei o mo oshimanai, “The mother will not count dear whatever the cost of sacrifice may be for the good of her children.” Jibun no koofuku o gisei ni shite oya no nozomi o hatasu, “He sacri- ficed his own happiness in order to accomplish his parent’s wish.” In the present the following could be said to true. Konnichi no wakamono wa giseiteki seishin ga nai, “Today’s young people have no spirit of sacrifice.” Giseiteki hooshi o suru hito wa sukunai, “There are very few people who sacrificially serve others.” But, there may be some still willing to sacrifice. Ano hito wa giseiteki seishin ni tonde iru no de yorokonde chikara o kashite kudasaru, “That person is rich in sacrificial spirit so that he would gladly lend his strength.” The idea of gisei is so clear that it would be easy to use these terms for the preaching and teaching of the gospel of aganai. Naze naraba, Shu Iesusama wa watashitachi no tame ni saidai no girei o haratte kudasatta kara desu, “Because the Lord Jesus paid the greatest sacrifice for us all.” Other words that carry the idea of aganai are migawari, “substitution,” and batsu o ukeru, “receive the punishment.” Chuushin no kerai wa tono no migawari to natte shinda, “The faith- 119 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission ful vassal died as a substitute for his liege lord.” Kare wa yuujin no migawari ni sono tsumi o kite, batsu o uketa, “He became a substitute for the sin (crime) of his friend by taking the blame (tsumi o kite, put on the sin as clothes) and took the punishment.” Batsu o ukeru koto o osorete, migawari o tateta, “He feared the punishment that was to be layed upon him (batsu o ukeru), so he made someone the scapegoat (migawari o tateru) or set up a substitute, i.e., framed up someone else.” These terms are quite easy to work into the heart of the gospel of aganai. Shu Iesu sama wa watakushi tachi no migawari to natte juujika no kurushimi to shi no tsumi no batsu o ukete kudasaimashita, “The Lord Jesus became our substitute and took upon Himself the punishment of our sins on the cross of suffering and death.” Surely, His aganai, atonement, redemption, is the substitution of our sins, Masa ni Shu wa watakushi tachi no tsumi no migawari desu. May the Lord help us preach and teach the heart of the gospel of redemption by using these words to fullest advantage.

120 The Mission Step— Building His Church in Japan

121 20 Overcoming the Preaching Barriers

Name the most successful missionary of the ages! It’s the Apostle Paul. Yet, even Paul flunked one day. Paul had a greater advantage than the present missionary does-the world of his age was one world and the language was one (in that Greek was understood wherever he went). He also had the advantage of the Hebrew synagogue where the Word of God, however incomplete, had been taught. Many of the Gentiles too had tasted and had seen the high moralistic life of the Jews. But when Paul was thrown into a situation of modern missions, he fell into some of the all-too familiar mistakes of our day. Look at the record in Acts 14:8-18. There were no synagogues in the completely pagan city at Lystra. In the course of preaching the gospel, Paul found a ready listener who was born a cripple. Paul healed this man when he perceived that the man had faith to be healed. The healing of this man, who had not walked in his life, is the convincing proof of the mighty work of God. But did this miracle call forth faith in the God 122 Overcoming the Preaching Barriers of Paul’s gospel though it was the work of God? The rest of the incident tells otherwise.

Overcoming Pagan Religious Thoughts Modern missionaries can learn from Paul’s experience. We preach the inspired Word of God. We believe God’s Word is as powerful as in Paul’s day and that the Bible when preached will transform lives as it brings faith in the only Savior of sinners. As this gospel is preached, the same kind of reaction can be found in our day as in Paul’s. They hear the Word of God and yet they understand it to mean just another god to fit their own pagan concept of god. In my student days in Chicago, I led a young nisei to the Lord. He was overjoyed . He attempted to tell others of his faith. When Christmas came he carefully selected a Christmas card with a message of salvation for his unsaved mother. He wanted his mother in Hawaii to come to know his Savior. His mother was happy to know that her son was a Christian and was relieved that her son would not fall in with evil companions. When she received the Christmas card, she promptly set it up on her god-shelf to be prayed to for the well-being of her son. In another case in Kyoto, a Christian hospital screened their prospective employees but one of the accepted Christian employees was found to pray to kitchen gods within the hospital kitchen walls. How many other instances can a missionary recall of profess- ing Christians with pagan understanding of our Lord. Even as Paul was thought to be Mercury and Barnabas to be Jupiter, so also in our missionary preaching of the gospel we must cross the difficult barrier of pagan religious thoughts and psychol- ogy. We ought to know what the Japanese mean when we use their pagan terms for God (kami) or religious acts of worship, such as faith (shinkoo). Let us check and double check so that they who profess salvation know it according to what the Bible meant it to mean.

123 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Breaking the Language Barrier The second barrier in the preaching of the gospel is the language. Paul found the language to be a barrier too. The healing miracle was shouted to the crowds in the Lyconian tongue that their gods had come down in human form. The people came with the high priest of Jupiter to make sacrifice and to worship. Paul and Barn- abas were not aware of what the people were saying, but they knew what the people were up to when they heard the crowd coming to sacrifice and to worship them. They had to bodily restrain the Lyconians from worshiping them. No harder task is there than the study of language. Every missionary can testify to this great barrier, yet it must be conquered if effective mission work is to be accomplished. Anyone can find exception to this but the exceptions are not the rule. It still remains our most difficult barrier. Our effectiveness in the discipling of believers is still limited by our lack of a full grasp of the language of the people. Many of us can say that in spite of our lack of language fluency God has won certain ones to faith in Christ, but how far short have we come in leading them into a deeper walk of faith, perhaps because of our limited language ability. Although every language has subtle meanings in its usages, the Japanese language is by far the most expressive of hidden and minute meanings and connotations than any language of the industrialized countries of the world. Take the word “ee” for example. I thought I had a seeker ready to pray the penitent prayer of salvation when I asked if she wanted to believe. This was after an hour-long explanation of the gospel. But I missed the inflection that meant she was not ready for the decision - she meant to be non-committal for the moment. I blundered ahead and had her pray after me. It was in God’s mercy that she was soundly saved a week later by herself when the bus she was riding nearly plunged over an embankment. I am sure you too have had many an awkward moment in which you did not quite know what was required of you even though you 124 Overcoming the Preaching Barriers knew all the words spoken. These awkward moments should drive us to continue to grow in the understanding of the language that we may become more effective in our missionary ministry.

Applying Christian Truth in Culture The responsive actions of the people of Lystra toward Barnabas and Paul were not only religious but also cultural. While the Greeks and Romans also worshiped Jupiter and Mercurius, they worshiped in their own cultural way. For culture, in one major aspect, is the conditioned expected responsive act to a given stimulus. Take the American. When he greets another, it is the handshake. One or the other starts the stimulation by extending his hand and the other responds by grasping the extended hand. No wonder the Japanese had to combine handshaking with bowing. He is conditioned to bow, yet he is now meeting an American. Put this another way, culture is the total way of life endowed by those generations which have gone before. The ideals are transmitted to the successive generations. They change according to the influence of economic and political environment. Japan has tried to meet this change by keeping one foot in the past within their home and personal relationships, while keeping the other foot in the twentieth century’s industrial revolution. This double character of the changing Japanese culture confuses the missionary. So western in their dress but so Japanese-like when they enter a Japanese home. So easy to converse on modern inven- tions and western things but so hard to understand their decisions and their motives. Just because they are abreast with the West does not mean that they are western in ideals and life. Missionaries have found that the Japanese believer does not vote on issues on an individual basis but by general consensus. This stems from concern over relationships with one another. Even the simple act of tithing is much different from that practiced by the American. The understanding of their culture is an area in which the missionary must go deeper in order to lead souls out into the 125 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission acceptable way of life as taught in the Bible. As a general rule where it is not contrary to scriptural principles and direct teaching of the Bible, let believers Christianize that part of life which is in their culture.

