Christianity in Japan - Term Paper Example

Missionaries who enter the nation appear to be unaware of this reality, so many of them may continue to use similar strategies applied in non-Japanese cultures. Their failure to take into account the perspectives and inclinations of the people of Japan may explain why so few Christians exist in the country and why the church has grown by only minuscule levels in this part of the world. In the early seventeenth century, Japan underwent a unification process in which they created a politically stable system for over 200 years.

This need for stabilization came after prolonged periods of civil strife starting from the 12th to the 16th century under the leadership of the shogun, which was a military governor. The shogun was a representative of the Japanese emperor and had much political power; in fact, many argue that the emperor was a mere symbol as the real ruler was the shogun. The shogun also had retainers who got property and political control for offering military services, but this arrangement would prove to be ineffective as the two parties often conflicted amongst themselves.

By the 16th century, it became clear that the system was unsustainable as it led people to enter into war amongst themselves (Reader 39). This civil war led political leaders to seek unification among various states through the efforts of military representatives; the process would lead to a series of social and cultural processes as well. The remaining chieftain in 1600 to 1616 was known as Tokugawa bakufu - a temporary military government – that had shoguns. These shoguns wanted to prevent civil war using the daimyo who were strong property owners found throughout the country.

Daimyo also had their own schools, judiciary and military representatives within their territories; several of them worked on expanding their economies by foreign relationships with foreigners. They acquired the skill of weapons manufacture from European travelers and purchased firearms as well