Country Profile: Japan

Japan

Total Population

126,344,157

Country Flag

Major Languages

Japanese

Official Language

National Language

Major Religion

Buddhism

Capital City

Tokyo

Population 37,393,128

Major Cities

Nagoya

Population 9,552,132
Osaka

Population 19,165,340

The breakdown of Japan’s Stratus Index Ranking for each group, category, and subcategory:

Stratus Index

120 / 177

The lower the number, the greater the need

Spiritual

38 / 177

Developmental

191 / 177

- Childbirth
  Childbirth
  
  Infant and maternal mortality rates
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  186
- Disease
  Disease
  
  Prevalence of chronic, communicable, and infectious diseases and disease mortality
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  173
- Healthcare
  Healthcare
  
  Availability and quality of healthcare systems
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  189
- Nutrition (Food)
  Nutrition (Food)
  
  Food quality and malnutrition
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  135
- Sanitation (Water)
  Sanitation (Water)
  
  Water quality, sanitation services, and sanitation-related mortality
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  37
- Poverty
  Poverty
  
  Multidimensional poverty, poverty rates, and affordability
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  169
- Employment
  Employment
  
  Unemployment and opportunity for work
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  167
- Opportunity
  Opportunity
  
  Economic inequality and business freedom
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  174
- National Economy
  National Economy
  
  National levels of prosperity and development
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  165
- Attendance
  Attendance
  
  Expected years of schooling and completion rates
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  183
- Women's Education
  Women's Education
  
  Educational attendance and opportunity for women
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  170
- Higher Education
  Higher Education
  
  University opportunity, quality, and completion rates
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  191
- Education Quality
  Education Quality
  
  Access to quality education and trained educators
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  186
- Literacy
  Literacy
  
  Male and female literacy rates
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need

Natural

141 / 177

- Globalization
  Globalization
  
  Opportunities for global trade, information, and connectedness
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  120
- Infrastructure
  Infrastructure
  
  Road, rail, and air infrastructure and quality
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  193
- Public Services
  Public Services
  
  Availability and quality of public services (i.e. electricity, trash collection, transportation, etc.)
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  165
- Technology
  Technology
  
  Access to technology and information infrastructure
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  186
- Climate Change
  Climate Change
  
  Performance on climate change issues
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  118
- Climate Risk
  Climate Risk
  
  Exposure to risk due to climate change
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  12
- Environmental Health
  Environmental Health
  
  Quality of the natural environment and performance on maintaining environmental health
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  171
- Resource Security
  Resource Security
  
  Availability of food, water, and natural resources
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  104
- Agriculture
  Agriculture
  
  Land available for agriculture and agricultural production
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  32
- Elevation
  Elevation
  
  High and low elevations, and elevation ranges
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  74
- Ruggedness
  Ruggedness
  
  Ruggedness of the terrain and suitability for habitation and agriculture
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  92

Political

179 / 177

- Civil Liberties
  Civil Liberties
  
  Academic freedom, business freedom, and freedom of the press
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  134
- Equality
  Equality
  
  Social and gender equality, and equal opportunity under the law
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  154
- Personal Freedom
  Personal Freedom
  
  Freedom of expression, mobility, and ownership
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  164
- Technological Freedom
  Technological Freedom
  
  Surveillance and access to information
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  72
- Imprisonment
  Imprisonment
  
  Prison capacity, occupancy, incarceration, and deaths in prison
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  165
- Political Rights
  Political Rights
  
  Opportunity for free and fair elections and political oppression
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  178
- Corruption
  Corruption
  
  Perception of corruption and safeguards against corruption
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  182
- Organized Crime
  Organized Crime
  
  Money laundering, kidnapping, and extortion
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  137
- Representation
  Representation
  
  Legitimacy of government and quality of governance in meeting the needs of its citizens
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  169
- War
  War
  
  Internal and external conflicts, militarization, and the cost of violence
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  144
- Law and Order
  Law and Order
  
  Civil safety, rule of law, and police reliability
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  171
- Security
  Security
  
  National security and the effectiveness of the security apparatus
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  169
- Terrorism
  Terrorism
  
  Terrorism incidents, fatalities, and damage
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  71

Social

180 / 177

- Demographic Pressures
  Demographic Pressures
  
  Pressures from gender and age imbalances
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  85
- Diversity
  Diversity
  
  Pressures from ethnic and linguistic fractionalization
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  191
- Life Expectancy
  Life Expectancy
  
  Male and female life expectancy
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  189
- Population
  Population
  
  Pressures from population and population growth
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  119
- Urbanization
  Urbanization
  
  Urban population and pressures from urban growth
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  181
- Ethnic Tension
  Ethnic Tension
  
  Oppression, inequality, and violence stemming from ethnic diversity
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  167
- Sexual Violence
  Sexual Violence
  
  Incidents and rates of sexual violence
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  93
- Theft
  Theft
  
  Incidents and rates of burglary and robbery
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  98
- Violent Crime
  Violent Crime
  
  Incidents and rates of homicide and assault
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  161
- Religious Persecution
  Religious Persecution
  
  Oppression and violence as a result of religious expression
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
- Domestic
  Domestic
  
  Domestic abuse, child labor, and early marriage
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  178
- Drug Use
  Drug Use
  
  Incidents and rates of drug abuse
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  136
- Suicide
  Suicide
  
  Male and female suicide rates
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  13
- Trafficking
  Trafficking
  
  Sexual exploitation and prevalence of trafficking incidents to and from this country
  
  The lower the number, the greater the need
  
  102

Dive Deeper Into The Data

People Groups

Bubbles are sized according to their relative population size within the country.

