Arigatou Gozaimasu Japan!

Day 7 & 8
Kanazawa > Tokyo > Christchurch

Our time in Japan was wrapped up with a night in Yvonne’s home turf – Tokyo, where she grew up when her father was a diplomat. Rev Tsutada also happened to be on our train carriage there! We stayed downtown in Shibuya and enjoyed navigating busy train stations again, debriefing and ambling around the big city, sniffing out good ramen. A key moment was going up to the 45th floor of the Tokyo Government Metropolitan building (for free! Pro tip if you’re in Tokyo) and praying over this massive city in the name of Jesus. That every believer would be awakened to the urgency of the hour, and every person would have an encounter with Jesus. There are so many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan – we developed a powerful pattern over this week of interceding as we passed each one. Claiming the rule and reign of Christ at every opportunity.

We made it back to Narita airport and uneventfully all the way home again – another ideal travel day! Please pray for good health as we adjust back to normal life, continued discernment/next steps, and ultimately for a move of God in Japan. Arigatou gozaimasu for all your prayers and support!

Fellowship, Food and Farewells (for now)

Day 6
Church in Kanazawa

We worshipped with the local IGM Church and were warmly welcomed by Rev Tsutada and the congregation. As part of the service, we introduced ourselves in varying levels of Japanese, which was enthusiastically received!

After the service, Robin & Yoko hosted a shared lunch for youth and young adults. Yvonne and Hannah jumped in to help cook yakisoba, and once again, the Tim Tam slam proved a big hit — Rev Tsutada was a natural! We played a few fun icebreaker games together before a sweet time of worship in both Japanese and English. We loved connecting with the students and hearing about their faith and dreams for the future.

Today was also Yvonne’s birthday, and Yoko planned a wee celebration as part of the lunch.

It was an honour to talk with Rev Tsutada and hear his heart for his church and city. We presented him with a pounamu matau, which he wore with pride, and each of us received a beautiful hand-calligraphed Scripture from a church member who recently passed away. Please continue to pray for IGM Kanazawa — that God would use them to bring many to Jesus, especially young people. We’re excited about this growing relationship and the partnership ahead.

Later in the day, we strolled through the old town with Robin and Yoko, taking in a few final sights before having one last meal together over delicious yakitori. We shared a powerful time of prayer as we said goodbye for now. We can’t thank them enough, and we look forward to meeting again soon!

Sunshine, Tim Tam Slams & Gospel Contextualisation

Day 4 & 5
Kanazawa

Friday was full of sunshine and adventure, both literally and figuratively. We’ve been taking turns leading a morning devotion and prayer. Robin and Yoko were wonderful tour guides as we explored Kanazawa’s beautiful gardens and castle. 

That evening, we joined Hope House church for an English cafe outreach they run on Friday nights. Kanazawa is a student town, and this cafe attracts local students who are eager to practice their English. It was a real multicultural evening with people from Japan, Zambia, Germany, Bulgaria, the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand all in the room. Clint taught everyone the Tim Tam slam. This cafe was a real highlight for our team, with each of us having significant spiritual conversations with both locals and expats. A common theme among the expats was the challenge of building meaningful community in Japanese culture, where it can be hard to feel deeply connected. Finn noted the unique opportunity for ministry to expats in Japan. A few locals also shared how foreign and unfamiliar Jesus feels within Japanese culture. It’s clear that contextualising the gospel is a significant and ongoing work in this place.

Saturday was rainy and relaxed. After our morning devotion, we followed the example in Luke 10 and went out prayer walking in twos. This was a powerful morning interceding for this city and nation, with many fun interactions and conversations along the way. We then spent the afternoon with Robin and Yoko discussing and discerning what a partnership with The Well could look like. Please pray for the Holy Spirit’s clear leading as we all discern, and for a shared vision of a thriving Japanese Church.

The Need for Hope

Day 3
Kobe

Yvonne started the day with a God-ordained conversation on a morning walk near a Buddhist temple. She met a lady who began talking about the importance of knowing truth. Yvonne shared the gospel and how Jesus still does miracles today. They talked for an hour! Please pray that God’s truth takes root in her heart. 

After loading up with breakfast and lunch from 7-Eleven, we took three different types of trains south to Kobe to meet with Rev Iwagami and his wife, Yoriko. Rev Iwagami is the president of Immanuel General Mission (IGM), a Wesleyan-Holiness denomination with a longstanding partnership with The Wesleyan Church. He also pastors a local church in Kobe and teaches at two Bible colleges. 

They hosted us beautifully in the church Rev Iwagami’s grandfather planted over 50 years ago. It was an honour to present a matau pounamu carved by our own Andrew Doughty. We had a great time connecting and hearing the history and current reality of IGM, and more broadly, the state of the Church in Japan. Yoriko shared the remarkable story of her grandmother’s escape from Hiroshima  - see photocopy of book excerpt, “Flee To The Mountains” in the images below. 

When talking about Japan’s ageing population and the greatest needs the gospel can meet, Yvonne asked why the birth rate is declining. Without missing a beat, Yoriko replied, “There is no hope.” Equally heartbreaking and energising — there is such a need for the hope of Jesus! Robin noted that the major issue with mission in Japan is that most forms of church and Christianity are too ‘Western’ and there is a great need for a contextualised expression of the gospel for Japanese people. We are so aware that hope needs to be communicated in a culturally compelling and sustainable way, and this work both humbles and excites us as a team.

There is a lot of planning and discernment to come, but we are excited by this early connection and the potential beginnings of a relationship both with IGM and with Rev Iwagami and Yoriko themselves. Their legacy of faith and prayer is nothing short of powerful!

Touchdown in Tokyo: The Journey Begins!

Day 1 & 2
Christchurch > Kanazawa

After a very early start and a truly ideal travel day, we landed in Narita, Tokyo. Three of us managed to snag a whole row to ourselves on the plane, but Yvonne scored even better — she prayed and had a great conversation with her seat neighbour.

We taught Finn how to use chopsticks over dinner in Narita, then headed to bed early. On Wednesday morning, we took the train into Tokyo and enjoyed a few beautiful hours navigating the busy stations, finding good coffee, an excellent lunch, and having fun, friendly interactions with locals along the way. Yvonne’s Japanese has already proven to be a game changer!

 From there, we hopped on the bullet train to Kanazawa to meet Robin & Yoko White, our Wesleyan missionary hosts. (Click here to read about their manga ministry.) After many Zoom calls, it was a joy to finally meet in person! Yoko kindly helped us sort out train tickets for the next few days. We explored a bit of Kanazawa before sharing a phenomenal shabu-shabu meal — all-you-can-eat, cooked right at the table. We’re so grateful for Robin & Yoko’s thoughtful planning and look forward to spending time with them, their church, and their ministry here.

Hannah’s ankle is holding up really well — she’s so thankful for all the prayers, as it’s been noticeably less painful.

 It’s been fun watching the team come together — we’ve already got a clear navigator, a food-finder, a translator, and a deep conversationalist. We’ll let you figure out who’s who!

Read Robin & Yoko’s ministry blog here
Check out an article about their ministry here

We’re going to Japan!

We’re excited to send several of our leadership team on a mission trip to Japan from 10 -18 June 2025!

This journey is an opportunity to build meaningful relationships and explore how God is moving globally. We’d love for you to follow along and stay connected throughout the trip!

Check back on this blog for updates, stories, and photos from the field. Please keep the team (Clint, Hannah, Finn and Yvonne) in your prayers as they travel, serve, and represent our community.