Thanks To Conclusion

Conclusion

"Even today, the number of Christians in Japan is said to be less than one percent of the total population. Among them, Catholics—the largest Christian denomination—number only about 400,000 believers (as of 2024). This is a phenomenon that is rare even by global standards.

From this fact, some argue that Christianity failed to take root in Japan or exert a significant influence on Japanese society. From a Christian perspective, missionary and evangelization efforts in Japan have at times even been regarded as a failure.

However, this is not the case. One clear piece of evidence lies in the existence of mission schools. From elementary education through universities, there are approximately 660 Christian-affiliated schools in Japan (about 320 Catholic and 340 Protestant institutions, accounting for roughly 16% of all private schools). Furthermore, Catholic organizations alone operate approximately 750 child welfare and educational facilities (including kindergartens, nursery schools, and certified childcare centers), more than 40 medical institutions (such as hospitals and clinics), and over 400 social welfare facilities (including nursing homes for the elderly). It is extremely rare worldwide for a country with so few Christians to have such a wide network of Christian institutions.

The window through which Japanese society has been open to Christianity may indeed be small. Yet the light that has shone through that small window has reached every corner of society, offering salvation, consolation, and hope to those in hardship, strengthening those who seek truth, justice, and peace, and illuminating the path for those searching for new ways of living."

Thanks To

In preparing this exhibition, we received the generous cooperation and support of many individuals and organizations, including the following:
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude. (Honorifics omitted; names listed in no particular order.)

Exhibition Space Design, Planning, Production, and Installation
Tokyo Tender Table Co., Ltd.
Exhibition Materials Provided and Commentary
Haruka Akagi (Photographer)
Yoshiko Chōnan (Sculptor)
Tomomi Morishima (Painter)
Aoyama Gakuin Museum
Institute of the Infant Jesus
Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres
Franciscan Missionary Sisters of St. George the Martyr
Maryknoll Sisters
Dominican Missionary Sisters of St. Dominic
Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Paris Foreign Missions Society
Society of the Sacred Heart
Katase Catholic Church
Urakami Catholic Church
Chishobō Co., Ltd./Urakami Kirishitan Museum
Kamakura Shunju Co., Ltd.
Sacred Heart School Archives
Fuji Sacred Heart School Archives
Obayashi Sacred Heart School Archives

Venue Setup Cooperation
Kōta Someno (Department of Literature, Waseda University, Russian Language and Literature Program)

Project Collaboration Yuko Mizuta (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo) Miki Suzuki (Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of the Sacred Heart)

Sacred Heart Institute for Sustainable Future