Be Not Slack In Good Works One positive act that Paul can teach us is the Christian act of doing good to others wherever and whenever we can. The lame man already had faith. Yet, Paul healed him. We must become not only a blessing to the people in spiritual matters but also in matters of physical needs. Our gospel is for the salvation of the whole man. The good that we can do need not be over emphasized to the extent that we forget or minimize the gospel, but neither should we forget the good works which our Lord commanded us to do. Disaster relief by the combined missionary community of Japan is one good way of accomplishing this part of our ministry. There are others that should be considered. A much blessed ministry is the teaching of English. The community is upgraded and grateful. At the same time, many real contacts for the hearing of the gospel come to the missionary. Serve in a genuine way! Do good! You will find response to your message!

126 21 The Decision Making Process

Bible faith demands decisions- decisions for salvation and Christian living. The western individualistic view of life leaves each person to be fully responsible for his decisions concerning his own life. In contrast to this, the Japanese view life as belonging to social groups so that his personal decisions come after consulting either overtly or convertly the group’s consensus. This consulting of group consensus makes for a time-consuming process in making decisions. The alert missionary will soon catch on to this decision making process by observing a Japanese evangelist when he is pressing for decisions at the end of the evangelistic sermon. The evangelist will ask for decisions not only for faith in Christ for salvation, but also, for decisions to keep coming to church or attendance at Bible classes. Such multiple appeals for decisions reflect the social being of the Japanese.

127 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Single Step Decision Rare The social group ties of the individual Japanese can be breached with the gospel in successive decisions that will lead to salvation. At the point of decision for accepting Christ as Saviour, he has finally arrived at the decision to break ties with his other social groups and enter a new social group. Such breaks are hard to make in the western idea of a single step decision. While not restricting the power of the gospel to save (Rom. 1:16), the social ties of the individual Japanese are such that a single step decision for faith in Christ is rare. Personal relationship of some sort becomes the first contact with the gospel which leads to first time appearance at church meetings where the gospel is presented. Then, the Japanese is confronted with the decision to continue appearing at meetings or to end the relationship. If the decision is made to continue, then, in due time the person will be faced with the decision to buy a Bible and seriously read it for himself. At this stage, he may attend Bible classes or even seek out person to person instructions to help him understand. This decision to read the Bible may lead him to the decision for salvation. This pattern of decisions may be compressed in a shorter period of time or reversals of decisions may be made even after arriving at the decision of being baptized. In the case of reversals, his social group ties overcame his decisions. While these successive decisions are being made, the Japanese is battling within himself for the moderation of his ties with his immediate social groups of home, neighbors, school or place of work. Such decisions do not come easily, for he has to count the cost of believing and following the Savior. In some cases, he is cut off from his immediate social groups.

Christ’s Teaching Jesus made it plain that those who believe in Him are His disciples and therefore must love Him supremely above all other human and social ties of “father or mother,” “son or daughter,” and even his 128 The Decision Making Process own “life” (Matt. 10:37-39). For the Japanese, this is a painful decision for he is making a break from the group consensus by his own individual will against the group. It is really a great triumph of the work of the Holy Spirit in leading the individual Japanese to make decisions in the face of group consensus. After the decision for salvation comes the rather difficult decision to be baptized. Whatever meaning baptism may hold for the missionary, to the individual Japanese it means a formal step of breaking away from complete allegiance to his family and other social group ties and binding himself to the social group of the church. How clearly this is taught in the baptismal preparation makes this decision a true commitment to the social group of the church. This makes for life commitment which influences all his other social ties. The preparation of each believer to exercise his spiritual gift is the responsibility of the leaders of the church. Now the individual believer is faced with a group consensus in making a decision to serve in the church. The cost of serving the Lord is now measured in time, money, and physical and spiritual strength even as Jesus said concerning the surrender of relationships to “house” (in Japan it involves the whole neighborhood), “brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children or lands.” But, those that serve will be richly compensated for their services (Matt. 19:27-29).

Group Consensus Since serving in the church is by group consensus, as in any other Japanese social group, the missionary must be careful in the ap- pointment or nominating for election of all leaders of the church. He must be aware of the group consensus concerning the individual who is to be recognized to be their leader or any other position within the church. The missionary must, also, be sure that the individual has the spiritual gift to perform the assigned task. Thus, the missionary must involve the whole group in the decision of the individual to serve the Lord. 129 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Depending on the kind of decisions being sought, the group’s decision or consensus is made by individual consultation of the members of the group or seeking advice from the older members of the group or discussing it as a group. The missionary secures the consensus on the one hand and on the other, he must be sure that the individual appointed to any task must have the Spirit-given gift as well as being equipped (Eph. 4:12). There are, then, biblical qualifications being recognized by group consensus. Since most churches do not start with a nucleus of believers, those who come to the meetings come with no true understanding of the church. In order to keep them coming, the missionary treats them as guests. In a real sense they are guests of the Lord. As they pass through the successive decisions which lead them to faith and baptism, there must come a time when they must decide to serve the Lord in the church. It is a process of moving from being guests to being those who serve the guest. In this process, the church grows in number and strength and then comes the self-recognition that they, not the missionary, must bear the very existence of the church. This self-recognition is a group decision. It is the decision of taking on the responsibility of finances, of functions and of services of the church. With the coming of the Japanese pastor, there will be new alignments in the inter-personal relationships within the group. The members are faced with a new set of relationships as far as leadership is concerned. No two ministers of the gospel are alike, although their call to preach is the same. Yet, in matters of the essentials of faith and practice, there must be strong similarities between the missionary and the Japanese pastor. The missionary who planted the church and the pastor who is called must share essential unity in faith and practice. If this is lacking, there will arise disunity because the church will be unable to make group decisions caused by polarization of leadership around the dissimilarities of faith and practices. Since the church in its earliest beginnings was from the Jewish 130 The Decision Making Process nation, there were no cultural barriers in the decision process of recognition of leadership (Acts 1:15 -26). One recorded problem within the church erupted in the ministration of physical needs when the Greek -speaking members had grievances with the He- brew speaking members (Acts 6:1ff). Cross-cultural leadership crisis occurred in the New Testament church when the Holy Spirit led the church to include the Gen- tiles. As the Gentiles grew in number in the church, the Jewish Christian teachers demanded not only faith in Christ as Savior but conformity to the Jewish cultural style of living. The Jewish Christians, being the dominant members, were forcing the Gentile Christians to conformity to their understanding of Christian life style. This kind of cross-cultural crisis is nothing new on the mission field today.

Three Cultural Forces In any given missionary church planting situation, there are three cultural forces. These are the missionary’s church cultural traditions, the missionary’s national cultural life style, and the Japanese culture. Even as the early church called a conference to solve their cross cultural problems in order to preserve the unity of the church by making an over-all church decision to set guide rules, so, also, the missionary must set guide rules which bring the Japanese church into unity by solving cultural problems dealing with Japa- nese life. The commitment to guide rules as principles must be a church group decision. While the believers are discipled individually, the decisions pertaining to faith and practice of the church are a group decision. Any church practice which goes against accepted practices of the Japanese cultural life style, if set by individual decision, will tend to cause confusion and disunity. One example would be the conducting of funerals in Japan. The conducting of funerals is always an important part of any culture. Although death is directly related to the individual in the church, the conducting of the funeral involves the whole church. Death 131 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission comes unexpectedly, so the preparation of the whole church in conducting the funeral, according to scriptural teachings, has to be taught well in advance. The church has to be taught the why and the how of Christian funerals and has to be in unity as to the funeral practices which demand group decision. Bible faith demands decisions both as individuals and as the body of Christ, the church. The decision making mechanism may differ according to culture, yet faith demands decisions. The teaching of the Word, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the understanding of the people among whom the missionary ministers lead to firm decisions made for the glory of God.

