The LDS Church in Contemporary Japan: Failure or Success?

This chapter provides an analysis of the presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter referred to as the LDS Church) in contemporary Japan. According to Japan’s official government statistics, the LDS Church, with a membership of 127,535 at the end of 2018, is the country’s second largest nationally registered Christian denomination. Yet the church faces formidable challenges as it navigates its future, including Japan’s adverse demographic trend, rising religious indifference, and the cultural tension its teachings create for its members within the larger society. Given these challenges, the fact that the LDS Church has remained a viable institution compared to other Christian denominations is an impressive feat. How the church has come thus far since its humble beginnings in 1901, and how it is currently faring in this overwhelmingly non-Christian and secular society, must be of more than a cursory interest, not just to Latter-day Saint (LDS) readers but also to a broader informed public.