Cultural influences on mental health in Japan

The purpose of thegospel is to change lives throughout all nations and cultures. As missionaries, we need to understand aspects of the culture we are inserted into and present the Word of God as a solution, highlighting areas of the gospel that address a culture directly. Japanese society, as in many other Asian countries, has a culture based on shame and honor. There is a movement towards the preservation of the status quo—a collective harmony that must be maintained. Honor comes from maintaining a person’s value in the community and from behaving according to their role in society. Shame means that an individual is seen as lowly by the community. It means inadequacy. Behavior that differs from what is expected may bring shame to an individual. The dilemma “What would others think about me?” influences all areas of their lives including their attitudes and complex life decisions.¹

Japan’s culture is collectivist and is strongly group-oriented. An individual is seen as a piece of a collective machine. The idea of individuals being unique is almost replaced with the notion that every person has a place to fill within the society. All pieces need to be in the right place and functioning accordingly for the society to move forward. People maintain their honor, meaning their social value and status, by behaving in accordance with their position in society. These patterns of expected behavior and roles are to be followed and respected.

Pleasing others or finding our identity in Christ?

In Japanese society, we see how a culture guided by shame and honor can affect its members psychologically. Because of this urgent concern to preserve one’s reputation in view of what society expects, there is an increasing number of individuals with maladjusted behavior who feel misunderstood or are unable to express themselves.

We have been living in Japan for some time now, and I daily notice the behavior of Japanese people and how the culture influences their perception of the gospel. Our church celebrated five years in 2024, and as a church composed of mainly Japanese members, we have faced some dilemmas and challenges related to this culture.

We have met many people with psychological disorders in our church. Some have struggled to express themselves or have dealt with low self-esteem due to continuous pressure to meet people’s expectations. Others have dealt with depression for years. Some members have suffered abuse in the past and, because of the lack of proper help, developed severe psychological disorders. In the beginning of their journey with us, some were ashamed to express themselves. But now, many of our members have wonderful testimonies of how they were freed from problems of this magnitude. It is up to the church to welcome these people with a compassionate approach.

This strong consciousness of other people’s opinions and expected behavior can produce a barrier that prevents many from truly exposing their opinions and being spontaneous. One member, after accepting Jesus, told us that she had a health problem that she had never had the courage to share with anyone before—not even her parents nor husband. She had spent years of her life suffering from a condition that no one around her knew about.

Another effect of shame-honor values is avoiding dissension. The effort in maintaining relational harmony produces an extreme notion of respecting collective peace. This principle can even affect the way a person gives their opinion or responds to an invitation. Often, it seems better not to give a direct answer to avoid offending others. Keeping apparent peace preserves connections. An invitation that could be turned down easily can more simply be ignored, to avoid conflict. In our church, we had cases in which a member, upon an invitation to serve in a church department, felt pressured. However, to avoid disappointment, this person preferred to be absent from the services instead of opening up.

Japanese Christians need to understand that, by receiving a new identity in Christ, they have freedom to behave in accordance with this new identity, as sons and daughters of God. After accepting Jesus in our hearts, the Bible says that we become part of the family of God. Family brings us the idea of closeness and intimacy.

Where there is intimacy there is freedom. After accepting Jesus, we have our spiritual lives restored. We are made new. Our honor is restored, and there is no more shame before God. We do not need to be ashamed of who we are anymore, because we have become children of God. We can live free from bondage, from shame, and from fear when we truly understand our identity.

Are we cogs or members?

The Bible also calls the church the body of Christ, meaning that we are connected to each other. To some extent, Japanese understand this concept of connectivity, with each individual having a place in society—each person is not here just to express their individuality but to contribute to the society. However, there is also a great risk of each individual losing their individuality and being seen more as a cog of a greater machine.

Through the Word of God, we acquire the understanding that there is purpose in what we do as part of the body of Christ. We are not just living for the sake of living. We are children of the Father of lights, and our purpose is to shine the light of God that is in us. We are indeed part of something bigger, and we should contribute to the advance of the body of Christ. There is purpose in our lives and in our way of living. Our skills, abilities, and personalities are all part of this purpose. We should use them for the goal of fulfilling God’s mission.

As Christians, we must teach our Japanese brothers and sisters about the existence of grace. It is grace that fills us. God is the only one capable of filling us completely, in all areas of our lives. Grace also enables us to serve God with excellence and integrity of heart; therefore, we do not need to exhaust ourselves physically and psychologically trying to do our best. We do not need to be overly demanding of ourselves when we do not reach the level expected of us, nor do we need to place too much value on others’ opinions. Of course, we should always aim to do our best for God, but we must always trust in his grace and not in our own strength. God is our ultimate source of strength.

A great way to reinforce this new grace-based relationship among church members is through creating a sense of belonging. The Japanese culture is group-oriented; therefore, a sense of belonging is valued within a group. As they understand that they belong to the church family, they feel more comfortable within the church environment. In our church in Tokyo, one of the ways we reinforce this sense of belonging is through moments of fellowship. After each Sunday service, we eat together and chat. This brings the idea of family—the understanding that when we are with family, we can feel at ease. Many of our evangelistic strategies are also focused on building relationships in order to break down barriers people may have with Christianity. This association of the church as a family and as a friendly environment helps everyone to feel free to express themselves and to feel welcomed. The sense of belonging brings safety. And through eating together and having fellowship, we can welcome people.

While advocating grace, I do not advocate a permissive approach—allowing people to behave as they please with the justification that God loves everyone anyway. We do need to rescue the lost and the dysfunctional, understanding where they come from, with the mission of guiding them to a correct walk with Christ. First, people facing psychological disorders need compassion from us to free themselves from the strongholds and the bondage in which they find themselves. There are many challenges related to helping; however, they must be seen as who they are in Christ.

As the body of Christ, we are a family whose members support each other to advance together. In these five years of church, I have been confronted with reactions, questions, and behaviors that are often different from what I am used to in Brazil. However, as a church mostly comprised of Japanese people, I have learned not to look at this culture through Westernized (and sometimes judgmental) lenses. Together we are seeking to communicate the gospel effectively, a gospel that reaches each individual where they are. A gospel that places each of us in a heavenly family, restoring honor, bringing peace, and redefining the meaning of service and loyalty.

We have seen a genuine and supernatural transformation in the people who have passed through our church. This is the mission of a missionary: to look at a culture with a compassionate gaze as the Holy Spirit guides us to reveal the love of God to heal different peoples and nations.

1. A book on this topic to check is by Jayson Georges: The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame and Fear Cultures (Timē Press, 2014).