From Guest to Host The early experiences of being treated as a guest must now be changed to those of being the host, and reaching others who are still to be treated as a guest. This is a major decision because it is a complete change of role from one who has been ministered to one who ministers. Such change does not come naturally, for the natural man knows nothing of serving and ministering to others. Christians can remain stunted in their growth as long as they expect to be served or be ministered to rather than to minister to others. It begins in the heart of the one who has been born again, and then be taught to follow Christ in the ministering to others. This change in Christian living (of ministering to others) requires solid Bible teaching and discipline in conforming to the Lord - “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister...” (Matt. 20-28). Not only is there the “tide” that pulls them back to the initial experiences of being ministered to as guests, but the decision to exercise their faith in terms of ministering as Christ ministered to others, constitutes a personal crisis in the individual believer. Self-support means that the group is functioning as a unit. The church is faced with a decision in which it needs to act as a group to meet the responsibilities not only of spiritual ministrations but, 132 The Decision Making Process also, of financial needs in land and buildings. Ideally, the missionary builds up the church members from the very outset so that when the group has grown in numbers they are spiritually ready to make group decisions. Since the group decisions are based upon the consensus of the members, there are bound to be the “nay sayers” and the “foot draggers”. This will test the faith of the believers to make decisions as a church group.

Extending a Call Another financial responsibility in self-support is the call extended to a Japanese pastor. While the missionary is fulfilling his calling in preaching the gospel and discipling the believers, his services as a minister are free but with the coming of the Japanese pastor, the church group has to assume the financial responsibility of keeping the pastor. In extending a call to the pastor, the church is faced with a group decision. Much care must be taken to be sure that the decision has a group consensus for without the consensus it has the seeds of disunity which sprout when financial burden becomes heavy.

133 22 Progressive Objectives in Evangelism

Many think of evangelism as a one-step conversation of the unsaved. Proclaim the gospel and the unsaved will either receive the Savior or reject Him. Yet Peter speaks of the Word as “seed”-the life-giving seed. Paul also speaks of “sowing” and “watering” and the Lord speaks of “laboring” and “harvesting”. These terms for evangelism imply a process of growth beginning with the implanting of the Word, cultivating, and then harvesting the fruit. It is clear that there is a progression in evangelism. Ask any Christian about his salvation experience and inevitably he will relate to you the circumstance which led to the hearing of the gospel before he committed himself to Christ. There are the intra- personal or inner circumstances of fear, emptiness, disappointment or many other heart hungers, but there is another set of circumstances which is inter-personal or other-related. It is this second set of circumstances that brought him into contact with the gospel. The inter-personal circumstance, though it is a very significant 134 Progressive Objectives in Evangelism factor in believing the gospel, is set within the person and is un- knowable until communicated. The first objective of evangelism, thus, is to build inter-personal contact. Evangelism begins with the building of personal contact with the unsaved.

Types of Contact The inter-personal circumstances of contact with the unsaved can be of unstructured contact such as “seat-mates” on an airplane or train, or any contact with people which seems accidental. These could be neighbors, co-workers or fellow-students. Family relationships, too, can be included in the unstructured circumstances of contact with the unsaved. Gospel tract distribution and door to door visitation and all forms of gathering of people to hear the gospel are structured circumstances of inter-personal contact. The conditions for interpersonal contact are structured by those who evangelize. In some forms of structured contacts, the unsaved is forced to make eternal decisions in fleeting moments without sufficient knowledge of the gospel. This one-step evangelism ignores the state of receptivity of the unsaved.

Objectives of Evangelism The first objective of evangelism is the building of inter-personal contact with the unsaved so as to generate a desire of seeking our Savior. The missionary should order his life so as to make himself available to every circumstance that will lead to inter-personal contact with the unsaved. These contacts could range from friendly or neighborly acts to mutually enjoyable and profitable activities. Through this personal inter-play of lives these inter-personal contacts should generate a desire on the part of the unbeliever to seek our Lord. Leading from the contact with the unsaved, the second objective of evangelism will be the guiding of seekers to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. 135 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Motives of Seekers Vary Not all inquirers who decide to know more of the gospel are seekers of eternal life. The Lord Himself had two seekers of eternal life who, because of their unwillingness to conform to the conditions of faith, chose rather to follow their own desires (Matthew 19:16- 26; Luke 10:25-37). Today there are, likewise those who seek our gospel from a wrong motive of fleshly benefits rather than true repentance of sin and faith in Christ. Some of the motives of the Japanese attending church services are to improve their social status or their earning capacity or to overcome social handicaps. There are those who come to be cured of some kind of sickness or drinking habit or other social ills. Still others come for emotional needs such as loneliness, fear, anxiety or personal need.

Meeting Needs Whatever the initial motives may have been in causing them to become seekers, the missionary must endeavor to meet their felt needs, however inadequate, in order to turn them to their real need of repentance of sin and believing in the Savior. If their felt needs are partially met they will then be able to hear the gospel and be brought to see the true need. When the seeker discovers his need of repentance for sin and faith in the Lord Jesus, he has progressed into the next stage of evangelism.

Discipling Believers The third progressive objective in evangelism is the discipling of the believer to live his faith in his everyday life. The missionary must know enough of the Japanese life to disciple the believer so that he will be faithful to Christ, his Lord, in the pagan society in which he lives. Most missionaries conduct a baptismal class for those who have believed. This baptismal class is inadequate if it deals only with the meaning of baptism and the requirements for membership in the 136 Progressive Objectives in Evangelism church. It should be a period of discipling by which each believer is taught the Word so that he may know how to live by faith in each particular situation of life. Discipling should be a one-to-one basis in order to teach him to live by faith in his very own life situations. The discipling of believers should include his direct relationship with Christ and how to maintain that spiritual tie with his Savior. He must be discipled to read his Bible and pray in his daily devotions. Then he must be discipled concerning his relationship to church. This is followed by his Christian relationships to his parents and immediate relatives. He must also be taught how to relate himself to his colleagues at work or at school. Finally, he must be discipled to withstand works of darkness - Satan’s works in this world. This kind of discipling is for the lifetime of the believer, but the foundation for Christian living can be laid in this stage of evangelism.

The Building of the Church The fourth progressive objective of evangelism is the building of the church “with gold, silver, precious stones” (1 Cor. 3:12) whose foundation is Jesus Christ. We must remember, however, that a basic concept of the church is necessary if we are to share in its building. The major scriptural figurative terms of the church are the temple (Eph. 2:20 , et al.), the Bride (Eph. 5:31-32, et al.), the household of God (Christians are called “brothers” and God is called “father”, etc.), and the body of Christ (Col. 1:24, et al.). The concept of the kingdom is political with Christ as Lord and King and it is expressed in the New Testament as “church”. This term “church” means (1) the assembly of citizens of a Greek city- state (Acts 19:39), (2) the gathering of the Israelites who are members of the twelve tribes of God (Acts &:38) and of the heavenly assembly of all the people of God (Heb. 12:23), (3) the assembly of all who confess Christ as Son of God (Matthew 16:18-19 and 18:17), which is the church, even the assembly of the people of 137 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

God-thus the community of God. The Japanese believer must then be discipled to become a functional member of the community of God which assembles regularly. As in all communities, the believers must be responsible members. This building of a responsible community of believers is the fourth progressive objective of evangelism.

Group Consciousness For the Japanese the idea of group consciousness is part of their concept of society. They use the word rentaikan. Of course, their idea of building this “linked into one body attitude” (literal translation of rentaikan) is based on the social bonds of obligation (on) and right relationship (giri), which is called today shushin shiki. (Shushin which means “self-mastery” was a compulsory course of study taught in prewar Japanese schools; shiki stands for form or method).

Use of Gifts In distinct contrast to this Japanese concerpt of rentaikan, “group consciousness,” the missionary must build in each member of the Christian community the full use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit functioning as a body of Christ and in the bonds of fellowship as expressed in the figurative concept of the church. The church is to be organized with each member having the “linked into one body” attitude but organized in the way that will be based upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit united in faith in Christ, the Lord.

