Smartphone games, manga and cosplay events might seem incompatible with the solemn practice of religion, but a Christian newspaper in Japan is deploying such secular entertainment in an attempt to draw new followers to the faith.
Christ Newspaper (Kirisuto Shimbun) is aiming to attract young followers through modern media in an industry with a fading readership.
The long-standing religious paper, under its new president, Shinji Matsutani, 40, launched in July a thrice-monthly tabloid version with more photos and illustrations than its previous conventional weeklies, as well as an online edition.
The 71-year-old paper, which was founded by the late Christian social reformer Toyohiko Kagawa and covers all sects of Christianity, carries a serial comic strip whose main character is a schoolgirl named Pyuri-tan, Japanese wordplay for the term Puritans after the Protestant sect.
The manga features cute personifications of different Christian groups, including Catholics and Anglicans, allowing readers to learn about them while having fun. It has even been adapted into a smartphone game app.
Aside from the newspaper that serves about 10,000 readers in Japans Christian community, the publisher also sells card games featuring characters from the Bible, sponsors comic fairs, a novel competition themed on Christianity, as well as a photo session for cosplayers at a church.
Although Christian churches in Japan say they are eager to actively engage in missionary work and attract youth, they often remain closed to outsiders and scare away newcomers as members too fervently ask them to become followers, Matsutani said.
With the aging of members, churches will die out if they do business as usual. Wed like to counter that trend, said the president, a Christian who was raised in a devout family.
Wed like to increase entrances to Christianity as we believe there is real demand from those generally interested in the religion. Hopefully, they will consider going to church as an option, said Matsutani, who became the companys president in May and concurrently serves as the newspapers editor-in-chief.
Since 2011, the publisher has been sponsoring the Pray Festival, an annual event resembling a comic market held across Japan, where Christian-themed manga, books and goods are put on sale.
The upcoming festival on Monday in Okayama Prefecture will host a group discussion with a married couple, one of whom is a Buddhist priest who is also a rakugo comic storyteller and her acrobat Christian husband.
Looking ahead, the company plans to launch a board game themed on the Reformation on Oct. 31, the 500th anniversary of the movement initiated by German cleric and scholar Martin Luther in 1517 to condemn the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church.
The newspapers Bible Hunter card game featuring Jesus, Paul the Apostle and other characters that was launched in 2014 has been used as teaching material at Tohoku Gakuin University and translated into Chinese for sale in Taiwan, added the president, who formerly worked as an elementary school teacher.
The publisher is also planning to launch by years end a free smartphone map app called Jun + Rei (Pilgrimage) that will help users locate nearby churches to facilitate access to the religious institutions.
