Japanese in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

As a result of the hakkio-ichiu (the whole world under one roof) policy, 300,000 Japanese troops invaded northeast China in 1932. Until 1945 they occupied a vast territory, which they renamed Manchkuo. Their rule was a reign of terror. "Undisciplined soldiers looted, raped and killed as they desired. Thousands of Chinese girls were gang raped, then killed for sport. The only safe place was with foreigners. When soldiers were about, mission schools, hospitals and homes were jammed with Chinese women and girls." Due to the sudden defeat and withdrawal of the Japanese forces, many orphans and women were left behind in China.

Despite having adapted to learning the Chinese language and adhering to Chinese cultural traditions, some Japanese in China have stubbornly retained their ethnic identity and have longed to return to their homeland. Yu Kita Otosaka, a mother of four who returned to Japan in 1974, said, "I must not forget how well the Chinese people treated me, though I had fleas and lice all over, but I always wanted to come back to this homeland."

Soon after Japan’s defeat all displaced Japanese were forced to learn Mandarin in order to survive in China. Consequently, many of their children are now unable to speak Japanese.


What Are Their Lives Like?

After the war ended, most of the Japanese women who were left behind married Chinese men and settled down to raise children, with many of their traditional Japanese customs being abandoned. Their grandchildren now speak Mandarin rather than Japanese.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The belief of most Japanese in China is a mixture of Mahayana Buddhism and ancestor worship. Many others, because of the influence of communism, are now atheists.

There are no known Christians among the Japanese in China, although the recent revival among the Han Chinese in Heilongjiang Province may have touched the lives of displaced Japanese. Living in Chinese communities for several decades, at least one-fourth of the Japanese in China are estimated to have heard the gospel.


What Are Their Needs?

Without the guidance of Christ, these people will be lost in this life and the life to come. They need someone to go to them as Christ-bearers.


Prayer Points

Pray for a stirring to arise within the Japanese, so that they start to become unsettled from just accepting past national beliefs and look beyond them to find Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love.
Pray that the Japanese people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.
Pray for an unstoppable movement of Christ to convict and comfort the Japanese living in China.


Scripture Prayers for the Japanese in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Japanese
People Name in Country Japanese
Pronunciation jae-puh-NEEZ
Alternate Names Ko; Nihonjin; Nikkei; Wa; Wajin; Yamato; जपानीस
Population this Country 6,900
Population all Countries 119,869,000
Total Countries 48
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 12322
ROP3 Code 104189
ROP25 Code 303334
ROP25 Name Japanese
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country There is no single cohesive Japanese community or village in China. They are scattered throughout towns and villages in what was formerly called Manchuria, now the northeastern Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country There is no single cohesive Japanese community or village in China. They are scattered throughout towns and villages in what was formerly called Manchuria, now the northeastern Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Religion Subdivision: Mahayana
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
60.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
15.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
25.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Japanese (6,900 speakers)
Language Code jpn   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Western Japanese
Dialect Code 11097   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Japanese (6,900 speakers)
Language Code jpn   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Western Japanese
Dialect Code 11097   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Japanese

Primary Language:  Japanese

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1837-1992)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1879-1993)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1883-2018)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Japanese Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Japanese YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Japanese YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Bible Gateway scripture Bible Gateway
Text / Printed Matter Cartoon Gospel tract General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Photo Source N-Y-C - Pixabay 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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