Missionaries in Japan: A snapshot in space and time
These infographics show how Protestant missionaries are distributed in Japan and Tokyo and how their numbers have varied over the past seven decades.
The maps and bar charts in sections 1 and 2 are based on data from the 2018 JEMA Directory. The directory lists nearly 1,800 missionaries, which include both JEMA members (59%) and non-members (41%).
The green-blue maps show the absolute numbers of missionaries in each prefecture and region of Tokyo, while the yellow-red maps show how many thousands of Japanese people there are per missionary.
1. The distribution of missionaries in Japan
About 25% of missionaries in Japan live in Tokyo Prefecture. Adding the three neighbouring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, increases that number to 42.5%. In contrast, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Kyoto account for 14.5% of missionaries. There is a high concentration in Aichi and relatively high numbers in Miyagi and Hokkaido.
The neediest areas, in terms of missionaries, are Shikoku, Chugoku (Hiroshima, Tottori, and Shimane), and Akita.
2. The distribution of missionaries in Tokyo
It is clear that one small district of Tokyo has a much higher missionary residence rate: Higashi-Kurume. 124 missionaries, or 29% of missionaries in Tokyo (7% of missionaries in Japan) live there. This is the location of the Christian Academy in Japan, a school for missionary children.
Ten districts in Tokyo have no missionaries (Katsushika, Tama, Akishima, Inagi, Higashi-Yamato, Komae, Musashi-Murayama, Mizuho, Hinode, and Okutama).
3. The trend of number of missionaries over the years
The number of missionaries (including those on home assignment) grew rapidly in the late 1950s and early 1960s, nearly doubling in the decade 1956-1966. They were relatively stable for the next three decades, hovering above 2,500. After peaking at 2,844 in 1987, the numbers consistently declined over the following three decades. This decline stopped in 2015, possibly due to the effect of the triple disaster in 2011.