Saved to Serve Evangelism is completed when the fifth objective of “equipping of the saints for the work of service” (Eph. 4:12 NAS) has been accomplished. Each member of the church progressed from being contacted by a Christian and seeking the Lord to believing and becoming a church member. The final stage of evangelism is to disciple the be- 138 Progressive Objectives in Evangelism liever to serve his Lord. However small or insignificant the service may seem to others, such participation brings joy to the heart of the believer. The task of the missionary is to develop in the converts the gift of the Spirit to its fullest, so that they will be able to serve the Lord. How the missionary or pastor or the church recognizes that each believer’s Spirit-given gifts may vary, but before any spiritual gift can be put to practice, the gift must be recognized by the whole church. One basic criterion for the recognition of the true practice of the Spirit-given gift is that the gift must be a spiritual benefit for the whole church and not to the individual who has the gift. Self- satisfaction and profit should never be the motive.

Joint Evangelism The practice of Spirit-given gifts functions together in evangelism. A believer may have the gift of making contact with the unsaved or the gift of leading seekers to repentance of sin and faith in the Savior, or another may have the gift of discipling believers to live the life of faith while another has the gift to serve in the organization of the church. Thus evangelization of the unsaved will be a continuing progress toward specific objectives of making contact with the unsaved, leading seekers to the Lord, discipling believers in faithful living and building up the church in joyful service to the Lord.

139 23 Discipling in Evangelism

To disciple the nations is the foundational truth of the Great Com- mission (Matt. 28:19-20). This command to disciple the nations is plain but how to disciple in a local mission work must be solved in each field. Discipling the nations can differ according to the socio- cultural “soil” of each nation.

Three Forms of Discipling The “going” and “baptizing” and “teaching” of the Great Commis- sion are the three principle forms of discipling the nations. These three participles (in the Greek sentence structure) modify the action of the ruling verb of “make disciples.” They give the mode of discipling. In making these modes of discipling practical, the missionary must conceive of the church as divers ministries of the Lord Jesus working through His believers. These ministries may be divided into three categories of church ministries. These are (1) the min- 140 Discipling in Evangelism istry of the Word in preaching and teaching and discipling, (2) the ministry of the services of the church, (3) the ministry of evangelizing. These three ministries roughly correspond to basic church structure of (1) the pastor-teacher, missionary, (2) the elder, deacon (yakuin roughly corresponding to the work of the deaconate), (3) the believers of the church.

Role of Missionary Since in the initial stage of mission work, there is no pastor or qualified mature believer for the deaconate or even a congregation of believers, each of the three ministries must be fulfilled by the missionary himself. In other words, the missionary and his wife, including his family and in some cases his missionary associates, are in its most reducible form, the church. As the local church, it must fulfill all its ministries. The missionary ministers the Word in preaching in the services and in evangelistic meetings as well as by teaching in the Sunday School and Bible classes. In these ministries, he is fulfilling the role of the pastor. As pastor, he also ministers the Lord’s Supper and baptism. The missionary, ministering as a pastor, must be competent in discipling. He cannot limit himself to the public ministry of the Word alone. He must minister the Word to individual believers in their daily lives and be able to solve their personal problems through the ministering of the Word and prayer.

Role of Deacons The deaconate serves the believers in the church. Today, the deacons have a more executive and administrative church role but in the New Testament, the term “deacon” has a much broader meaning. A deacon serves others in the church in spiritual and material things. The ministries of the deaconate (yakuinkai) in serving the believers in a beginning church, are fulfilled by the missionary until the missionary is able to disciple believers of the church to serve as 141 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission deacons. The basic function of the deaconate is to keep order in the church by serving the needs of the believers. “Let them serve as deacons, if they are beyond reproach” (1 Tim.3:10 NAS) is the basic criteria to qualify for the deaconate. One of the major ministries of the deaconate is in finances of the church. From the very beginning of the mission work, the missionary should keep a record of all expenses incurred in the planting of the church. It should include the rentals of rooms or halls used for the meetings. All furnishings, such as chairs, organ, pulpit and tables, when bought, should be duly recorded in the disburse- ment of funds. Teaching materials, such as Bibles, tracts, books song books, Sunday school materials, black board and flannelgraph materials are to be included. All items for which money has been spent for the planting of the church are to be recorded.

Church Finance Church financial income, too, must be carefully recorded. If in the initial stages of the mission work, the missionary is using his tithe and offerings, mission funds or his income from teaching English classes, they should be recorded as income. As the church grows, the tithe and offerings of the church are recorded and a monthly financial report is given to the church. In this way, the missionary is serving in the role of a church treasurer of the deaconate. Precise bookkeeping work by the missionary will lay the groundwork for this discipling of a treasurer from among the believers. Good ac- counting by the missionary provides a good financial foundation for the church. The missionary should work from a church budget. It is to be laid out according to the planned program of the church ministries for the whole year. Start by listing dates of the Christian calendar of Easter, special evangelistic meetings, Christmas, New Year’s meetings and others. After laying out a year’s church activities, estimate the cost of each activity. If there is a record of the expenses of the previous year, these could be used to help in the estimates. By add- 142 Discipling in Evangelism ing the current expense to those of the special activities, one will have the total projected budget. Divide the total by twelve to get the monthly budget. The practice of working from a budget will lay a good financial foundation for the church. Another key lay leader of the deaconate is the Sunday School superintendent. In any beginning work the missionary has to fulfill this function of training the Sunday School teachers, selecting the teaching materials and curriculum, allocating of rooms or space, keeping records of the children and the instruction in the use of teaching equipment. Out of the trained Sunday School teachers the missionary will disciple the Sunday School superintendent. Until this is done, the missionary functions in the role of the superintendent. As the church grows, other leaders of peer group ministries become necessary. The following leaders of the deaconate must be discipled from each social group: 1) the leader of the men’s group (danshikai or kachokai) 2) the leader of the women’s group (fujinkai) 3) the leader of the youth group (seinenkai) 4) the leader of the evangelism group (dendotai or dendoiin or homon dendo) The missionary is functioning in all these roles until he can train a leader to serve as leader in each social group. These leaders compose the deaconate.

The Missionary Wife The necessary Spirit-given gifts to fulfill all these ministries may not be found in one missionary. His wife can serve as the women’s group leader until she disciples a believer to fulfill that role. The missionary can ask for assistance from his associates to fulfill some of the leadership roles that he finds himself unable to carry out. It is, however, imperative for a missionary to disciple a leader who will take his place in the ministries of the deaconate. In the early stages of a beginning work, the believers in the 143 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission church may be small in number. No matter how few there may be the missionary must count himself as a member of the church so as to be able to be an example of the believers. The people who come during the early stages of the work, need an example in order that they may know how to conduct themselves as active members of the church. By his example the missionary thus has laid a solid foundation for the discipling of the believer to function as an active member for the church.

Worth Repeating To disciple is to be first an example. Paul commends the Thes- salonians, “Ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,...so that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.” (1 Thess. 1:6,7). The believers imitate the missionary not only in spiritual aspects of Christian devotion to Christ, but also in their conduct of life in the church and in the world. To the problem-church in Corinth, Paul said, “For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus,... who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ as I teach every where in every church” (I Cor. 4:15-17). Because Paul discipled Timo- thy in the “ways” which are in Christ, Timothy was able to be an example and thus able to disciple others. The witness of the saving power of Christ to the unsaved is the ministry of all the believers. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was a fulfillment of the promise in prophecy in which “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Acts 2:17). They will prophesy - speak for God - the gospel of Christ. While the apostles will devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4), all the believers will tell the salvation of the Lord wherever they go (Acts 8:4;11:19-20). For this end, the missionary must himself function as a believer, ministering the gospel to the unsaved. By his example of a witnessing member of the church, the 144 Discipling in Evangelism missionary is able to disciple the believers to witness. The Bible study class in the missionary’s home can become the model and example of Bible study class in homes of believers. The Christians are discipled to become good hosts and hostesses by inviting their neighbors for Bible study. Where the host is gifted by the Holy Spirit to teach the Bible, the missionary can disciple him to minister the Word in his home Bible class for the unsaved. Another area of discipling the believers is in tithing and offering. In this also, the missionary tithes to the church in order that he may set the example as he disciples them to tithe and give offerings. All things are the Lord’s and all is given to men by His grace. The tithe, thus, is the recognition that all that we have is the Lord’s. The Great Commission to disciple all nations, when applied to mission work today, means an active functioning church in all its ministries. The missionary is the church in “embryo”. All the vital ministries are present and functioning in the missionary though not fully developed. In the developing of these ministries, the missionary is the example in order to disciple others to fulfil the ministries of the church’s diverse functions. As the church grows and as the missionary disciples others to function in the ministry of a believer of the church in the service of the deaconate, he finds himself in a changing role. The final step in planting the church is the Japanese pastor who will take up the ministry of the Word and prayer as well as discipling.

