Kankei, Wa, and Evangelism

Two key aspects of Japanese culture are kankei (関係) and wa (和).Kankei refers to relational connections within the context of Japanese culture. Wa or harmony, can also refer to harmonious living taking precedence over personal feelings or interests. Given the importance of wa in Japan, kankei is typically understood in a particular way.

Foreign missionaries can miss something very important if we’re not mindful of the kankei that exists not only between a foreigner and a Japanese person but also between two or more Japanese people. I will focus on the cultural applications for missionaries serving in Japan.

Consider two examples of this wa-influenced kankei:

#1: Foreigner to Japanese

I know a tall American missionary who spends most of his time with Japanese people. He recognizes that he’s different—both culturally and physically. Though fluent in Japanese, the kankei (relationship) he has with a Japanese person takes a particular form simply because he is not Japanese. He has told me that typically when he and a Japanese person have a disagreement, the Japanese person assumes that the cause of their disagreement is that one of them is not Japanese. My American friend would of course say it’s not because he’s American but rather because the two parties have different opinions.

#2: Japanese to Japanese

I have two Japanese friends who work together, but who are each bothered by the other person. I have asked them separately for the details, but neither can say with much clarity exactly what the other person has done. They only know the the other person makes them feel bad. However, when I see them together, they greet one another respectfully and even engage in cordial small talk. If I didn’t know better, I would think they were good friends. These friends may not like one another, yet they do not want to disturb the wa or break their kankei since they work for the same company. They have an outwardly peaceful relationship regardless of how they feel on the inside.

In #1, the American focuses on the disagreement itself while the Japanese person is focused on the kankei (or the lack thereof) between the American and himself. In #2, my Japanese friends felt bad enough to share with their foreigner friend, but not bad enough to confront the other Japanese person and potentially harm the relationship. In identifying the problem, my focus, as an American, was on the “what” of the actions, while the focus of my two Japanese friends was on the negative feelings they gave one another.

Minoru Okuyama describes the relational aspects of Japanese culture as such:

“Japanese people value human relationships more than truth and principle . . . Because they are afraid of disturbing human relationships of their families or neighborhood . . . Japanese [people] make much of human relationships more than the truth . . . Those who harm the harmony are bad, whether they are right or not has been beside the question.”¹

To focus on the veracity of the Christian faith is a common approach used in the West. According to Okuyama, however, the focal point for Japanese is on human relationships. Not merely the value of a relationship, but valuing how the relational aspects of their lives are connected with wa. Hence an approach to personal evangelism that is based merely on propositional truth may not be helpful.

Given this, how can a foreign missionary share the gospel in Japan while also proclaiming the truth of Christ? I offer three suggestions in the face of an incredibly difficult task:

1. Recognize that you are a foreigner with unique gifts.

Though the Lord has made each person unique, foreign missionaries serving in Japan possess certain strengths and weaknesses simply by being outsiders to the culture. In #2, my Japanese friends were comfortable speaking with me about the other person because I was a foreigner. It may also be easier for foreigners to bring together two Japanese who would not meet under different circumstances. Yet, because their foreign friend made the introduction they may be willing to spend time together. Foreigners oftentimes can be (positively) direct in a way that would be downright offensive if a Japanese person said the same words. If used carefully, this can be valuable in crafting an effective evangelistic strategy.

2. Realize the importance of kankei and wa in your relationships.

Sometimes it can be helpful to ask yourself (or others you trust): Why did the Japanese person say that particular thing or respond that way? Why did my Japanese friend feel so much shame in that situation and not want to lose face?

Rather than focusing on any one specific aspect of evangelism, simply realizing that kankei and wa are present in all aspects of Japanese society, including the church, will help us craft a more effective personal evangelistic strategy.

3. Focus on the reconciliation offered by God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Eventually, evangelism requires a Japanese person to personally confront the truth claims of Jesus Christ. Good kankei is necessary but not sufficient in proclaiming the gospel. The main message of the Bible is God’s reconciling His people to Himself through His son Jesus Christ. Our sin has broken our kankei with God and it can only be restored through Jesus Christ. Given this focal point, the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is already embedded in the concept of reconciliation with God. Hence, when there is an opportunity to speak about human reconciliation with a Japanese friend there is also an opportunity to bring up our broken kankei with our creator God, and the main tenet of the gospel: God is continually reconciling Himself to sinners through Jesus Christ.

In introducing the relational connections between God and man, we are not forgetting about truth. A Western evangelistic approach may start with a focus on the propositional truth of the gospel and then proceed to the relational aspects of the gospel. In an approach, however, that starts with an emphasis on relationship, the truth is embedded in the relational concepts, rather than the other way around. The truth of the gospel stays the same, but is shared in a way that fully embraces kankei and wa. 

1. http://www.christianpost.com/news/mission-leaderwhy-so-few-christians-in-japan-45217/