Books are written on this subject.  I will try not to write another one here. However, it is a very involved subject, so I will BEGIN a response here, and we'll take our time to discuss it. I really think you have hit on a concept that is one of the keys to understanding ministry in Japan!

I did a Google search on "Nihonkyo, religion in Japan" and found several articles, scholarly and otherwise that deal with the idea of the existence of a unique religious belief system that defines what it means to be Japanese.  I read an article --which I am going to search for and include here later if possible -- by a Japanese theologian who said, "We Japanese are Shinto at our weddings, Buddhist at our funerals, Christian at Christmas and Atheist the rest of our lives."  He said that to be "Japanese" is to own a belief that is a complete mix of Buddhism, Shintoism, Christianity and other religious belief systems.  That gets to the heart of your question. 

I found an article that might begin to shed some light for people who want to read deeper on this topic.  If interested, have a look at: http://bit.ly/pVjIb for some thoughtful discussion.

I will dig in again on this topic later.  As I said, I don't want to write a book here.  We'll discuss as we go. 

Blessings!

Greg

Hmmm, I am curious as to where this is going and its implications.

I guess I would first ask someone who asked this, "What do you think it means?  If you are a Christian, in what ways are you not Japanese?"  But that may be sarcastic and not the way to go, even if I thought it had a point.

For personal feeling with whether or not one is still a part of their culture, the other thing I would point out would be that a Christian in any culture must give up some aspects of whatever culture they are from, but that doesn't mean they cease to be a part of it.  For example, my first and foremost loyalty is to Christ, which means that I refuse to practice or agree to some things that are a part of my culture - those that are in open conflict with the Bible.  But I also love America, and embrace many aspects of it, and definitely consider myself American - even its shortcomings where I believe we fall short of God's call.  Much like I would still consider myself part of and love my family and bear its burden should they do something wrong even if I had no personally active part in it, so I consider a part of my culture even in the areas I disagree with.  However, it is secondary to my identity as a subject of God's Kingdom.

However, when it comes to how they will be received by their own people, I would point out that Christ warned us this would be a struggle when we chose to follow him, though I think our Japanese brothers and sisters in Christ feel conflict this more poignantly that we Westerners often do.  While it may be lessening that what it was in previous generations, Japan is still a country that values a group over self mentality, at least compared to America and Western Europe.  When we Americans go against the grain, there is not much of a grain to go against - people may look at us like we are weird, but "Hey, it's your life, if that's what makes you happy, go for it."  From what I understand about the Japanese, the hurt on both ends would be much deeper.  Those being left behind would feel hurt that you turned from something outside of their acceptance, and a new Japanese Christian would feel the weight of how much they hurt their freinds/family and part of what they consider themselves to be more than we would.

Basically there is no easy answer to this.  In some ways, we are always still part of whatever culture we are from.  In some ways we are not.  Some people from certain cultures, such as Japan, will feel this on a deeper level than others because of a different mentality of what it means exactly be a part of that culture.  As far as a solution, I would say just be there for your friend as he deals with a possibly very difficult emotional and mental challenge to cope with a new identity in Christ, reminding him that of verses where Christ promises that all things work for the good of those that love him (Romans 8:28), and that anyone who has made sacrifices for him will find themselves more than compensated in Christ's Kingdom, such as when Peter pointed out that he and the other apostles had left everything to follow Christ   "Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  (Mark 10:29-31)

So, in conclusion, I would say be loving and encouraging, not by telling him that there will not be times when he does not feel like this, but by "Rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn."  When he is struggling, struggle with him.  When he sees God's gifts of a Christian family, rejoice with him.  Try not to be preachy (like I am sure I am sounding right now, I have trouble with that) but be honest and upfront with him.  You know him and will know best how to help him deal with the emotional pain.  Above all, pray and ask God to constantly help you in both comforting him and encouraging him when it gets tough.

God bless, and I hope your friend perseveres and finds comfort in Christ.

Sparrowhawk

Welcome Dr. Lee!  Thanks for chiming in on this topic!  I am really glad you chose to join us!  Come back often.  We have lots to learn from you.  If you have any articles that might fit on the site, let me know and I'll find the best way to integrate them!  If you know anyone else who might be interested in discussions here, or who might have something to offer us, PLEASE invite them to join in! 

When I re-institute the Links from our old site, I'll add a link to your site!

Greg

Uchimura Kanzo (1861-1930) is one of the most prominent Japanese Christian thinkers, the world has ever known. He was born in a Samurai family during the ending years of the Tokugawa period in 1861. Later, during the Meiji Period, Japan’s modernization era, he studies at the Sapporo Agricultural School, the current Hokkaido University. During his years at agricultural school from 1878-81, he gave his life to Jesus Christ.
After his conversion experience and his intense studies of the Holy Scriptures, Uchimura Kanzo gradually was confronted with a very difficult reality: the Western missionaries did not only brought Christianity to Japan, but also their own cultures in the name of Christianity. He saw that Christianity brought by Westerners carried Western cultural agenda with it. This itself was not the major problem to Uchimura Kanzo, what bothered him the most was in fact the arrogance and pride in some Western missionaries. Uchimura often mentioned that not one single nation has even been saved entirely by foreign missionaries.
He mentioned that on contrary, missionaries destroyed countries instead of building them. From Mexico’s Montezuma and Peruvian Incan empires, Christianity’s course has been absorption, destruction, and, in some cases even annihilation. Western Christendom, he mentioned kills non-Christian countries by introducing rum and whisky, and tobacco; by its many foul diseases.
Uchimura Kanzo said that a Roman Catholicism is only good for the Roman culture, and Anglican Christianity emerged from English culture, and a Lutheran emerged from Germany and German culture. Why then not have to have a Japanese Christianity that is fully compatible to both Japan and Jesus. And I would say we have European Christianity in all its variations, why not African Christianity with all its colorful variations? Or Asian or Indian? Therefore Uchimura Kanzo became a promoter of independent church, free from control and financial bondage to the headquarters that are run by those outside Japan.
Later Uchimura Kanzo’s ideas were crystallized into a movement called “Non-Church” movement, or Mukyukai. Uchimura Kanzo did not believe in the organized Church. Uchimura Kanzo was often hated by the Japanese, because of his love for Jesus. He was misunderstood the Christians, because of his passion for Japan. Uchimura said: “I love two Js and no third; one is Jesus, and the other is Japan. I do not know which I love more, Jesus or Japan. I am hated by my countrymen for Jesus’ sake as foreign belief, and I am disliked by foreign missionaries for Japan’s sake as national and narrow. Even if I lose all my friends, I cannot lose Jesus and Japan. . . Jesus and Japan; my faith is not a circle with one center; it is an ellipse with two centers. My heart and mind revolve around the two dear names. And I know that one strengthens the other; Jesus strengthens and purifies my love for Japan; and Japan clarifies and objectives my love for Jesus. Were it not for the two, I would become a mere dreamer, a fanatic, an amorphous universal man.” After more than a century, the ideas of Uchimura Kanzo are living again. It is interesting to know that the idea of the Non-Church movement fits in our current times of history.
Further, Uchimura Kanzo was a promoter of nature. He saw the beauty of nature as part of Gods creation, and he urged the need of caring for the nature. Often nature played an important role in Uchimura’s expression of faith both in his theological writings and in his poetry. The love for nature was of course not the case with his contemporary Western Christianity, which was promoting capitalism and free market economy that lead eventually to the catastrophic climate change and erosion of the earth.
Uchimura Kanzo influenced many Japanese political figures as well as well known writers, among them the writers Masamune Hakucho, Mushanokoji Saneatsu, and Arimisha Takeo, who in 1910 founded the influential Shirakaba “White Birch”, a journal that served as a vehicle for their humanitarian ideals.
Uchimura Kanzo is only one example of many other Japanese theologians and Christians of his time. Toyohiko Kagawa (1888-1960), for example. If the Western Christians would have offered their listening ears to these great men, the face of Christianity was very different than what it is today, especially in Japan. (Samuel Lee)