145 24 Discipling the Japanese

—A Lesson in Personal Relationships— In a strange land in a strange environment, we learn quickly that we are different, so different that we feel uneasy, and we seek the familiar around us. Some seek to learn and adopt the customs while others try vainly to force acceptance of their own customs. Still others put their own meaning to the words and actions around them. We all have done these things in varying degrees in our missionary lives. One of the essentials of living is relating ourselves to one another. So vital is this aspect of human life that every society on earth has unwritten rules governing interpersonal relationships. The more sophisticated society writes these rules in books of eti- quette and protocol. In spite of these written rules, the uniqueness of human relationships cannot be fully expressed in any book. We learn rules by being a part of society. The great commission commands us to “make disciples of all na- 146 Discipling the Japanese tions.” To make a disciple is a very special form of relating ourselves to others. In our life-time we meet any number of people and we relate ourselves to them...some loosely, others for life (such as marriage), and still others by occupation, by hobby, by race or national- ity, by accident (such as sharing a ride on the train), or by simply existing alongside them. In discipling, we deliberately make ourselves “servants” (II Cor. 4:5) in order to minister the gospel. We seek to build the relationship by employing human bonds of friendship (Luke 16:9). Discipling involves not only the preaching of the gospel but also the teaching and nurturing of those who have believed and this requires secure interpersonal relationships. However, even though we know that our interpersonal relationships are different from Japanese, it seems that many times we still tend to force our own cultural concept of interpersonal relationships on them. We tend to take spoken words at their face value. We don’t try to “read” the meaning of words in their cultural setting. We value a man according to his words and his works. High income speaks to us of ability and achievements even as the Ph.D. after a name. The Japanese are different. They are more like Europeans because they are more status conscious. It is not what is said but who said it at what particular situation...this gives meaning. A Japanese “yes” hai derives its meaning according to the social status of the one who said it and to whom it was said. Thus, the relationship is one of personal social status rather than just the words that were said. We stress the objective words and actions in our relationship while the Japanese stress the subjective moods of the persons involved in their relationships. No wonder a “yes” can at times actually mean “no” according to the relative status of those involved in the relationship. We can build better human bonds in our discipling if we can remember that, to the Japanese, the person is more important than 147 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission the words and actions. The clearer we understand our status of relationship with the Japanese, the more effective we can become in discipling them. In the beginning the obvious status of relationship is the foreigner-friend to the Japanese-American. What can we offer as a foreigner-friend to a Japanese-friend? It might be just good neighborliness, or good will, or the English language. Once we begin teaching English, we have strengthened the human bond in another status of relationship, that of teacher to pupil. Then, we have to be careful to keep the various relationships separate or we will confuse the Japanese and lose effectiveness. There can be any number of relationships. These relationships can be recognized according to the situation in which the relationship is in progress. The greater and broader the bonds of relationships are with the Japanese, the greater are the opportunities in ministering the gospel.

Dollars-Yen We can all remember when we were young missionaries, how when purchasing some article, we figured the price of yen into dollars. But as our service in this country grew into years, we learned the value of the merchandise without comparing it with the dollar. Somewhere in the years of living in Japan we have learned the value of the yen without associating it with the value of the dollar.

How do I relate? In like manner, if we try to live in the Japanese society and try to understand the Japanese interpersonal relationships we can learn to relate ourselves to the Japanese. We can enter into their society...the relationship of personal social status. The idea of emphasizing the person is not completely a Japanese idea. We have words like empathy: intellectual identification with another without emotional involvement. We speak of “getting inside of his skin,” or “walking in his shoes.” This kind of thinking will help us improve our relationship with the Japanese. 148 Discipling the Japanese

When Paul discipled the Corinthians, his interpersonal relationships were with deliberate human bonds (I Cor.9:19-23), but without corrupting the gospel one whit (I Cor.2:2). He discipled them with his whole being so that he could say, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” His relationship was that of a father (I Cor.4:15), as a lover (II Cor.7:3), as the friend of the bridegroom (II Cor. 11:2). All these speak of his discipling the Corinthians according to various relationships of personal social status with them. The next time you disciple a Japanese, just stop and take a few seconds to ask yourself, “In what status am I related to him...a foreigner, a teacher, a pastor, a father in faith?” In your conversation with him, ask yourself “What is he trying to get across to me?” taking into account his relationship to you. This will give new insights in your discipling here in Japan.

149 25 Forming the Local Church

As “planting” and “watering” are faithfully done, the Lord gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). With the “increase” comes the discipling of the believers and the forming of the local church. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). but it is the missionary who builds on this foundation. Paul makes plain that the building materials are the believers (1Cor. 3:9) being discipled for eternal values (1 Cor. 3:12). In the forming of the local church, there is the need for organizing in order that the church will be a functioning “body” of Jesus Christ. In any organization there is the principle of division of labor and rank. In the biblical language of the New Testament, it would be the “talents” and “pounds” which the Lord used in two parables. In the epistles of Paul it is the “charisma”-Spirit-given gifts. These “gifts are the Lord’s, according to the two parables, and, though given to every believer, they are still His for the believers are held accountable to Him. These Spirit-given gifts can be divided into 150 Forming the Local Church positional gifts - (rank in the church) and functional gifts - (division of labor).

The scriptural Record The first act of the church after the ascension of the Lord was the election of Matthias to fill the vacant seat of Judas. Then, by the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, “the Twelve” became “apostles” - sent with authority. They were chosen by the Lord and, by the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were given authority to teach (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13) and so the believers “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine...” (Acts 2:42). “The Twelve” as Apostles were given the position of authority in the church. The inability of providing equally the pastoral goods became the cause for the next step of organization. “The Seven” were elected by the church and by the laying on of hands of the Apostles, they were recognized as having a position of leadership within the church. These “Seven” were to assist in the distribution of goods in the pastoral care of the members of the church. According to the biblical record of the work of the “Seven,” they had a wider ministry than the later development of the deaconate of the Philippian church (Phil.1:1) and of the Ephesian church (I Tim.3:8-13). The principle of position and function in an organization can be clearly recognized. The divisions of labor for function are (1) “devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” and (2) “serve the tables.” The first function is for those having the position of Apostles and the second function is for the “Seven” who were elected to assist in the distribution of the pastoral goods. The first mention of Christian elders is found in Acts 11:30, where the elders of the church in Jerusalem receive the contribu- tions for the famine relief. Since in the earlier chapters of Acts, the Apostles received the goods for the distribution to the believers (4:37;5:2), and since the “Seven” had been elected and appointed to care for the distribution (6:1-6), there must have been a development of some kind of organization in which the “elders” of the 151 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission church became responsible for the contribution and distribution of pastoral goods. It can be surmised that because the “Seven” could not fully fulfill their functions, elders were later elected. These three positions and functions of the early church up into the 11th chapter of Acts, originated differently. The “Twelve” were Apostles by the sovereign choice of God. Jesus, speaking to the twelve after the Last Supper, said, “Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you” (John 15:16). The “Seven” were elected by the church and ordained by the Apostles because of a definite need to share in ministering to the church. Then, in the Jerusalem church where the believers were mostly Jews, the elders were recognized as administrators of the community of believers according to the common Jewish tradition. As the first century churches grew and reached out unto the ends of earth, the organization of the church grew correspondingly. The growth recognized the following leaders within the church: in the epistle of James, “teacher” (3:1), and “elders of the church” (5:14); in Galatians, leaders among Apostles, “James and Cephas and John, who are reputed to be pillars” (2:9) and “teachers” (6:6); in the epistles to the Thessalonians, the non-titled leaders, “them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you” (I Thess. 5:12); in I Corinthians, “first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers” (12:28); in Paul’s captivity letters, Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11); “bishops and deacons” (Philip. 1:1); and in his Pasto- ral letters, “bishops” and “deacons” (I Tim. 3:1-13), and “elders” (Titus 1:5-9). Although the present-day churches may differ in assigning positions and functions to these “titles,” all these speak of the position within the organization of the first century church.

