Kankei, Wa, and Evangelism
Two key aspects of Japanese culture are kankei (関係) and wa (和).Kankei refers to relational connections within the context of...
Issue: Winter 2014
Language and Culture
The Little Engine that Could
Do you remember the children’s story about the Little Engine that had to fill in...
Celebrating Japanese Culture
Along with the many deprivations missionaries endure in seeking to reach people in a different...
Hospitality, Japanese Style
Last summer, our church hosted a movie outreach event coupled with a meal. The movie...
Will There Be Keigo In Heaven?
Love it or hate it, keigo (Japanese honorifics) may have something to teach us about God and...
Famous Japanese Buddhists: Bridges to Spiritual Topics
Famous names from Christian history like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Wycliffe are widely known...
Language and Culture for Ministry in Japan
If you were tasked with developing the optimum Japanese language and culture-learning program for your...
OMF Japanese Language Center
‘Dave’ joined OMF International and came to Japan with his wife and family more than...
Evangelism Using Kanji
Here’s a simple method I use to tell Japanese people about Christ. You only need...
How God counts
Counting Bowls. . . Grabbing a quick lunch in Iwate before boarding the bullet train...
Called, not driven
The contemporary world offers us many choices. And yet we suffer from overchoice. That is...
Language Learner Characteristics
Most cross-cultural workers feel that once they master a language, they can be effective as...
How Do Team Members Contribute?
This article is the second installment of a four-part series that addresses the following four...
Smartphone Language Tools
Most of us would endorse the value of becoming a lifelong language learner after finishing...
What Is the “proper” way to pray?
What is the “proper” way to pray? Should we pray standing up, sitting down, kneeling,...
The Unseen Face of Japan
By David Lewis (Wide Margin Books, revised edition, 2013). 432 pp. In this wide-ranging book...
Dull as Dishwater Cliches
Most clichés begin life as clever expressions. But after much use, they lose a lot...
The Bell of Peace echoes in Tokyo
68 years have passed since the nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tokiwadai...
Symposium with three witnesses of WWII
A symposium to commemorate the end of World War II was held on August 13,...
Mizuno Genzō and Miura Ayako
In September a commemorative exhibition of the life of Genzō Mizuno was held Ginza. Mizuno...