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Japanese Gospel Resources

A special welcome to all visitors of Japanese heritage! This page contains links to Bibles, stories and websites written in Japanese which tell about Jesus and His love for the Japanese people.

Many followers of Jesus are praying that God will bless the Japanese people, and some of the links on this page have information to help them learn more about the Japanese language and culture.

Thank you for visiting. May the grace and peace of God be yours today!

*NOTE: Many of the following links are outside our site and open a new window in your browser.
Close the new window to return to this page.

Japanese Publications About Jesus

The Four Spiritual Laws explains God's plan of salvation in Japanese.


God's Simple Plan of Salvation presents a simple one-page, online Bible-based salvation tract in Japanese.

GotQuestions.org answers basic questions about Christianity in many languages including Japanese.

Thru the Bible, the classic five-year radio Bible study with Dr. J. Vernon McGee, is broadcast daily on the internet in Japanese.

Japanese Bibles

Online Bibles:

Japanese Bibles to purchase:
(Your purchases from Amazon support our ministry. Thank you!)

From International Bible Society:

from Amazon.com:
Mouseover the title for pricing info. Click on title for more information.

Japanese New Testaments:

Japanese Bibles:

Japanese Youth and Children's Bibles:

Japanese Audio Bibles:

Japanese Christian Books

You can buy a Japanese New Testament in audio format from Faith Comes By Hearing.

Find online, audio and print Bibles in 250 languages at Bibles in Your Language.

Background Info on the Japanese People

The SIL Ethnologue reports that Japanese is the ninth most widely spoken language in the world. Japanese is spoken by 125 million people on the islands of Japan, 804,000 in the U.S., 380,000 in Brazil, 109,000 in Peru, and in several other countries.

According to the World Factbook, 84% of the people in Japan observe both Shinto and Buddhism. Less than 1% are Christian.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 1990, over 427,000 Americans spoke Japanese at home, making Japanese number 11 on the List of the 50 Most Common Languages in the U.S. In 1996, 66,699 Japanese students were studying in U.S. schools, more than from any other country.

Japan also send the most tourists to the U.S. (over 4 million visited in 1996 alone).

One of the best introductions to the culture and customs of Japan is the 4-page Culturegram published by Brigham Young University. You can download a 4-page pdf file for $4.

Information for Churches

Perhaps you've noticed that several Japanese families have moved into your community. Your church would like to get acquainted with them and find ways to serve your new neighbors. But how can you begin?

Begin by cultivating a loving heart, a listening ear, and the habit of prayer. Look for opportunities to learn about other cultures and develop skills for cross-cultural communication. There are lots of resources on this site, including the article "How to Start a Cross-Cultural Ministry," that can help you prepare to move forward in faith.

The 5th Annual Reaching Japanese for Christ Conference will be held February 17-19, 2006 at Northshore Baptist Church in Bothell, Washington. For more information, visit www.rjcconference.org.

The Jesus Film is a great way to share the gospel in the "heart language" of your Japanese neighbors. Campus Crusade for Christ has produced this beautiful film of the gospel of Luke and translated it into over 600 languages, including Japanese. Your church can buy a video for less than $20 and sponsor a "Japanese Night" to show the film and begin a dialogue. Ask Japanese leaders in the community if they would like to see the film and if they'll help you invite other families.

To order the Jesus Film, visit Jesusfilm.org. Or order by phone from Campus Crusade at 1-800-432-1997.

God's Story is an 80-minute video which presents the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The video (and an audio version) are available in Japanese.


The International School of Ministry offers affordable bible training in Japanese. Their course in structured, taught by interdenominational Christian leaders, and available on audio tapes so your church can become a training center.

Learn the Language
If you want to honor your Japanese friends, learn a few phrases in their language.

These are the best-selling Japanese language resources at Amazon.com:

Freedict.com has a free online English-Japanese-English dictionary.

You'll find more links to online Japanese dictionaries at yourdictionary.com.

