Last evening I was in the central area of Tokyo where Avery Toves and I met with Yu Shibuya and his friend Danny Doyal. Danny is a Christian guy who works as a DJ in the LA underground scene.
We had a great conversation about a lot of things but what most interested me was his church in LA. He is the pastor of a small "house church." Danny said "it is a group of friends who didn't fit into established chruches." They hang out together at the home of one of the members. They hold meetings but have almost none of the "normal" church programing and organization. Right now I am listening to Danny's CD "turntable praise" which is a fascinating mixture of worship, black gospel, pop, and techno, with some "preaching" spliced in the crevices.
There are a growing number of similar house church groups in the US. This is also happening in Japan. One group of house churches in Tokyo meet in Karaoke bars, which are cheap to rent by the hour and places where people are used to going to.
Danny is part of a new wave of young Christians who don't really "fit" in any of the old categories. He is also one of a growing number of media savvy, artistic, internationalized Christians who have a great deal to offer to our world.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Anime and Popular Culture: Interview with Bill Ellis
-- an excellent article for those who want a basic introduction to anime from the blog TheoFantastique run by my new Cornerstone friend John Morehead
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Bible Manga Informational Meeting: Announcement #2
“Bible Manga is one of the most contextualized mass-media presentations of the gospel in the history of Christianity in Japan."
New Life League Japan (NLLJ) is publishing an exciting series of books called “Bible Manga.” These books are are genuine full-color manga, created by Japanese artists with text in Japanese. The first of the five books in the series, Manga Messiah, has already been published in English and is being translated into at least twenty other languages. It is getting a good deal of attention in mainstream, manga related blogs and news sites.
According to Roald Lidal, NLLJ will publish the original Japanese version of Manga Messiah in early 2008. This meeting with the publisher is a strategic opportunity to learn more about this important new resource. We want the Christian community in Japan to know as much as possible about this tremendous opportunity to artistically communicate the gospel to millions of Japanese manga readers.
Program:
Roald Lidal (Director of NLLJ) and his associate, Toshi Iwaoka (Assistant General Director of NLLJ), will make a presentation. They will also bring samples of Manga Messiah for attendees and a copy of the artwork for the next book in the series. There will be about an hour of time allocated for Q & A. This meeting will be conducted in English. If there is enough interest we will schedule another meeting in Japanese.
When: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:00 AM to Noon
Where: Harvest Hall, Matsukawa Place, Higashi Kurume, Tokyo
(Matsukawa Place is located next to Christian Academy in Japan)
Cost: 500-yen donation
Registration: None needed – just come, you are welcome to bring others with you
Sponsor: CAN (Christians in the Arts Network)
Bible Manga Home Page
Questions? Contact Paul Nethercott info@japancan.com or call 090-9845-0091
New Life League Japan (NLLJ) is publishing an exciting series of books called “Bible Manga.” These books are are genuine full-color manga, created by Japanese artists with text in Japanese. The first of the five books in the series, Manga Messiah, has already been published in English and is being translated into at least twenty other languages. It is getting a good deal of attention in mainstream, manga related blogs and news sites.
According to Roald Lidal, NLLJ will publish the original Japanese version of Manga Messiah in early 2008. This meeting with the publisher is a strategic opportunity to learn more about this important new resource. We want the Christian community in Japan to know as much as possible about this tremendous opportunity to artistically communicate the gospel to millions of Japanese manga readers.
Program:
Roald Lidal (Director of NLLJ) and his associate, Toshi Iwaoka (Assistant General Director of NLLJ), will make a presentation. They will also bring samples of Manga Messiah for attendees and a copy of the artwork for the next book in the series. There will be about an hour of time allocated for Q & A. This meeting will be conducted in English. If there is enough interest we will schedule another meeting in Japanese.
When: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:00 AM to Noon
Where: Harvest Hall, Matsukawa Place, Higashi Kurume, Tokyo
(Matsukawa Place is located next to Christian Academy in Japan)
Cost: 500-yen donation
Registration: None needed – just come, you are welcome to bring others with you
Sponsor: CAN (Christians in the Arts Network)
Bible Manga Home Page
Questions? Contact Paul Nethercott info@japancan.com or call 090-9845-0091
Monday, September 10, 2007
Announcing an Informational Meeting Regarding "Bible Manga"
New Life League Japan (NLLJ) is publishing a very important and exciting series of books called “Bible Manga.” Japanese artists are creating five genuine manga books based on the Bible (three Old Testament and two New Testament). The original art and text is in Japanese but Manga Messiah has already been released in English and is available at Amazon. According to Roald Lidal, NLLJ will publish the original Japanese version of Manga Messiah in Japan in early 2008.
“Bible Manga” is probably the most contextualized mass media presentation of the gospel in the history of Christianity in Japan. Remarkably, it is already being translated into at least twenty different languages.
The purpose of this meeting is to build vision for and provide information about the “Bible Manga” project. We want the Christian community in Japan to be prepared to make the most of this tremendous opportunity to communicate the gospel to the millions of mainstream Japanese who are manga readers.
