Introduction / History

More Japanese live in the Dominican Republic than anywhere else in Central America and the Caribbean, except for Cuba. After World War II, the Japanese migrated to the Dominican Republic, which had a treaty with Japan to open its doors to Japanese agricultural workers. The Japanese had been promised houses and land, but promises were broken after the civil war in the Dominican Republic. Many Japanese went to other Latin American countries. By the early nineteen sixties, only a few Japanese stayed in the Dominican Republic. There is a Japanese college in the capital, Santo Domingo. Most Japanese live in Constanza.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Japanese migrants sued the Japanese government for the suffering caused in the Dominican Republic and were compensated financially. There are very few Japanese left in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic receives much aid from Japan.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Shintoism is the native religion of Japan. It is rooted in animism (belief that non-living objects have spirits). Its many gods or spirits are known as kami. Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century. Today, most Japanese claim to be both Shintoist and Buddhist. Traditions of Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism have all contributed to Japanese religious principles: ancestor worship; a belief in religious continuity of the family; a close tie between the nation and religion; a free exchange of ideas among religious systems; and religious practices centered on the use of prayer meditation, amulets, and purification.

What Are Their Needs?

Many Japanese are indifferent to and skeptical of established religion. On the outside, they seem to have few needs. However, many have become obsessed with materialistic pleasures, careers, and possessions. Their greatest need is to have a spiritual hunger that will lead them to the foot of the cross.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Japanese people teachable and understanding hearts. Pray for workers who are driven by the love and boldness of the Holy Spirit to go to the Japanese in the Dominican Republic. Pray for a movement to Christ among them to begin this decade.

Scripture Prayers for the Japanese in Dominican Republic.