Five years ago I wrote a blog on the psychological scourge affecting a large number of young people, hikikomori. I have not heard much good news from five years ago until now. Last week Elaine and I had lunch with Pastor Koichi Hirano and Pastor Nobuo Watanabe at their Setagaya church’s new café. We had not talked with Pastor Hirano for several months and he shared some amazing stories.
The Hikikomori are the Japanese most open to the gospel told Pastor Koichi Hirano of the Tokyo Horizon Chapel. This was not just his opinion but his experience from decades of Japanese ministry and current successes with Hikikomori young people. He explained to us that he just returned from taking a group of 16 of a two-week tour of the US, which he insists is necessary as it removes them completely from their context. He also took a group again in November. Of the Hikikomori kids he has been working with several have followed the Lord in baptism, many are living more normal lives, and some have gone into full-time Christian ministry. He does not work alone in this ministry but they have five licensed counselors working together and a professional psychologist.
For my previous blog on Hikikomori see http://www.gospelrest.com/understanding-hikikomori/