Pray with Japan, September 27, 2026

Lectionary Selection: Matthew 21:23-32

Prayers for Japan

God of steadfast love,

A bereaved man who lost his wife, father, and daughter in the Tsunami and still searches for their remains.

We pray for the people of Odaka, Namie, and all the communities of Fukushima still living with the wounds of earthquake, tsunami, displacement, and nuclear disaster. Remember those who have returned home, those who cannot return, and those who wonder whether the places they once knew will ever truly feel like home again.

We give thanks for Rev. Makoto Iijima and the small but faithful community of Odaka Church. Strengthen them as they listen to their neighbors, preserve memories that might otherwise be lost, and create spaces where people can speak honestly about their suffering and imagine a future together.

Bless our partners in the United Church of Christ in Japan, who have walked alongside survivors since the disaster of 2011. Teach us also to accompany one another faithfully, not only with words and promises, but through acts of compassion, justice, and presence.

When you call us into your vineyard, give us courage to go. Lead us toward the lonely places, the forgotten places, and the wounded places, trusting that Christ is already there.

Amen.

Mission Moment from Japan

Fifteen years after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear disaster devastated northeastern Japan, communities near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continue to live with its consequences.

In Odaka, only about 30 percent of the former population has returned. Fear of radiation and other complex feelings keep many away. Some who return find the memory of the disaster and its lessons challenging to address. At Odaka Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Japan, only a handful of people now gather for Sunday worship. Yet under the leadership of Rev. Makoto Iijima, this tiny congregation is finding ways to serve the whole community.

Odaka school damaged by the 2011 earthquake and how it looked in 2022.

When Rev. Iijima arrived in 2022, the church’s former kindergarten was scheduled for demolition. An elderly graduate pleaded with him to save it, saying that tearing it down would feel as though part of herself were being demolished. Instead, the building has become a place to preserve community history and gather people to imagine Odaka’s future. Through “Freedom University,” residents have shared memories of the disaster, heard scholars help give words to their suffering, and listened to younger people envision new possibilities for their community.

Through Global Ministries, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ responded alongside our Japanese partners in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and have continued accompanying communities and ministries in the affected region. In 2025, that continuing partnership included a grant supporting Rev. Iijima’s ministry, because accompaniment means walking alongside people long after the world’s attention has moved elsewhere.

Rev. Iijima also cares for Namie Church, less than five miles from the Fukushima reactors, where only about seven percent of the former population has returned. Though the church has no members and its damaged building must eventually be demolished, people still worship twice a month. Rev. Iijima dreams of creating a new “House of Prayer” there, a place for prayer and meditation.

Last Christmas, a college student from Tokyo chose to be baptized at Namie Church. When Rev. Iijima asked why, she answered, “I think Namie is the loneliest place. And that’s where I can be closest to Jesus.”

In Jesus’ parable, faithfulness is measured not by what we promise, but by whether we go into the vineyard. In Odaka and Namie, Rev. Iijima and these small churches continue to minister. They remain present, listening to their neighbors, preserving their stories, and trusting that even in the loneliest places, Christ is already there.

Partners in Japan

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