On the streets of Japan this week, traditionalists are in shock with news that many more of their teens have turned to Christ than anyone had expected.

Previous surveys have suggested that a mere one per cent of Japanese call themselves Christian.

However a Gallop Poll asked deeper questions about people's beliefs, and found that seven per cent of Japanese teenagers have put their faith in Christ.

The study - the single largest study ever attempted, according to the social scientists in Japan - examined preteens, teens, young adults, adults and seniors.

"When they saw the design of the questionnaire, Japanese experts argued that the Japanese would never answer the socially delicate and the highly personal questions," project research director Bill McKay has told Christian Today.

George Gallup Jr has called the level of Christian belief revealed by the survey "stunning'.

But this is not entirely news to Sydney Anglican missionary Grahame Smith.

He recently joined 420 Christian students from over 200 campuses around Japan, who gathered in Aichi for the national conference of Christian student organisation KGK.

"KGK tends to downplay event- focussed ministry, preferring students to persevere in being godly witnesses through their day-to-day activities on campus," he says.

"But I am sure this National Conference will greatly contribute to the ongoing witness in the years ahead as students return to their campuses with a fresh appreciation of God's great love in Christ, a repentant heart for indifference to the needs around them, and a vision for the gospel going to the ends of the earth."

Video diary

In a first for mission organisation CMS, Grahame's reflections on student ministry in Japan have been released as a video diary.

The video is available through Google Video.

This is part of a new initiative pioneered by David Maegraith from CMS Communications.

Stay tuned to Sydneyanglicans.net for a video report from a new CMS missionary each month.