Program: Roald Lidal (Director of NLLJ) and his associate, Toshi Iwaoka (Assistant General Director of NLLJ), will make a presentation. They will also bring samples of Manga Messiah for attendees and a copy of the artwork for the next book in the series. Finally, we will have about an hour for Q & A. This meeting will be conducted in English.
When: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:00 AM to Noon
Where: Harvest Hall, Matsukawa Place, Higashi Kurume, Tokyo
(Matsukawa Place is located next to Christian Academy in Japan)
Cost: 500-yen donation
Registration: None needed – just come
Sponsor: CAN (Christians in the Arts Network)
Questions? Contact Paul Nethercott at info@japancan.com or call 090-9845-0091 (in Japan)
“Bible Manga” is probably the most contextualized mass media presentation of the gospel in the history of Christianity in Japan. Remarkably, it is already being translated into at least twenty different languages.
The purpose of this meeting is to build vision for and provide information about the “Bible Manga” project. We want the Christian community in Japan to be prepared to make the most of this tremendous opportunity to communicate the gospel to the millions of mainstream Japanese who are manga readers.
Program: Roald Lidal (Director of NLLJ) and his associate, Toshi Iwaoka (Assistant General Director of NLLJ), will make a presentation. They will also bring samples of Manga Messiah for attendees and a copy of the artwork for the next book in the series. Finally, we will have about an hour for Q & A. This meeting will be conducted in English.
When: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:00 AM to Noon
Where: Harvest Hall, Matsukawa Place, Higashi Kurume, Tokyo
(Matsukawa Place is located next to Christian Academy in Japan)
Cost: 500-yen donation
Registration: None needed – just come
Sponsor: CAN (Christians in the Arts Network)
Questions? Contact Paul Nethercott at
Friday, September 07, 2007
Japanese Pop-Culture’s Popularity in the West: What does it mean for missions in Japan?
This post is my column for the fall issue of Japan Harvest magazine. The readers are primarily career missionaries serving with established mission organizations in Japan so the article is written specifically for that group.
Some definitions (adapted from wikipedia.org):
Manga (漫画) is a Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. Outside of Japan, it refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan.
Anime (アニメ) is an abbreviation of the word "animation". Outside Japan, the term popularly refers to animation originating in Japan.
Otaku (おたく) is a complicated word that in Japanese slang refers to a narrowly focused obsessive person. In English “otaku” is often used to refer specifically to fans of anime and/or manga, but can mean "geek."
J-Pop is an abbreviated form of “Japanese pop” and refers to popular Japanese music; it is often featured in anime.
Hayao Miyazaki is a famous creator of anime and manga. Ghibli Studios, co-founded by Miyazaki, has been called "the Japanese version of Disney."
For further information go to the The Anime and Manga Portal on wikipedia
After WW II, there was a surge of missionaries to Japan, many of whom “connected” with Japan because of the war. The current popularity of Japanese pop culture in the West may be the catalyst for a new surge of young people coming to Japan as missionaries. These young people are “connecting” with Japan via anime, manga, and J-pop. They tend to be bright, creative, media savvy, unconventional, and many aren’t interested in raising support; some young adults who fit this profile are already showing up in Japan. And, there are signs that many more will follow.
Murray Trim represented TEAM Japan at the last Urbana missions conference where he was extremely busy meeting with students interested in Japan: “I was amazed at the number of young people who came to talk to me regarding possible service in Japan who said their interest began due to their involvement with anime and/or manga.”
I sent a survey to a number of young Westerners who are, or have been, involved in Japan-focused missional activity. Eight of fourteen respondents said they are fans of Anime and/or Manga. Of those eight, four said that manga/anime was a factor in them being involved in missions in Japan.
What these young adults said:
Jesse Gillespie (artist in his twenties):
Anime is becoming more popular each year here (in the USA), and I'm amazed at how many series are being translated in print and video. There are not many series, which Americans aren't able to get in English.
Bryan Davidson (musician in early 30s):
As manga is embraced by all ages here (in Japan), understanding and caring about what our neighbors enjoy will often show we love them. To not observe the art (pop or otherwise) of a culture is a foolish and unloving mistake for any missionary to make.
Jessica Stebbing (college student):
Just like any media, people have to be careful and mindful of what is good and pleasing to God. I think some people are a little overboard and assume it is all pornography, and tend to come off as condemning of the people who are interested in it. I think it’s good to have an understanding of the good aspects of manga and anime so they can approach discussing the bad elements in a less condescending way.
Scot Eaton (graduate student):
For me, anime, manga, and video games really helped raise my awareness of Japan. They also helped me to start understanding the (Japanese) world view.
Miwa Isomura (college student):
It is very interesting that much of the manga/anime has a lot of spiritual aspect in it, more than it has in the past.