First Missionary Task There is no doubt, then, that the church is an organization in which there are ranks (recognized position) and division of labor (function). In the building of church organization, the first task of 152 Forming the Local Church the missionary is to disciple the believer to function as a member of the church. The minimum function of a member of the church should be: (1) seijitsu reihai genshu-regular attendance of the worship service (when unable to attend, the member is required to give reason for non-attendance by phone), (2) Shu ni aru majiwari o wakechiau-attend one other regularly held meeting of the church for Christian fellowship (prayer meetings, cottage Bible study, women’s, men’s, youth’s meetings etc.), (3) kyookai de no hooshi-serve the Lord in some kind of ministry in the church (being an officer of the church, cleaning the church, Sunday school teacher, host to a cottage bible study class, and any number and forms of service for the benefit of all the members of the church), and (4) gettei ken- kin-regular monthly tithing. The missionary must never forget that these functions are spiritual and, therefore, the members must be activated by faith alone. Positions of leadership within the church such as pastors, elders, deacons and, in Japan, the yakyuin-church council, must, also, have some minimum of qualifications or standards so that the missionary can disciple them to function in their recognized position within the church.

Job Descriptions Needed In order to realize the standards of qualifications of these leadership positions, the missionary should work out a job description of each position. These job descriptions become the function or division of labor for each position. The missionary must exercise his spiritual discernment in recognizing with the church, those Spirit-given gifts of position from among the members of the church. The recognition of leadership gifts- “charisma” is generally by nomination (suisen) and by election (senkyoo). Nomination can be by the missionary or by a nominating committee and election is by the members of the church. For certain kinds of lay-leadership, the missionary can appoint (shimei) and have the consent or approval (shoonin) of the church. Discipling follows the recognition of the leadership position. 153 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Cultural Differences There is one foundational principle that is essential in the discipling of Japanese believers. The American culture stresses the function before the position: that is, a believer must earn his position-he must prove that he is able to do it before he is recognized to fill that position. This is diametrically opposite of the Japanese. The Japanese finds himself unable to function unless he is first given the position. After the church recognizes the position, the missionary will disciple the believer to function by having a period of minarai-learn by watching or kunren-training. Still another term could be used, jun-in preparation, such as jun hitsuji-in preparation to be deacon. Or, in certain cases, the English word, assistant used in a Japanese way, such as nichiyoogakkoo ashisutanto sensei meaning in training while being a teacher’s aid. But, do not confuse the permanent assistant position which is called hosa such as the kaikei hosa-assistant or vice-treasurer. Positions of lay leadership are signified with cho (chief) at the end of the name of the group. All the following church group leaders are designated with cho. Nichiyoogakkoo or Kyookaigakko koochoo-Sunday school superintendent, Fujin kai cho-women’s or ladies’ group leader, Seinenkai cho-youth group leader, as all the following, Kokoseikai-high school, Chugakuseikai-junior high group, Danshikai and Kachokai-men’s or householders’ group. Add to this the Dendo iinkai-evangelism committee, hoomon dendo iinkai-visitation evangelism group and all other committees that are active in an organized church, for iin means committee and the cho will designate the chairman. For positions other than lay-leadership, kakari-one in charge-is used after naming the function. The following are some of the uses of this word: annai gakari (the ka is pronounced ga in compounds) - one in charge of ushering, tosho gakari-one in charge of the library, seisanshiki junbi gakari-one in charge of the elements of the Lord’s Supper. For many other functions the kakari is understood. Uket- suke-in charge of registering those present and absent, shomu-in 154 Forming the Local Church charge of all official church papers, i.e. church clerk or secretary, kaikei-church treasurer, shikai-in charge of leading the worship service or any other kind of meeting, are the most common positions named by just the functions.

Committees As the church grows in number, committees are formed to facili- tate preparation and execution of certain functions of the church. For special evangelistic meetings, the tokuden iin can plan and lead as well as be responsible for the meetings. The church can appoint committees for church retreats and conferences, shuuyookai iin and kenshuukai or taishyuukai iin. The church building committee will be the kaido kensetsu iin or the kaidoo kenchiku iin. Many other functions of the church can be cared for by a committee, whose chairman will be called iin cho. One other category which is distinctively Japanese is the kyookai yakuin kai. Most yakuin kai are made up of the leaders of the church groups, the church officers and deacons with missionary and pastor as the leader of this executive group. The yakuin kai roughly corresponds to the church council or cabinet and functions in most cases as an executive committee-jikkoo iinkai. Church organization does not come in “full bloom” but it is formed from the “root” up, and gradually gaining strength it becomes a well-functioning organization whose generating power is the Holy Spirit.

155 26 Organizing a Japanese Church

There comes a time in every missionary’s life to begin to organize the little flock of believers. He will find that no matter how few the believers there may be, there is already the beginning of a Japanese type of organization. As for the missionary, he cannot help but reach back into his own concept of church organization, which is invariably the church at home. Consciously or unconsciously, the missionary is forming the Japanese flock into the organization of a church which exists in another culture. The organizational pattern of a group of believers is instinc- tive and reflective of the culture of the believers. This makes for misunderstanding and conflict which baffles the missionary as well as the believers. The missionary is convinced that he is organizing the believers into a New Testament church but finds resistance even more than the message of salvation. The believers, too, find the organization presented to them as being more foreign than the gospel. 156 Organizing a Japanese Church

Towards A Solution Organizational church systems arise from historical and cultural influences and from the church’s interpretation of scripture. With- out a biblical core of truth as foundation, the church dies. The church may live by organization alone, but if it is without scriptural foundation, it is no more the living church. The church must have a biblical core of truth as the foundation for its organization. The church, in order to grow, must also meet the needs of the ever changing environment in which it finds itself. As soon as the church finds itself out of step with the cultural changes, it will stop growing and becomes isolated as the Pennsylvanian Amish people, or becomes dualistic as the American Catholic church where religion and society are two distinct worlds. When cultural change is stressed over against scriptural truths, a syncretic church is formed. This reflected in the American liberal theological move- ment. The task of the missionary in Japan in organizing a church can be summarized as follows: the interpreting of biblical truths so that it is relevant to the Japanese and being diligent in retaining the living church’s historical unchanging foundation.

Understanding The Believers’ Needs An understanding of the historical and cultural needs which must be met by the church in Japan will help in organizing the believers into a working church.

1. The vertical authoritarian social structure a. The Tokugawa Shogunate which lasted for over 250 years is the parent and the cradle for the vertical authoritarian society. It designed and carried out the stratification of society. The social structure is made up of the shi (bushi) warrior class; noo (noomin) the land owning farmers; koo (shokunin) the artisan; and shoo (shoonin) the commercial middle man. Notice that the position of the farmers was better than that of the artisan and the business- 157 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission man. And yet, even in the heyday of the Shogunate, the farmers lost prestige and have been regarded ever since as lower than the other classes as the economy changed from rice to gold and silver as the principle basis. b. The Meiji era and the prewar Taisho and Showa era of public eduction emphasized the relationship of each individual to someone above until finally relating to the Emperor. The individual must not see himself as an individual but only as a part of the state, i.e., the Emperor. c. The prewar educated people are still controlling society and thus, the influence of the vertical authoritarian social structure still prevails with some modifying influence of the post-war allied occupation remaining. d. Some form of vertical authoritarian organization must be incorporated in the church in order to satisfy this need in the older believers and in some measure meet the changing attitude towards this vertical structure in the younger generation. e. The post-war generation has been taught the worth of the individual. While they are educated on a liberal, lateral type of social structure-democratic, mostly Deweyism-they are remolded to a great extent by the existing vertical structure when they enter society after graduation. Many are frustrated by the conflict engen- dered between the liberal, lateral ideals taught them and the slow changing society. Some have turned to the church to escape the conflict. Care must be taken not to crush them with the same type of social structure which is outside the church.

