1 Describe your faith experiences.
     I was born into a “standard” Japanese family. My parents do not have any specific religious beliefs, and I myself had been alike until I started seeking the meaning of life in my adolescence. At the age of 18, just before I entered university, I visited a nearby church for the first time in my life, where I was led to confession of faith. After that, I left my hometown and moved to a big city to go to university. I started my life as a Christian there, and was baptized at the age of 20. I was given a conviction that Jesus risked his life and identity to give meaning to my life, but later learned that God’s plan was and is far greater than that. I was once discouraged and depressed in my university days, but God was always there for me and helped me out, through people around me. I learned from this experience that God of the Bible is one who never gives up on any of us, and is always together with those in need.

2 State your reasons for attending our seminary, including vocational goals.
     As I will explain below, the experience of reading Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials was kind of a turning point in my life. I wish to learn from one of the coauthors. I would also like to discuss with students from various backgrounds about how their cultural background could affect their way of reading the Bible. After I finish my study, I will come back to Japan, and will work as either a pastor or a researcher. Either way, I wish to be engaged in the ministry in Japan.

3 Describe your present church membership, church involvement, ministry experience, and comment on what convictions, incidents, people, or other influences led you to apply seminary.
     I have been a member of a church I am currently attending for one year or so, since I got married in 2020 to a woman who works as a youth pastor at the church. Before that, I was a member of a different church, where I taught the Bible stories to children and was in charge of an English Bible study group. I also served as a translator when we had visitors whose mother tongue was English. During my university days, I started an independent Bible study circle, and invited my friends, most of whom were non-believers. There I learned the enjoyment of studying the Scripture together, and began to think that this could have something to do with my calling. When I was a graduate student in linguistics, I was invited by a Christian professor to join a Bible translation study group, an organization that publishes the translation commonly used in the evangelical tradition in Japan. As I started to learn about the cultural background of the Biblical world, for the purpose of translating the Biblical idioms properly, I realized how helpful it is to understand the cultural and social norms of the people in the Biblical world. I would like to share the insights with people living in today’s world, and learn together that what is portrayed in the Scripture is still relevant to us today.

4 In what ways do you hope to grow and develop through your program of study at our seminary?
     I firstly wish to grow academically; I am eager to discuss and share opinions with other students, deepen my understanding of the Bible and theology, and if possible, publish my studies on journals. I also wish to develop spiritually. One of the reasons I applied for FPU is that I was told by my seniors, all of whom work as pastors, that I will be able to learn a lot from the community at FPU. I want to deepen my relationship with God through the fellowship with brothers and sisters at FPU.

5 Comment on any authors or books that you have read which have shaped your understanding of Christian ministry.
     The first book on theology I ever read was Theology of the Pain of God written by a Japanese pastor and theologian Kazoh Kitamori. I have learned from his works that we Japanese need to develop our own theology, not just transplanting the Western framework. The book Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials (Jayson Georges and Mark D. Baker) also had a huge impact on me, re-shaped how I read the Scripture and how I would share the gospel in the cultural context of Japan. I seek to share with my neighbors that the Scripture and the gospel of Jesus are relevant to our lives, and I believe that the concept of honor and shame serves to connect the ancient and far away Biblical world with 21st century Japan.

6 Provide a brief description of your philosophy of Christian ministry and how it relates to God’s mission in the 21st century.
     My philosophy of Christian ministry is that God has removed our shameful status, traitors against the benefactor God, at the cost of life and identity of Christ Jesus, and restored the honorable status, representatives of God. As His children, we have the privilege to work together with God and help our neighbors to be reconciled with Him, as well as restoring peace on earth. The world is indeed full of problems, enmities, and conflicts, but at least we know that God will never give up on our misery, and is still trying to bring peace and justice to the world. To participate in the mission of God requires service for others. That often means to sacrifice your own benefits and to suffer disadvantages for others. Jesus went so far as to disregard the status of God and took the form of a slave, so that we can be reconciled to God by his mediation. Though it seems to me extremely difficult, even impossible, I wish to follow in his footsteps.