Job Discussion Forums

happyhiker · Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 7 Location: vancouver

What's your experience with this? Any hope of finding an English service outside of the major cities? Are there some options in the bigger cities?

Just trying to decide if Japan is the place for me or whether I should head back to Korea and this will be a big part of my decision.

Thanks in advance! Everyone on the Japan forum seems nice and helpful compared to the Korea one!

wintersweet · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 5:38 pm Post subject:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=25251&start=0
I think that thread devolved into arguing, so you might not want to go past the first few useful posts. Rolling Eyes

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Every city is different, but from my experiences smaller cities won't have an English service. However, there are many missionaries that you can talk to and meet. If an English service is important to you, go to a bigger city (300,000+). Korea has lots of churches, but not necessarily in English.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

where do you want to live in Japan?

Near where I live there is a church that people from the Philippines go to.
Services are in English and Japanese, I believe.

happyhiker · Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 7 Location: vancouver

That's the thing...I really have no idea where I want to go. I was thinking of applying for the JET program and taking it from there. We'll see I guess.

Thanks for the helpful replies so far...keep 'em coming

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

less than two percent of Japanese are Christians.
But 25% of Koreans are Christian.

There are some schools and universities that are Christian, such as where I work, and they have chapels. Services probably tend to be in Japanese.
At my school students learn Buddhism and Chritianity. This year we do the Book of Luke, and I help students with reading the verses. They have to get up on a stage and read some verses on a weekly basis. Each week three students do this in English, and three students read the same verses in Japanese.
Christmas is a big deal, but not Easter. If there is an Easter service it is minor, and students aren`t required to go.
I don`t know why, maybe because of when Easter is during the school year.
Some of the students are Christian, but most are not.

Where I used to live, I was within walking distance of a couple churches.
(no more than 10 minutes on foot).
I would say that in the Tokyo or Osaka areas you can find a church
to your liking.

Munchen · Joined: 29 Apr 2003 Posts: 76

I don't know your preference but what is known as the Episcopal Church in the USA, or Anglican Communion is known as the Nippon Sei Ko Kai in Japan. St. Alban's is the main English speaking congregation in Tokyo.
Other places that have English speaking congregations are in the parishes in Kyoto, Okinawa and several others.

A former TEFL instructor in Japan I know of here in the DC area attended St. Alban's and said it meant a lot to her while she was working in Japan, so when she returned to the US and procured a job, she immediately joined an Episcopal Church in DC.

She said she had found a real home away from home in Japan.

As a matter of note, re: Korea, Korea, I think, has the second largest Christian population in Asia next to the Phillippines.

Christianity took some serious blows in Japan in the pre-Meiji period.
There were persecutions by Samurai leaders. One can read more precise details in almost any history about Japan.

Hope this helps.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan