Does anyone go to church in Tokyo?

Any good/bad experiences you can share?

6 comments
  1. I was forced to go to church in Ireland several times a week for 15 years and I’d describe it as an entirely bad experience, not recommended

  2. I saw some people handing out bible-related fliers in Ikkebukuro, just near the station the other day… heard rumours that Japanese relgious tend to be very cult-ish though.

  3. I go to a German speaking church just for the community and to sing in the choir. It’s very nice. Probably because most people are diplomats and very well educated though – There are no visible fanatics and all seem very tolerant towards other beliefs and lifestyles. Also great for networking.

  4. Yes! I’ve attended a church regularly since I moved here 9 years ago. A lot of the smaller, more local-feeling churches are generally filled with older women/men and not very many people under 40, so it can be tricky finding people to relate with. Not only are you from a different background, but you’re also at a different life stage. More younger skewing churches do exist though, especially in the international (or semi-international) church category.

    There are quite a few “churches” however that are sort of new-age cult religions (with a lot of sketchy financial contributions required,) so if you’re interested in attending, I’d do a bit of research before just popping into one you see in your neighborhood.

  5. Reddit generally doesn’t like Christianity (aside from r/reformed), so I won’t be surprised if the answers would be against it and if this would be downvoted. I regularly attend church with my wife, our church is a small one, maybe more than half are Japanese and the other half, foreigners. Far from perfect, after all, it’s composed of imperfect people. But I’d say it’s welcoming of both believers and non-believers alike.

    The teaching is in line with conservative Christianity, (if you’re familiar, reformed-ish). When I say conservative, not the politics type of conservative but historic and traditional in teaching. The worship service is generally simple, not much fanfare. I’d say preaching is central to the gathering, but it’s also a good community. Many people stay after the service to talk to each other. People hang out together outside the Sunday service. My Japanese is not good, but even the Japanese people talk to us often. They have been my constants ever since I came to Japan. They’re praying for me and we pray for them as well.

  6. I go to Yotsuya for the Spanish service. It’s pretty chill albeit boring (as expected of a Japanese church). They are extremely particular about COVID measures to the point that they reinstated the choir only recently, and they all still wear masks.

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