2. The Japanese individual needs a. Clarity of status. This is revealed by the great desire of the individual to wear some kind of badge or identifying clothes (meishi is another form). Every working man and every student has a badge. If he lacks a badge, he wears clothes that will readily identify him as of a certain group. Some examples: the young graduates of Tokyo Christian College buy dark bokushi, “pastor”, suits. Again, 158 Organizing a Japanese Church no matter how low a mountain to be conquered or how small an expedition to the mountain, the individual wears clothes that easily identify him, what he is to do. The clearer the lines are drawn for the group, the clearer the individual sees his place in society. Thus, the church must be “tight” in its organization and at the same time supplying a definite status or position for each individual. The principle can be stated thus: the individual discovers himself as he recognizes the characteristics of the group to which he belongs- the individual takes on the characteristics of his group. b. Gnawing need of the acceptance of the individual. Everyone needs this sense of acceptance, but the Japanese individual has almost a “phobia” of non-acceptance or facelessness. When he senses acceptance by the group of his own status within the group, he feels secure. The individual is not secure unless he is in some way accepted and recognized as one of the group. This is called nakama ishiki. The group’s need of him, no matter how small or superficial it may be, should be officially recognized. (The church should practice installation of officers, of SS teachers, dedication of children, etc.) Thus, the clearer these needs are met in the individual’s service within the organization, the more feeling of acceptance is generated and in this manner give security.

3. Recognition of seniority and of status. To the Japanese mind the longer one serves, the greater is his worth. The very word, sensei bespeaks of this fact. Again, at school or shops and offices, all recognize the sempai and koohai status. The church can meet these needs by the recognition of status of education, and social strata before salvation on the one hand and on the other attention must be paid to the length and growth of Christian life. Spiritual maturity must balance the social status of the believer. Thus, the position of the believer in the church is recognized by the spiritual maturity of the believer without ignoring his social status.

159 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

4. Release from the crushing demands of society All the people of Japan find some means of release from social pressures. The pachinko parlors and the drinking bars as well as the entertainment world are all part of their life. Dooraku is the word used in the better sense. The church to some Japanese is the place to find this release. Too much likeness of church organization to the social structure around them may cause pressures which they had sought to escape. Many examples can be cited where apparent- ly strong Christians are absent from church because of the likeness of the pressure of society. There must be that freedom of the Holy Spirit who causes the warm fellowship of love but not of license. The warm atmosphere of a testimony meeting also helps greatly in meeting this need.

5. Acceptance and rehabilitation of the unfit of society. Many have come to the gospel because of the following reasons: Loss of a parent or parents, long illness, especially of T.B., becoming ostracized because of occupation and other reasons which keep them from being classed in the acceptable strata of society. These reasons caused them to seek a group other than social groups of their own society. The church must not shun them, but rather must find a place for them within the church, a home in spite of outcast status, in other words, a status or position not based upon the outside worldly society.

6. Sub-cultural group social consciousness. Even as every sub-cultural group such as the trade guilds in Japanese society provides for all of their social needs, so also the church must provide means to care for birth, marriage, death, etc. The church is to be organized so as to meet all the believers’ social needs. A church cemetery is a must but so also is the recognition of the a child’s birth, the marriage of believers, even counseling for educational advancement and all other social demands made by society. If the social demands are met by the church, the church 160 Organizing a Japanese Church will find her place in the over-all society of Japan. Whatever church organizational structure the missionary is convinced to be scriptural, it will find acceptance if these social and individual needs are met.

161 27 Church Practice and Missions

No Christian is free from church traditions and all church traditions are not evil in themselves. They can either be advantages or disadvantages in the practices of faith in a differing culture and a changing world. Church traditions grew out of scriptural convictions which became accepted practices of faith. These practices of faith are expressed in modes of worship, of life within the church and in relation to the world without. Every missionary bears church traditions of at least 1,947 years since Pentecost. Add to this the various branches of denominational practices which have been transmitted. The missionary must understand that he bears his own church’s traditions before he can evaluate his own church heritage in the light of convictions and mission work. Since the scriptures are the only absolute standard for faith and practice, he must return to the Bible to clarify his convictions in order to test whether his practices hold true to the Word. Then, he must go one step further to test 162 Church Practice and Missions that practice within a culture other than his own. His convictions must not change but the practice of that conviction may change in its expressions in another culture.

Origin of Sunday Worship One universal church traditional practice is the Sunday worship service. There is no direct command or teaching of the Lord in the gospels or in the epistles concerning this practice. The earliest church met daily in homes and in the temple (Acts 2:46;5:42). After the predominant Gentile church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Saul on their missionary journey, they preached the gospel in the synagogues which met on the Sabbath. Here we have the faint beginnings of a seven day cycle of assembly at least 15 to 20 years after Pentecost. It became Paul’s practice to meet the Jews and Gentile seekers in the Sabbatical synagogue assemblies. (Acts 17:2) but he did preach and teach daily whenever he could (Acts 19:9). It is only on the return of his third missionary journey through Troas that there is some evidence of a specified meeting on the first day of the week. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the marrow,” (Acts 20:7). They did not gather to break bread on the first day of the week but rather when they gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them. Besides, this information is the setting for the incident of Eutychus. So this passage is not a conclusive evidence for meeting on the first day of the week. There is yet another passage which warrants attention as to the practice of the early church in assembling themselves on the first day of the week. Paul gave instructions to the churches in Galatia and Corinth to set aside their monetary gifts on the first day of the week which implies a weekly assembly in the churches that Paul was instrumental in planting (1Cor.16:1,2). The idea of the whole church assembling is very clear (1Cor.1:18,33; 14:23), but there were some differences of opinion concerning the practice of the importance of days within a week (Rom.14:5). The practice of as- 163 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission sembling together gained momentum by the time the letter to the Hebrews was written (10:25) and by the end of the first century John writes, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day...” (Rev.1:10) which the churches today take to mean the first day of the week. However meager the scriptural passages which become the basis of scriptural convictions for the practice of assembling of the believers on the first day of the week, the practice itself is not a disadvantage but rather an advantage for the planting of the church in Japan. While the day for assembling is still disputed by the Seventh Day Baptist, the Seventh Day Adventist, and maybe others, the pattern of seven day cycle is as real as the creation of the universe. The assembling of the Christians on the first day of the week is a worthy church practice to keep in whatever culture the gospel is preached. Although there may be agreement in the keeping of the first day of the week as a worthy traditional church practice on the mission fields, there yet remains diversity of practice in how a believers should keep the Lord’s day. The forms of worship, the activities including the Sunday school, and the scheduling of the hours of the activities, and many more practices of the church on the first day of the week are an outgrowth of church traditions which the missionaries inherited from their sending churches.

Worship Times The scheduling of the hours on the Lord’s day is an European church tradition. The agriculturally-oriented society of those centuries set the hours of morning worship and evening meetings because of the chores that needed to be done on the farm. In the keeping of the hours of these scheduled meetings, the American churches tend to adhere to an on-time, on-schedule meeting because of their high regard for time. Would this kind of church practice be an advantage or disadvantage in the preaching of the gospel in Japan? The missionary must answer this question not on the basis of his cultural inclinations but on the accuracy of the 164 Church Practice and Missions communication of scriptural values to the Japanese. There may be a clash of culture between the time-conscious American missionary and the inter-personal consciousness of the Japanese. The seemingly waste of time in the drinking of endless cups of tea and the seemingly nonessential talking could be times in which the Japanese is feeling out ways of establishing a deeper relationship of trust with the missionary.

