People group profile · PG007574
The Northern Amami-Oshima of Japan
The Northern Amami-Oshima of Japan, numbering about 73,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Ryukyuan community of northern Amami Oshima in Japan's Amami Islands, distinguished by a linguistically distinct Japonic dialect now spoken mainly by elders as younger generations shift to Japanese-accented regional speech.
They are an indigenous people in the Japanese people cluster of the East Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Shinbutsu-Shugo, and they primarily speak Northern Amami-Oshima.
Fast facts
- Country
- Japan
- Population
- 73,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Japanese
- Primary language
- Northern Amami-Oshima (ryn)
- Primary religion
- Shinbutsu-Shugo
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Northern Amami-Oshima are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Northern Amami-Oshima
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Shinbutsu-Shugo · Ethnoreligion
95% adherents
Primary language
Northern Amami-Oshima · Japonic family
85% speak Northern Amami-Oshima
Gospel resources in Northern Amami-Oshima
- Bible not available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Northern Amami-Oshima
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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