An independent research team conducted the largest-ever quantitative study on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Japan, in January 2024. The findings indicate that Jehovah’s Witnesses of all generations freely decided to become and remain Jehovah’s Witnesses and lead satisfying personal and family lives. Moreover, the clear majority value their relationships with non-Witness family members and place a high priority on raising their children in a supportive and caring environment.
NOTABLE CONCLUSIONS:
- Well-being: Jehovah’s Witnesses have satisfying personal and family lives, with a positive outlook.
- Education: Jehovah’s Witnesses have a range of educational backgrounds, with some 95% pursuing education beyond secondary school.
- Relationships: Across all relationships (Witness and non-Witness), most participants indicated that their relationships were good, both before and after becoming Jehovah’s Witnesses.
- Child discipline: More than 98% of the survey participants indicated that it was “never” (83.1%), “very rarely” (12%), or “rarely” (3.1%) acceptable for parents to use physical punishment with children.
- Discrimination: Nearly 95% had seen media coverage that they felt mispresented their religious community. Over 500 respondents reported being victims of insults, 63 were denied employment, and 54 had been threatened or attacked.
- Motivation: The vast majority (96.1%) “never” or “rarely” regret being a Witness. The number one reason participants gave to remain a Witness is “to be closer to God.”
For more details, please see the full press release.