How pastor Yoichi Fujiyabu works to help people choose life in Christ
Shirahama, Japan, is known for its beautiful beaches, hot springs, and amazing views. However, for many, it’s become a popular destination for a far more tragic reason. Standing some two hundred feet above the ocean, Shirahama’s Sandanbeki Cliff—also known as “Suicide Cliff”—has become one of the nation’s most frequented locations for those looking to end their life.
Yet, as Kazusa Okaya describes in an excellent article on Yoichi Fujiyabu, the pastor of Shirahama Baptist Christ Church, God’s people have taken up the challenge to change that reality.
Fujiyabu’s ministry—the Shirahama Rescue Network (SRN)—is a nonprofit organization operating out of his church that provides an alternative to those who cannot see a future beyond the cliffs. Over the last three decades, he has stopped more than 1,100 people from killing themselves, but SRN doesn’t stop at preventing death.
Through a variety of SRN’s local businesses, a dormitory for those who need a place to stay, and partnerships with the local government, they work to help people rebuild their lives while introducing them to Jesus along the way.
That last part is particularly important and, in a country where less than 1 percent of the population is Christian, is perhaps the most unique aspect of their ministry. It also makes the hope and purpose found only in Christ the perfect antidote to the shame and meaninglessness that drives so many to the cliffs.
A tragic reality
While there are a number of reasons why suicide has become such an epidemic in Japan—long work hours, increased isolation, pressure in school and at the office, to name a few—shame is perhaps the most powerful motivator. As Okaya notes, “Japanese culture implies that people should avoid becoming a meiwaku, or a burden to others. . . . Such stigma can drive some people to want to vanish from society altogether.”
And Suicide Cliff is not the only location desperate people choose.
The Aokigahara forest—also known as the Sea of Trees—at the base of Mount Fuji carries a similar ignominy as the Sandanbeki Cliffs. Located roughly two hours from Tokyo, the government has been forced to place a sign at the entrance reminding visitors that “life is a precious gift” and encouraging them not to “suffer alone.”
Like the cliffs, people travel to the forest with the belief that they will be able to die without being noticed. However, others argue that they want to “share the same place with others and belong to the same group.” It turns out that even people who want to die alone don’t want to feel alone, and there’s something terribly tragic about that reality.
Never give up on God
When I was in college, I was fortunate enough to go on a mission trip to Japan one Spring Break. We were only there for a week, and I won’t pretend that my experiences over that short period of time nearly twenty years ago are normative for the country today. However, reading about Fujiyabu’s ministry and the heartbreaking reason it exists brought back many of those memories.
I remember when our train was delayed because someone killed themselves by jumping in front of it. That happens at least once a day in Tokyo, and even more often during the most stressful parts of the year.
I also remember standing on a crowded street corner asking people if they’d like to practice their English as a group of men attempted to convince young women walking down the street to work for their pornography company. While shame is perhaps the most common cause of suicide in Japan, sexual exploitation and abuse are high up the list as well, often contributing to that inescapable feeling of disgrace.
Yet, I also remember watching a guy in our group convince one of those men on the street corner to meet him at a nearby coffee shop, where he was able to share the gospel with him.
I don’t know if he ever trusted his life to Christ or left that line of work, but it has served as a remarkable reminder for nearly two decades that we can never give up on God’s ability to meet people where they are and call them to something more.
And, strangely enough, he often chooses to use us to play a key role in that transformation.
The gift of community
In “What does the Bible say about suicide?” Dr. Jim Denison notes that helping people find a sense of community is one of the best ways to fight back against the negative experiences that drive so many to kill themselves. As we discussed earlier, most people who want to die alone don’t want to feel alone, and every one of us can play a role in helping others understand that they are not alone.
As the author of Hebrews describes, one of our chief callings as Christians is to “stir one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25).
However, implicit within that command is the idea that this kind of community won’t always come naturally to us. If it did, then the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have had to inspire the author to include the admonition in the pages of Scripture. We’d just do it.
Now, there are circumstances where simply reaching out to people or offering them a sense of community will not be enough to stop them from taking their own lives. As Fujiyabu describes, “You cannot make that ultimate decision for them.”
Sometimes, the best thing we can do is encourage people who are hurting to seek help from those who are far better equipped to handle it. In America, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a potentially helpful place to start. But, even beyond that, ministries like Stay Here offer free training to help you spot the warning signs and know how to respond.
The privilege of partnering with God
None of that is possible, though, unless you decide that you’re willing to help. That doesn’t have to mean taking emergency calls at all hours of the night like Fujiyabu and his team, but it may mean taking a friend’s call when they reach out. It doesn’t have to mean finding a bed for them to stay the night like the SRN, but it may mean offering your couch or a meal to go along with an open ear.
In short, we can never force someone to choose life, but we can work to render that a much easier choice to make. And even if the people the Lord has brought into your life have never considered suicide—praise God if that is the case—helping to foster this sense of community is still an essential part of Christ’s calling for each of us.
So, where do you need that community today? And is there someone God has placed on your heart while you read this article whom you need to reach out to today? If so, don’t wait.
As difficult as people can be, it’s a privilege to partner with the Lord in acting as his hands and feet to a world in desperate need of his help.
Who is he calling you to help today?
Quote of the day:
“God specializes in giving people a fresh start.” —Rick Warren
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