A School, A Family, and the Gospel: How God Is Working Through Christian Education in Japan

By Rev. Young Bae Chae, Chaplain, Cross Mission Christian School (Tsukuba, Japan), and David Harding 

Christian schools in Japan serve a unique mission. In a country where Christians make up only about 0.5% of the population, many Christian schools provide one of the first opportunities for students and families to encounter the gospel. 

“Many Japanese people have never met a Christian or heard the gospel firsthand,” said Peter Lee, ACSI Divisional Director for East Asia. “Christian schools become places where families experience the love of Christ through authentic relationships, biblical teaching, and a caring community.” 

Cross Mission Christian School in Tsukuba, Japan, has seen that mission lived out. 

Founded in September 2021 under the covering of a local church, Cross Mission Christian School is a bilingual international school offering education in both English and Japanese. From the beginning, the school was never intended to serve only Christian families. Instead, it was established as a missional ministry, a place where students and families could encounter Christ.  

In October 2023, a non-Christian Japanese boy named Kensuke Manaka, then a fifth-grade student, visited the school with his mother, Ayami, hoping to enroll. 

Ayami shared her family’s story: 

“I’m a pharmacist, but I was never truly happy during my school years because I was constantly under pressure to succeed in entrance exams. I didn’t want my son to go through the same. That’s why I enrolled him in a prestigious private school, hoping it would bring him joy. But instead, he became darker, more withdrawn. His mental and emotional health declined. In desperation, I searched all over Japan for a school that could restore him, and that’s when I found Cross Mission’s website.”  

Their first interview with the school was filled with tears and deep emotions. Three months later, in January 2024, Kensuke officially enrolled.  

During his first week, he remained quiet in class and rarely spoke with other students. Then something unexpected happened. 

The following Sunday, Kensuke attended church with his parents. The next week, they came back again. 

After seeing the family attend church for two consecutive weeks, school leaders gently asked what had brought them back. 

Kensuke’s father replied, “Pastor, thank you so much. We’ve seen the smile return to our son’s face. And last week, I was deeply moved by your sermon. I wrote down everything you said, and I’ve been trying to live it out ever since.”  

School leaders shared the gospel with the family that day. 

“It seems that God is calling your whole family. Would you like to believe in Jesus?” 

Without hesitation, all three responded “Yes.” They accepted Christ together, and three months later, on Easter Sunday, the entire family was baptized.  

Lee said stories like this are especially meaningful in Japan. 

“When people in Japan choose to follow Christ, they usually understand that decision isn’t simply adding another belief to their lives—it’s a life-changing commitment,” he shared. “Perhaps that is why the faith of Japanese believers is so inspiring. They understand the cost of discipleship before they ever take their first steps of faith. Yet, when they choose to follow Christ, they do so wholeheartedly. Their commitment is not casual or cultural, it is deeply personal, intentional, and unwavering. That’s why seeing entire families come to faith through Christian schools is such a powerful testimony to what God is doing.” 

The family’s transformation continued beyond their decision to follow Christ. 

Kensuke began enjoying school and rediscovered a love for learning. He earned a perfect score in mathematics, a subject he had struggled with previously, and his confidence steadily grew. The hours he once spent playing video games decreased dramatically, while his friendships and classroom presentations flourished.  

God also brought healing to Ayami. The emotional weight she had carried for years began to lift. Every Sunday, she worshiped with tears of gratitude. She saw Jesus’s healing— Chronic shoulder pain she had been struggling with disappeared, and even the partial paralysis she’d suffered in her right hand began to improve.  

One day she told the pastor, “I want to give my right hand to the Lord. I want to dedicate Kensuke to God.”  

The story did not end there. 

Kensuke shared the gospel with his grandmother, who accepted Christ during her very first church service and was baptized in April. After retiring from a 40-year career as a kindergarten teacher, she became the answer to another prayer. 

At the very time Cross Mission Church was praying for an experienced educator to help launch a new kindergarten, God brought Kensuke’s grandmother into the congregation.  

After completing baptism classes, she began serving as a teacher and helping establish the ministry.  

“This is why Christian education matters so much in East Asia,” Lee said. “A Christian school doesn’t just influence a student; it often impacts parents, grandparents, and entire communities. God uses these schools to build lasting relationships through which the gospel can be shared across generations.” 

“God is opening unexpected doors for the gospel in Japan,” Lee explained. “Through government-supported educational initiatives, churches and Christian educators have a unique opportunity to establish schools that serve both their communities and the next generation.” 

ACSI has the unique opportunity to equip and come alongside these schools as they live out their mission. 

“Many Christian schools are now pursuing ACSI accreditation, enabling them to participate in these subsidy programs,” Lee said. “This allows them to offer families a Christ-centered educational alternative, particularly for parents seeking options outside the public school system or who may not otherwise be able to afford private education.” 

Rev. Young Bae Chae, Chaplain at Cross Mission Christian School, believes the Menaka’s story reflects the larger mission of Christian education in Japan. “In Japan, a Christian international school like ours is more than a school; it is a modern-day ark of salvation, preparin