“I could never become a Christian; no one in my family has ever been one. I would betray them if I did.”
“My boss calls at 6 a.m. on my day off to tell me to come to work, so I have to go.”
“I’ve never spoken about Jesus at work because I don’t want to break the harmony.”
“I can’t pray at church because I can’t pray like other people.”

Pressure—to conform, to not make mistakes, to not admit weaknesses, to work beyond their limits—is often felt deeply by Japanese people. Many hide their true selves and are sensitive to how they are being viewed by others. When the daily stresses add up, the effects can be dire: mental health concerns, alcoholism, estranged families, and even suicide.

In a country where Christians are a tiny minority, pressure to conform can be felt as pressure not to become a Christian. For believers, conformity can be felt as pressure to keep their faith private and their struggles hidden.

In Christ, we find grace, acceptance, and rest, but in a pressurized society, those truths can be hard to believe and even harder to live out.