City Facts:
Population: 2,726,925
Metro Area: Keihanshin, 19 million
Osaka is the heart of the Keihanshin metro area, Japan’s second-largest metro area at 19 million people. Itself the third-largest city in Japan, Osaka has long been home to fine cuisine, talented merchants, and gregarious entertainers, and it is now one of the fastest-growing travel destinations in all of Asia. The metro area is productive, with a GDP nearing $1 trillion, enriching Osaka, whose GDP per capita equals Tokyo’s as the highest of Japan’s cities. With a growing number of young families, Osaka looks to remain crucial to the future of Japan.
Mustard Seed Christian Church - Osaka
Planted October 2011
In 2011 two families were sent from Mustard Seed Christian Church - Nagoya to establish a church in the center of the Osaka metro area. Without any previous connections this team relied fully on God to open doors for the gospel. God did open doors in miraculous ways! God provided a miraculous meeting with Osaka’s most famous baseball player—a Christian from the USA—leading to a large outreach event from which the church was launched.
Mustard Seed Christian Church - Osaka grew from evangelism and by conversions. As the church grew, it moved from its first meeting place in a basement dance studio, to a neighborhood shop, then to the prominent downtown YMCA, and most recently to its current location in the heart of the city—just a 10-minute walk from Umeda Station, the fourth-busiest train station in the world.
Mustard Seed Christian Church - Osaka was instrumental in the formation of Mustard Seed Network and played a key role in sending out teams to plant churches in Kobe and Kyoto.
Mustard Seed Christian Church - Osaka was planted by Jay Greer and is currently led by Matt Whelchel.
Church Planters
Matt and Jessica Whelchel
Yuma and Sari Tarui
Tom and Emi Shimatani
Donate
Mustard Seed Network is a U.S. 501(c)(3), non-profit organization so all donations are U.S. tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. View our Charitable Giving Policy. To make a donation to the Mustard Seed Network general church planting fund, fill out the form below or send a check to:
Mustard Seed Network
P.O. Box 32
Oronogo, MO 64855
