Makoto Okura
Pastor of San Diego Japanese Christian Church

     When you all go back to Japan, you will need to use “that” phrase.  You know the one – the one that doesn’t translate well –“O-Sewa-ni Natteimasu.”“I humbly express my appreciation for all the care you show to me.”  You cannot go through life in Japan without using this phrase.  Why is it that this phrase doesn’t translate into foreign languages?  Let’s think about it a bit.

     A father tells his now-grown son, “Son, from now on you can’t turn your back on ‘Seken-sama’– the Honorable Collective Eye.”  Company presidents and even sumo champions who get caught in scandal bow deeply, saying, “We’re so sorry to have caused such a ruckus in the ‘Seken’– the Honorable Public Eye.”  This is a scene that is seen so often in Japan.  If somebody who doesn’t know the Japanese well sees this, they might even think that this “Seken” that is referred to must be an individual who wields a great amount of authority.
 
     However, in reality, we never actually meet with or get to talk to this Mr. Seken, nor do we have any chances to dine together.  This is because this “person” that we refer to as “Mr.”Seken cannot be found, even if you were to look all over Japan. This “existence” is something that makes us think that we need to make sure we are never ashamed of our words and actions when we appear before it – this is the “Collective Eye,” and we Japanese even assign “sama,” an “Honorable Mr.” to this concept, to this presence that doesn’t even physically exist.  We might even go so far as to say that our need to live with a constant awareness of this invisible, impalpable existence could be said to be a religion that is unique to Japan.
 
     Going back to the first topic – yes, you will be returning to the land of “I humbly express my appreciation for all the care you show to me.”  The meaning behind these words is, “We are all living in the same society,” and to the extent that we are all living in the same space and time, we are part of the same group, so let’s not harm each other – let’s try to get through this thing intact.  This acknowledgment is the starting point and the arena for all of our interactions.
 
     When those of us who have lived overseas and found faith overseas go back to Japan, we come up against various challenges.  There are probably not many people who will have a hard time in their interactions with the pre-existing religions in Japan.  This is because, in actuality, the religions that exist in Japan do not have much of an effect on the everyday lives of the Japanese.  When we ponder this fact, we come to realize that the thing that we need to look out for is the existence of “Mr. Seken”– the Honorable Collective Eye.  What do you think?  What they should do about funerals and visits to the family grave are the problems that Japanese who go back from overseas are most worried about.  When you look at the root of these issues, however, you see that these are not religious issues per se, but that they relate to the Collective Eye – how those around you perceive you and your actions.
 
     In Japanese society, the phrase “society (‘Seken’) won’t allow it” is virtually synonymous with“as a human being, that is something that you are not allowed to do.”  At times, “Seken”– the Collective Eye – is sometimes referred to as the “atmosphere.”  With the recent scandal that was exposed regarding moving the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market to Toyosu, and then finding that the land the new market had been built on had been filled in while it was still contaminated, the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, said,“When I asked them, ‘Who made this decision, and when?’ the answer was, ‘At each step in the natural flow of things, things just kind of moved forward in atmospheric, unspoken agreements.’”  Yes, this is the land where the unspoken atmosphere of a situation can decide things – Japan.

     We Japanese regard a person who can properly read the atmosphere of a situation, suppress their own thoughts and desires, and adjust themselves to those around them as an “adult.”  So we have no choice but to live in the shadow of this Honorable Collective Eye.  We put a great amount of effort, even changing our thoughts and desires, into “Don’t get laughed at,”“Don’t become a disgrace,” and “Don’t make yourself feel out of place.”
 
     Paul once said, “The god of this age had blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”(II Corinthians 4:4).  In Paul’s time, the “god of this age” was most likely referring to the various gods of the many idols that Paul had to face around the city of Corinth.  However, for us as Japanese, I think we can say that the “god of this age” is indeed “Seken-sama,” the Honorable Collective Eye.  If this god, this Collective Eye, blinds our minds, then we cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ.
 
     In our lives of faith as Christians in Japan, and when we think about sharing the gospel in Japan, the existence of this Collective Eye, of always caring about what society will think, is huge.  It can even make us stop seeing the existence of the God that we believe and worship, so we need to take great care.  Take a look at Japan while you keep the awareness of “Seken-sama” in mind.  After that, try to think about how you can live with God and how you can share this God with the Japanese people.  In this case, you need to set aside the evangelistic techniques that were successful in other countries.  Think about what it means to live a life of faith as a Japanese, and about evangelistic styles that will work in Japan.  You, each and every one of you going back to Japan, are the ones that are in the best position to make these a reality, because you have left Japan once and seen it from the outside, and you have lived in a country without the presence of the Collective Eye.  I pray that you will be able to fight the good fight in the Lord, and I will be waiting to hear good reports coming in from all around Japan.