Social Structures in Japan
This article is first in a four-part series based on interviews with Japanese unbelievers about Japanese culture.
Family. Coworkers. Neighbors. Strangers. Foreigners. How do Japanese people connect? How does that affect their behavior and even their belief systems?
Case Studies
I asked several Japanese people two basic questions to give me insight into Japanese culture:
- Tell me about the neighborhood where you grew up.
- I’ve heard that in Japan there is a concept of uchi (insiders) and soto (outsiders). What kind of people are in your uchi and soto groups?
Mrs. M grew up in a danchi (group of apartment buildings) in Tokyo consisting of four 14-story buildings with 31 apartments on each floor. Her mother had only two friends in the entire complex.
Mrs. T grew up in a tonarigumi (a group of 10-12 homes in the country in the middle of rice fields) in Kyushu. She remembers neighbors helping each other (but not the people in the next tonarigumi).
Mrs. I grew up in the countryside and remembers her neighbors celebrating festivals together and gathering in the community center each month to drink and talk. These neighbors would congratulate Mrs. I and the other children on their various “accomplishments and ceremonies.” However, all this was largely motivated by gimu (obligation) and once the children grew up and moved away, these relationships ended.
These were the social structures of these women when they were children, but many Japanese people do not continue to live where they grew up. Mrs. M now lives in an apartment complex in Tokyo with her husband and two young sons after two years in the USA. She has no local friends and is very lonely. Hers is not an isolated case.
The most stable social structure for participants in their 40s and 50s was their family—those who share the same residence—whether a nuclear family or an extended family.
Connecting with Japanese people
As Christians we seek to connect with Japanese people and build up the Japanese church. How might Japanese social expectations shape how we do ministry in Japan with those in their 40s and 50s, how we present the gospel, and how we build a local church?
It’s also good to be aware of our own social structures. Foreigners might be viewed as friendly and sociable because of our culture. I remember an old gentleman I greeted daily along the river in Niiza as we passed. One day I stopped to chat and he said he really liked Americans because they are open. Our friendliness may be attributed to our nationality rather than to our faith.
There are also pitfalls to avoid. Mr. T, a grad student, said Japanese people have become “materialistic,” measuring potential friendships in terms of personal benefit from the relationship. Another woman, Mrs. W, grew up regarding anyone outside of her immediate family as an outsider. This mindset is not uncommon; some people in Japan are wary of strangers seeking friendship.
These perspectives ought to challenge us to explore our motivations and methods for building relationships. Do we just act like the foreign culture in which we grew up? Is our pursuit of relationship only utilitarian—for success stories for our prayer letters? Does our relationship with Jesus impact our social structures? Does or should Christian relationships look different from those of the general culture?
Considering Japanese experiences of social relationships can help us to consider how we pursue relationships in ministry.
Practical ideas:
- Study what the Bible has to say about social structures.
- Conduct your own interviews with Japanese people in your community about their past, present, and hoped-for social connections.
- Evaluate your current evangelistic and discipleship strategies.