This internship is designed to cultivate an environment of living and working within the rhythms of a Japanese church context. While the internship is centered in a local church, it will also provide some opportunities to minister in the neighboring community, in partnership with schools, student groups, and community organizations.

Qualifications:

• We are offering this internship to up to four students (male or female).
• Japan is a high-context culture. Interns should be perceptive: i.e., they can read a situation well and adjust their behavior or otherwise respond accordingly. Being able to demonstrate strong self-awareness and empathy is also highly valued.
• We value interns who demonstrate maturity, personal integrity, and spiritual vitality, characterized by an active and dynamic faith.
• Interns should be both self-motivated and willing to work well in a team context, demonstrating respect to all, teachability, helpfulness, and cooperation. The ability to demonstrate relational initiative is highly valued.
• While we will work with you to make the best use of your giftings, training, and life experiences, we also seek people who are willing to be challenged and stretched in exploring new forms of ministry. Therefore, planning and organizational skills are vital.

Location:

Your immediate context will be the Immanuel Bible Training College—a seminary serving our primary partnering denomination, the Immanuel General Mission—and its attached church, which serves the surrounding community. We have separate dormitory housing for both males and females. While you probably will have your own room, you should be willing to share a room if circumstances necessitate it. We are in Yokohama, part of the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area, the most populous urban zone in the world. You will have easy access to most parts of Tokyo by public transportation, particularly the highly developed rail system.

Training Provided:

This is a mid-term opportunity for a minimum of eight weeks in June and July 2026, beginning with one week of orientation and training in Chiang Mai, Thailand, alongside fellow interns serving in the WGM Asia-Pacific region. This term can be extended to a maximum of three months, pending approval. There will also be a Japan-specific orientation when you arrive in Japan.

Language Requirements:

While any previous study of the Japanese language will certainly be helpful, it is not required for this internship. Our staff will provide translation when needed. Opportunities to study the Japanese language during your internship are also available.

Length of Service:

Mid-term: 1–12 months (minimum of eight weeks in June and July 2026)

Ministry Description:

We prefer applicants who are seriously considering a call to participate in God’s work cross-culturally beyond the duration of this internship, especially in Japan. While we welcome and encourage those with an interest in Japanese culture, this should not be your primary motivation.

In preparation for this internship, we will engage in an active conversation with you about your gifts, training, and life experiences. While we have outlined our existing available opportunities below, we also offer opportunities to craft new forms of ministry in partnership with Japanese churches and our WGM staff.

While we value cultural attentiveness and personal initiative, we will also provide Japan-specific orientation at the outset and consistent guidance and support throughout your internship.

Your internship will include the following ministry forms:

• You will be asked to share your testimony of faith and transformation, possibly on multiple occasions and in various contexts. It will be helpful if this can be prepared before your arrival.
• We have existing English ministries for local families with young children, most of whom will not be Christians and thus unfamiliar with a church context. You will be asked to prepare brief lessons and age-appropriate activities for them.
• We will provide several opportunities for you to fellowship and work with both the youth in our church and with student groups in other areas of Greater Tokyo. You may be asked to mentor and disciple youth from the church in either a one-on-one or group setting. Depending on your availability later in the summer, you may also participate in a camp for youth from across Japan as a group leader or other facilitator.
• You will participate in neighborhood outreach activities. The church hosts a major summer event for the community, for which you will design an engaging activity (e.g., a game, workshop, or other event). You may also be asked to participate in activities with local schools or community organizations (e.g., serving meals to children).
• As part of the life of the church, you can participate in our English-language services, taking an active role in designing the service to facilitate faithful worship. You will likely be asked to join in our Japanese-language worship services, prayer meetings, and Sunday school.

Quick Facts:

• Although Christianity arrived in Japan over five centuries ago, nominally, fewer than one percent of the Japanese population claims to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, making the Japanese the second largest unreached people group in the world.
• Japan has the oldest population in the world, with thirty percent of the population aged 65 and over, which includes fifty percent of Japanese pastors.
• With a population of forty million people, the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area is the largest urban area in the world.
• One million people in Japan have completely shut themselves off from any interaction with society, a phenomenon known as the hikikomori. Suicide is the leading cause of death for people under the age of forty.
• Japan has the oldest continuous monarchy in the world, with the current reigning emperor being the 126th of the imperial line.
• As of 2023, 21 cities and 524 towns remained without a single church.