Religion Alive??
Many people say that the Japanese are not a religious people, but traveling out to the village assured me once again that this statment is not true. Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples dot the countryside. They are found on hilltops, in neighborhoods, or tucked away in small yards.
On Shikoku, one of the four Japanese islands, a Buddhist priest who felt the people very sinful led them to build 88 temples. It serves like a Mecca of Japan. Whoever visits the 88 temples in his or her lifetime is assured a place in the Buddhist heaven. Pray that the light of Jesus would shine in these dark places!
By Rachel Routt, summer intern missionary