Trey Fleming, leads an IMB team in Osaka. He said he’s seeing incredible opportunities to reach college students in that city. There are 11 campuses in Osaka that each have over 20,000 students. Many are open to the public, making it easy for his team to plan outreach events or meet on campus with students individually.
The younger generation in Japan is increasingly more open to the gospel than the generations before them. Many are second-generation atheists, and so the firm grip Buddhist traditions had on their grandparents has a much looser hold on them.
Many college students in Osaka are lonely and burdened by the pressures of college life. When they meet Christians who are genuinely interested in knowing and loving them, they are more open to hearing about the God who loves them as well.
Currently, the team is active on three campuses and is partnering with a local Japanese church to plan outreach events. Fleming’s desire is to build a network of partnerships with more Japanese churches that can support ministry on all eleven campuses.
As much as Fleming and other missionaries desire to reach Japanese students with the gospel, they also desire to see Japanese believers equipped to boldly share their faith.
Fleming said, “The harvest is truly plentiful.”