Stephe Halker (artist):
I have found no better way to understand the Japanese spirit than through its commercial arts. Couched inside every fight scene and comic situation is a myriad of epic, culturally based, moral, and ethical positions. I think it would be very difficult to learn about Japanese culture without having comics and cartoons as treasure maps and porters.
Missionaries who want to learn about manga and/or anime deal with a massive amount of material, some of which is perverted, so it is difficult to know where to start. My suggestion is to start with one of Miyazaki’s films, which are available in Japanese rental stores. In particular, I recommend “Princess Mononoke” 『もののけ姫』There is violence, so it is not appropriate for young children.
How we respond to this new surge of young adults arriving in Japan is critical. One response is to wring our proverbial hands in despair over their faults and criticize them. If we do that, we will lose the strategic opportunity to invest in the lives of these gifted young people. Instead, we need to ask constructive questions:
Links to pertinent articles:
Weekend Beat: Cashing in on over-the-counter culture
Manga Demographics
What's hip, fresh and appeals to young readers? MANGA!
Some definitions (adapted from wikipedia.org):
Manga (漫画) is a Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. Outside of Japan, it refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan.
Anime (アニメ) is an abbreviation of the word "animation". Outside Japan, the term popularly refers to animation originating in Japan.
Otaku (おたく) is a complicated word that in Japanese slang refers to a narrowly focused obsessive person. In English “otaku” is often used to refer specifically to fans of anime and/or manga, but can mean "geek."
J-Pop is an abbreviated form of “Japanese pop” and refers to popular Japanese music; it is often featured in anime.
Hayao Miyazaki is a famous creator of anime and manga. Ghibli Studios, co-founded by Miyazaki, has been called "the Japanese version of Disney."
For further information go to the The Anime and Manga Portal on wikipedia
After WW II, there was a surge of missionaries to Japan, many of whom “connected” with Japan because of the war. The current popularity of Japanese pop culture in the West may be the catalyst for a new surge of young people coming to Japan as missionaries. These young people are “connecting” with Japan via anime, manga, and J-pop. They tend to be bright, creative, media savvy, unconventional, and many aren’t interested in raising support; some young adults who fit this profile are already showing up in Japan. And, there are signs that many more will follow.
Murray Trim represented TEAM Japan at the last Urbana missions conference where he was extremely busy meeting with students interested in Japan: “I was amazed at the number of young people who came to talk to me regarding possible service in Japan who said their interest began due to their involvement with anime and/or manga.”
I sent a survey to a number of young Westerners who are, or have been, involved in Japan-focused missional activity. Eight of fourteen respondents said they are fans of Anime and/or Manga. Of those eight, four said that manga/anime was a factor in them being involved in missions in Japan.
What these young adults said:
Jesse Gillespie (artist in his twenties):
Anime is becoming more popular each year here (in the USA), and I'm amazed at how many series are being translated in print and video. There are not many series, which Americans aren't able to get in English.
Bryan Davidson (musician in early 30s):
As manga is embraced by all ages here (in Japan), understanding and caring about what our neighbors enjoy will often show we love them. To not observe the art (pop or otherwise) of a culture is a foolish and unloving mistake for any missionary to make.
Jessica Stebbing (college student):
Just like any media, people have to be careful and mindful of what is good and pleasing to God. I think some people are a little overboard and assume it is all pornography, and tend to come off as condemning of the people who are interested in it. I think it’s good to have an understanding of the good aspects of manga and anime so they can approach discussing the bad elements in a less condescending way.
Scot Eaton (graduate student):
For me, anime, manga, and video games really helped raise my awareness of Japan. They also helped me to start understanding the (Japanese) world view.
Miwa Isomura (college student):
It is very interesting that much of the manga/anime has a lot of spiritual aspect in it, more than it has in the past.
Stephe Halker (artist):
I have found no better way to understand the Japanese spirit than through its commercial arts. Couched inside every fight scene and comic situation is a myriad of epic, culturally based, moral, and ethical positions. I think it would be very difficult to learn about Japanese culture without having comics and cartoons as treasure maps and porters.
Missionaries who want to learn about manga and/or anime deal with a massive amount of material, some of which is perverted, so it is difficult to know where to start. My suggestion is to start with one of Miyazaki’s films, which are available in Japanese rental stores. In particular, I recommend “Princess Mononoke” 『もののけ姫』There is violence, so it is not appropriate for young children.
How we respond to this new surge of young adults arriving in Japan is critical. One response is to wring our proverbial hands in despair over their faults and criticize them. If we do that, we will lose the strategic opportunity to invest in the lives of these gifted young people. Instead, we need to ask constructive questions:
- How can we help them grow and to be effective?
- Are they going to fit into current structures and programs? Should they?
- Should we expect them to sit through long meetings?
- How can they contribute to media related outreach?
- What special contributions can they make to building up the church?
Links to pertinent articles:
Weekend Beat: Cashing in on over-the-counter culture
Manga Demographics
What's hip, fresh and appeals to young readers? MANGA!
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