Form of Worship As to the forms of worship, the more European traditional church practices will tend toward liturgical forms while the American church practices will tend toward a relaxed and informal form of worship. The essential furniture of worship, too, will differ according to the missionary’s church practice. The American will tend to have the pulpit as the center of worship while the European practices will tend towards a split pulpit and centered communion table. To the American missionary, the communion table is secondary to the pulpit and so a make-do table is acceptable for communion service. In the partaking of the Lord’s Table, the American tends to have hygienic individual cups of grape juice, and the European, a single cup of wine and wafers. Of course, there are other variations of practices such as real wine in individual cups and specially baked bread without leaven. Whatever the practice may be, there should be thorough scriptural teaching on communion and on the various acts involved in the communion, such as the significance of the deacons serving the elements, etc. In a country as pagan as Japan, there are countless forms of ritualistic worship and idolatrous customs which could easily be infused into the practice of participating in communion. It has been thought that only an authoritarian structured form of church government can be practiced in Japan. The first organized Protestant church in Japan took on the presbyterian form of church government because of the missionary who was involved. Left to the Japanese the kind of church organizational practice will 165 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission tend to be pyramidical authoritarian organization. The ruler on the top with his counselors who make up the yakuin and the people who are made up of the senior and junior believers (senpai and koohai relationships). In the past it seemed that any other form of church government could not be practiced in Japan.

Modern Changes There are a number of factors which have caused changes in this idea in the post-war years. The post-war educated people are now in their mid-thirties. Their education has followed a freer form of life. Mass communication and travel abroad have increased knowledge and understanding of differing cultural practices. The understanding of the language of Japanese and their culture by the missionary makes for better communications. Advances in the im- proving of the communication of the gospel have brought greater awareness of the mission ministry. All this lends to an increased viability to disciple Japanese believers into a functioning church organization which is patterned after the missionary’s own church organizational practices. The missionary can take a number of attitudes towards church organizational practices. He could take the least resistant form of church organization by leaving it to the Japanese believers to find their places in the hierarchy patterned after the Japanese society. Or, he could disciple them according to his scriptural convictions on church organizational practices. Or, if denominational, appeal also to the history of that denomination which holds great significance to the Japanese. Finally, the missionary can implant the framework of the pattern of church organization and rely on the local cultural mechanisms of authority to make the organization function.

Mass Evangelism A church practice which is accepted world-wide is mass evangelism. Whitfield and Wesley, Moody and Finney, Billy Sunday and 166 Church Practice and Missions

Billy Graham and many more evangelists were used of God in mass evangelism. They used the theaters, the big tent with sawdust for flooring and large auditoriums and stadiums to house the crowds that came to hear the gospel. This form of evangelism has been introduced into Japan. The local church evangelistic meeting from two days to a week is an American church practice.

Camps and Conference Bible camp and Bible conferences gained prominence in the American church. The westward settling of the frontiersmen meant distant neighbors so that when they gathered for Christian meetings, they appointed a place to camp together for a week or more. They slept in their wagons on which they rode from afar. There they heard the teaching and preaching of the Bible. There were baptisms at the end of the week with communion service following. Bible camps and Bible conferences were developed on the American continent and have been introduced to the mission field by the missionaries.

The Sunday School Another traditional church practice on the first day of the week is the Sunday school. The practice of Sunday school gained strong impetus in the early American frontier as the people moved westward. Whenever a Christian family moved west, they held Sunday school for their children and as other families moved into the vicinity, their children also were invited. This was a church practice which did not require an ordained minister, so it could be held wherever there were Christian families. With the establishing of churches, the Sunday school became the means of evangelizing the unsaved. In a strong social-status-type of society as Japan, the tendency of relegating the Sunday school to only children becomes a barrier to potential evangelistic outreach. The missionary must re-evaluate the practice of Sunday school on a scriptural basis and teach the Japanese that the command of teaching their children 167 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission the scripture begins with their true knowledge of scripture. The missionary may be wise to call an adult or parents’ Bible class something other than Sunday school.

Baptism The church ordinance of baptism, also, has diverse traditional church practices. While it is universally accepted as the command of our Lord Jesus Christ to baptize believers, the mode of baptism is as diverse as total immersion, tri-immersion, river baptism, pouring, and sprinkling. There is also the differences of infant baptism and conversion baptism. All these practices of differing modes of baptism claim scriptural basis. Even though one may not agree with the other’s practice of baptism, the missionary has found that the answer to the question, “Are you a Christian?” is almost always answered in the affirmative or negative by whether the person was baptized or not. Whatever doctrinal meaning may have been taught, to the Japanese, to be baptized means commitment to the church in which he has been baptized. Even as he is conscious of belonging to his family and family name or to his company or to other social groups, so by the act of baptism he now belongs to the social group of the church. For this reason the strong biblical church concept of conversion before baptism sometimes escapes the Japanese mind. Surely, then, the missionary must re-evaluate his convictions with his practice of baptism so that an accurate instruction of the meaning of the missionary’s particular mode of baptism is communicated.

Church Polity Another traditional church practice with diversity of forms is church polity. Historically, there is the apostolic form of church government, followed by the early episcopal of the second and third centuries from which grew the patriarchal and from which grew the Roman Catholic hierarchic church government. The Reformation spawned the Presbyterian, the Congregational, the 168 Church Practice and Missions consistorial which has influenced the Methodist form of church polity. This is a very simple outline and there may be those who will contend for a different historical development for their own church government, but let each missionary teach supporting scriptures to give evidence for his convictions of church government. In order to make church government practices come alive, the missionary must return to the scriptures for this church practices.

Mid-week Meetings Mid-week services are another American church practice. The Bible study and the time of prayer during the week-day night strengthened the believers. The Japanese believers seem to prefer an early morning prayer meeting although the mid-week prayer meeting now is part of the church program.

Laymen Another American church practice is lay people involvement in church ministries. Because of the strong equalitarian concept of de- mocracy, the difference of status of the clergy and the lay people is minimized. The scarcity of trained ministers in the American continent, too, led to lay leadership in the church. The direct financial support of the pastor and the church make for greater involvement of lay people in the decisions of the church. Lay involvement in the Japanese churches is hard to practice. The hierarchic social structure is against it. Yet the missionary should discover scriptural convictions that will aid him to disciple them to take a more active part in the ministries of the church without becoming a threat to the pastor. Some ideas of supporting missionaries came from the early American churches’ concern to preach the gospel to the American Indians. In the first century of American history, mission societies were concerned with the waves of immigrants and of the expanding West. In the second century of American history, the concern for the people at home became also a concern for the foreign fields. 169 STEP INSIDE Japan: Language, Culture, Mission

Most of the mission societies were denominational in character until the battle for fundamentalism against liberalism caused the withdrawal of financial support of liberal leaning mission societies. The churches sent missionaries and support to faith missions with a strong personal tie with the missionaries who were being supported. That the church will be blessed in support of mission is a strong American church mission concept. To implant this in the church in Japan will come from great convictions that lay foundations for the support of missionaries from Japan to foreign countries.

Practical Admonition A Japanese pastor remarked that since it is the missionaries from the west who brought these church practices, we in Japan need not follow every practice. Now, he may be right, if those practices were for boasting that divides the church. But, he may be wrong, if those practices were for the edification of the whole church. Paul says “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s,” (1 Cor.3:21-23). When God sent His Son, He sent Him into the Jewish culture. As a Jew He fulfilled all the requirements of the Law, though He fought against certain practices of the Jews of his day who in their zeal to keep the Law, “made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition,” (Matt. 15:6). When church practice loses its true intent, then there will be a devastating gap between the scripture and the practices of the church. The practices of the church must never become the absolute authority for then it will invalidate the very Word on which it originally based its practice. Let every missionary examine most critically his own scriptural convictions and the practices he holds dear in order that he may not be unfruitful nor find himself “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” (Matt. 15:9).

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