Show only indigenous people groups

100%

Less Reached

More Reached

Population

126,344,157

Number of People Groups

Christian

2.23%

Evangelical

0.58%

Unreached Groups

97.8%

Population Unreached

123,603,486

Frontier Groups

Population Frontier

4,900

Number of People Groups

Unreached Groups

Frontier Groups

3.84%

of the World’s Unreached Population

Largest People Groups (by Population)

Population

120,880,000

95.64%

Christian

0.75%

Evangelical

0.3%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

Yes
Population

998,000

0.79%

Christian

23.5%

Evangelical

16%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

549,000

0.43%

Christian

6.35%

Evangelical

5.7%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

266,000

0.21%

Christian

58.5%

Evangelical

22%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

126,000

0.1%

Christian

3.25%

Evangelical

1.5%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

Yes

Population

1,183,000

0.94%

Christian

1.08%

Evangelical

0.15%

Scripture Access

Portions

Indigenous

Yes
Population

887,000

0.7%

Christian

0.35%

Evangelical

0.2%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

Yes
Population

499,000

0.39%

Christian

52.5%

Evangelical

12%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

253,000

0.2%

Christian

1.54%

Evangelical

N/A

Scripture Access

Portions

Indigenous

Yes
Population

108,000

0.09%

Christian

54.5%

Evangelical

14%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No

Explore Raw People Groups Data

TERMS

A People Group is an ethno-linguistic group of people (one that shares the same language and ethnicity) within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance. For the Gospel to spread between People Groups, the carriers of language (understanding) and acceptance (culture) must be overcome. In order to use available Christian numerical data, Stratus defers to the definitions provided by Joshua Project.
‘Unreached’ doesn’t just mean “Non-Christian”, but refers to the level of Gospel access people in a specific People Group have. An Unreached People Group does not have adequate access to the Gospel. A People Group is technically considered Unreached when both the number of Evangelical Believers is <=2%, and the number of Professing Christian <= 5%. The majority of people in an Unreached People Group would not have the opportunity to hear the Gospel in a way they might understand or accept, even if they might want to. This is due to the lack of believers, churches, and Gospel resources available to them. Missionary assistance is essential to providing Gospel Access to the Unreached.
A Frontier People Group is one in which less than 0.1% of the population identifies as a Christian of any kind, with no evidence of a self-sustaining Gospel movement. In order to use available Christian numerical data, Stratus defers to the definitions provided by Joshua Project.
Those who identify or are identified with the Christian tradition in any form, including Orthodox, devout Catholic, nominal, and fringe sect adherents. This is the broadest possible general definition, primarily displaying a population’s familiarity with the Christian tradition. In order to use available Christian numerical data, Stratus defers to the definitions provided by Joshua Project.
Those who align themselves theologically with churches that adhere to a set of core evangelical doctrines, emphasizing salvation solely through faith in Jesus, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, the Bible as the rule of faith, and Gospel-centered preaching and evangelism. In order to use available Christian numerical data, Stratus defers to the definitions provided by Joshua Project.

Language Groups

Bubbles are sized according to their relative population size within the country.

Show only indigenous language groups

Number of Languages

Full Bible

Population Full Bible

124,792,500

New Testament

Population New Testament

13,000

Portion of Bible

Population Portion

1,436,000

No Scripture Access

Population No Scripture Access

151,400

Languages with less than 2% Christian

37.50%

Languages with less than 0.1% Christian

3.13%

100%

Less Reached

More Reached

Highest Spoken Languages

Population

121,943,000

96.48%

Christian

0.75%

Evangelical

0.3%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

Yes
Population

998,000

0.79%

Christian

23.5%

Evangelical

16%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

499,000

0.39%

Christian

52.5%

Evangelical

12%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

253,000

0.2%

Christian

1.54%

Evangelical

N/A

Scripture Access

Portions

Indigenous

Yes
Population

75,000

0.06%

Christian

7.5%

Evangelical

5%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No

Population

1,183,000

0.94%

Christian

1.08%

Evangelical

0.15%

Scripture Access

Portions

Indigenous

Yes
Population

549,000

0.43%

Christian

6.35%

Evangelical

5.7%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

266,000

0.21%

Christian

58.5%

Evangelical

22%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

108,000

0.09%

Christian

54.5%

Evangelical

14%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No
Population

73,000

0.06%

Christian

47.8%

Evangelical

21.7%

Scripture Access

Full Bible

Indigenous

No

Explore Raw Language Data

Hard To Reach

A documentary series from Radical.

Prayer Points

Pray for the young people

Pray for the young people in Japan who are dealing with depression and a sense of meaninglessness, that the gospel would bring them hope.

Instagram downloads:

Story

Post

Pray for the major cities

Pray for the major cities in Japan where the gospel has largely been ignored.

Instagram downloads:

Story

Post

Pray that the evangelical churches

Pray that the evangelical churches in Japan would have a revival and become zealous for the name of Jesus in their country.

Pray for Christian marriages

Pray for Christian marriages among Japanese believers to reflect the love of Jesus and not the love of money.

Pray that traditional churches

Pray that traditional churches in Japan would cooperate with and encourage church plants.

Pray that the institutes providing theological education

Pray that the institutes providing theological education in Japan would equip the students in every aspect of ministry—heart, head, and hands—rather than solely scholastic/theoretical learning.

Pray for the 100 million people in Japan

Pray for the 100 million people in Japan, the majority of whom have never heard the gospel.

Pray that local churches

Pray that local churches in Japan would develop discipleship programs and mentorship opportunities, not simply promote tradition, so that new believers can live holistic lives of obedience to Jesus.

Pray that more Western missionaries would be sent to Japan

Pray that more Western missionaries would be sent and supported to go to Japan.

Pray that more theological and ministry resources would be created

Pray that more theological and ministry resources would be created by national Japanese writers to help the Japanese church reach their neighbors.