Julia in Japan

When I was fifteen, I participated in a cultural exchange trip between my hometown and its “sister city” in Japan. I had such a positive experience living with my Japanese host family that I decided I wanted to eventually return to the country to see them again.

About a year later, I committed my life to the Lord. Eager to tell other people about the eternal gift of salvation we have through Jesus Christ, I began looking into ways I could best serve the Lord in places where His name was not well-known. Since I was still interested in returning to Japan, I researched the state of Christianity in the country and discovered that a mere 1% of the population identified as Christian. (Those statistics still hold true today.) After becoming aware of the severe lack of Christian workers in Japan, the Lord planted in my heart a desire to potentially pursue ministry there.

After graduating from college, I had the opportunity to teach English in Osaka prefecture. The first Sunday after I’d arrived, I attended a church planted by Mustard Seed Network where I got to witness evangelistic ministry in the country for the first time, and I was incredibly moved by the work the Lord was doing in the country through His church.

That year, I also reunited with my host family. However, although I was overjoyed to see them again, I was also deeply grieved to learn that my host father had passed away. As I grappled with this heartbreaking news, I realized that he, along with millions of other Japanese people, had likely never had the chance to hear the gospel, and this solidified in me a desire to share it with as many people as possible.

I am now working with Mustard Seed Network to grow a bilingual church plant where millions of people can come to hear the Word of God preached. MSN has planted in 6 cities as of 2022 and is aiming to plant in Japan’s top 12 most populated cities to reach a total of 77 million people. In a country where there is only 1 church for every 16,000 people, planting churches, especially in highly populated areas, will help to effectively spread the gospel throughout Japan.

This blog is a documentation of my time living and working in the country as a full-time ministry worker. I also write articles commenting on how threads of the gospel message appear in Japanese art and culture. Feel free to browse and follow for updates.

This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

Romans 10:8b-15 CSB