Missions Working in Japan

Japanese Evangelical Missions Society (JEMS) is an interdenominational missions organization active in Japan, the U.S. and South America. Their website includes a list of Nikkei and Japanese churches in the U.S.

JEMS has published a new book, Operation Japan, which provides detailed information for those wanting to pray for Japan. This 208-page book is both a daily prayer guide and a rich source of demographic and cultural information.

The cost is $9 per copy, or $8 for 10 or more copies. To order, please send your check to:
Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society
948 E. Second St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012 USA

Recommended Reading

More Than a Carpenter (Japanese edition)
by Josh McDowell
Word of Life Press, 2005

Examines the evidence for the resurrection and deity of Christ.
The Case for Christ (Japanese edition)
by Lee Strobel
Word of Life Press, 2004

A journalist's personal investigation of the evidence for Jesus.
A History of Japanese Theology
by by Yasuo Furuya
Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1997

This is the first book on the history of Japanese theology written by Japanese theologians.
Pursuing the Pearl:
A Comprehensive Resource for Multi-Asian Ministry
by Ken Uyeda Fong
Judson Press, 1999

Provides practical information on current topics, including:

  • Asian American Church Growth
  • The Theology of Evangelism
  • Equipping Believers
  • Lay Ministry
  • Spiritual Renewal
  • The Role of Women
  • New Church Missions
Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents:
Asian American Discipleship
by Jeanette Yep, Peter Cha, Paul Tokunaga, Greg Jao, Susan Cho Van Riesen
Intervarsity Press, 1998

Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents was written by Asian-Americans who used examples from their own lives to illustrate concepts.

The authors explore how young Asian Americans can make vocational and life choices that show respect for their parents while still serving God, and it deals with crucial topics like marriage and singleness, gender issues, racial reconciliation, and the unique gifts Asians bring to Western culture.
The Beginner's Bible (Japanese / English edition)
by Kelly Pulley (Illustrator)
Church School Growth Center, 2006

This fully illustrated, bilingual Bible has 95 classic Bible stories for children and beginning readers in Japanese and English.

Manga Comic Book Style Bible (Japanese edition)
by Noboru Yamaguchi (Editor)
Masakazu Higuchi (Illustrator)
Forest Books, 2005

The story of the Bible from Genesis to Pauls letters, told in Japanese with exciting B&W Manga illustrations. (879 pages)

Out of Silence:
Emerging Themes in Asian American Churches
by Fumitaka Matsuoka
United Church Press, 1995
Losing Face & Finding Grace : 12 Bible Studies for Asian-Americans
by Tom Lin, David K. Gibbons (Introduction)
Intervarsity Press, 1997
No reader reviews

Here are a dozen inductive Bible studies written especially for young Asian-Americans who sometimes struggle with identity and questions of grace. These sensitive studies point to hope embedded in Scripture.
No cover photo available Christianity Made in Japan:
A Study of Indigenous Movements
(Nanzan Library of Asian Religion and Culture)
by Mark R. Mullins
Univ of Hawaii Pr, 1998
The Clash of Civilizations:
An Intrusive Gospel in Japanese Civilization
by Robert Lee
Trinity Press International, 2000
(Not reviewed)
Lonely Planet Japan
Lonely Plant, 2000
Gateway to Japan (Kodansha Guide)
by June Kinoshita
Kodansha International, 1998
Chopsticks from America
by Elaine Hosozawa-Nagano
Polychrome Pub Corp, 1994

A charming (secular) book about Asian-American children who move to Japan with their family
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
Houghton Mifflin Co (Juv), 1993

Another excellent (secular) children's book about a family that loves two countries.
Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art
by Shizuo Tsuji
Kodansha International, 1980
The Essentials of Japanese Cooking
by Tokiko Suzuki
Kodansha International, 1995
Secrets of Origami : The Japanese Art of Paper Folding
by Robert Harbin
Dover Pubns, 1997
Japanese Business Etiquette:
A Practical Guide to Success With the Japanese
by Diana Rowland
Warner Books, 1993

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