Operation Shimonoseki

Cultural Introduction
Home
Introduction
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Day 29
Day 30
Day 31
We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. ( 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NLT)
 
Understanding the Spiritual Strongholds in Japan
A stronghold is when Satan or his demons have been allowed and maybe have been invited by a person or people group to be a part of their life or lives and be worshipped by them. (1 Cor. 10:19-20)
 
  • In the late 1500’s Christianity entered Japan and in less than 15 years 2% of the population became Christian.
  • In the early 1600’s Dictator, shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa and his grandson tortured and killed over 50,000 Christians and more than 200,000 professing Christians apostatized.  Almost all outside influence and missionaries were from then on not allowed to enter Japan.
  • In 1616 Ieyasu Tokugawa dies and his grandson, Iemitsu, the new leader, deified him as Japan’s sun god and the largest shrine, Toshogu Shrine, was built to worship him and many mini-shrines to him were built all over Japan.  The lords under Iemitsu had to worship god Ieyasu at these mini-shrines.
  • All Japanese were made to register as Buddhists at their village temples.  In every neighborhood was a neighborhood watch of five families.  They checked on each other to make sure they were not practicing Christianity (which meant punishment to all five families) and had to report to the temples.
  • In the 1850’s Japan opened its doors again and missionaries came, but during World War II the Japanese people worshipped the emperor as a descendant of the sun God.  Many Christian churches chose to bow down to the emperor.  Since that day, many Japanese churches in Japan continue to allow ancestor and idol worship and stopped believing all of Scripture. These churches formed the United Church of Christ (UCC).

For over 200 years Japanese society has been taught to fear Christianity and to make everyone think the same and practice the same traditions.  Even with “freedom of religion” the Japanese mentality leads them to oppress Christianity and make sure that a Japanese doesn’t become a Christian and go against the group.

Copyright 2007.  All rights resevered. PIONEERS Japan