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Fatalistic thinking is often observed in Japanese culture. In fact, the World Values Survey indicates that Japan is one of the most fatalistic countries among the 64 countries surveyed.
The slang oya-gacha (親ガチャ) reflects such an attitude in a pessimistic sense. Oya means “parent(s),” and gacha is an onomatopoeia for when one turns the handle of a capsule toy machine. This expression signifies that you cannot choose your parents, just as you do not know what kind of toy you will get from the capsule toy machine.
Japan’s growing economic and educational disparity has led younger generations to coin this term, recognizing the significant correlation between their parents and their socioeconomic standing. The expression reflects their fatalistic thinking in that their future is determined by their parents, whom they cannot choose.
However, Japanese culture also expresses fatalistic thinking in a positive manner. For example, one sometimes hears people say nanigoto mo akirame ga kanjin, which means “No matter what, sometimes you just have to give up,” or “Resignation is the first lesson of life.” The expression reflects their wisdom regarding the importance of letting things go and accepting realities in our lives.
History, geography, and culture contribute to fatalistic thinking in my country. First, fatalism is embedded in Japan’s history, as the ruling classes utilized fatalism to justify the class system during the Tokugawa era from the 17th to 19th centuries. Second, Japanese people have learned to incorporate fatalism in their thinking because they live on islands where they face various natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and landslides. Third, fatalistic thinking—especially among Generation Z—seems to be a response to Japan’s cultural emphasis in its economic situation.
Unlike the period when Japan experienced high economic growth, during which baby boomers were often taught that “hard work pays off” for their future, younger generations feel hopeless about the future, particularly due to a rapidly aging society and a declining birth rate. A survey by the Nippon Foundation shows that only 18.3 percent of Japanese aged 17–19 think that they can change their country and society (compared to 83.4% of Indians; 39.6% of Koreans; 65.6% of Chinese; 50.7% of British; and 65.7% of Americans).
Consequently, a fatalistic attitude is inevitably reflected in the faith and theology of Japanese Christians. For instance, Japanese believers often talk about having faith in relation to waiting in hope, while Christians in the United States frequently articulate faith in relation to being proactive or taking action. Recognizing that realities are hard to change, Japanese Christians often express their faith in terms of putting their trust in the Lord who can intervene in those realities but, at the same time, stand ready to accept God’s providence when things do not go as they wish.
In addition, some Japanese Christians accept the realities of suffering not because their fatalistic thinking forces them to but because they find God’s comfort and presence amid their suffering. For some, fatalistic thinking might sound like acceptance of being a victim of one’s fate. However, Japanese Christians actively seek God in the midst of their suffering while accepting circumstances that cannot be changed. For a prime example of such theology, see Kazoh Kitamori’s Theology of the Pain of God: The First Original Theology From Japan.
The question we should ask is not whether Christians should challenge fatalistic thinking. It is not about free will being right and fatalism being wrong, for Scripture points to both realities. Instead, we should ask how the gospel redeems our thinking.
If Japanese people do not know the gospel, they might think that they are victims of their fates. However, the gospel redeems such a pessimistic idea. Christ sympathizes with people in their suffering and redeems their suffering through his death and resurrection. This is what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 regarding his thorn and weaknesses. He concludes, “Thus, I delight in weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (paraphrase and emphases are mine).
Paul was given his thorn and weaknesses but refused to be victimized by them. Rather, he was willing to carry them for Christ’s sake so that God’s power would be manifested in his life. Thus, believers may feel that they are forced to carry burdens and weaknesses by fate, but these can become a locus of God’s power when they choose to carry them for Christ’s sake.
Read our contributors’ bios in the series’ lead article, Destiny Is All? How Fatalism Affects Churches Across Asia. (Other articles in this special series are listed to the right on desktop or below on mobile.)
