| Kinki district is half the size of the Chubu district but has about the same population. The Kanto district has the highest population density in Japan, followed by the Kinki (1/2). The population is centered around Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, while many declining population communities can be found around the Kii Peninsula and the Chugoku mountain region. Until Tokyo became the capital city of Japan, the Kinki district was for more than 10 centuries the cultural center of the country. Osaka was the city of trade/commerce. Nara prefecture has been one of the more difficult areas for ministry due to the people's conservative nature. |
Surprisingly, during the past 10 years, more churches have been started in Nara than in any other prefecture in Kinki. This is due to Nara becoming an easy commute to Osaka, and to foreign missionaries seeing the need and concentrating their efforts in Nara. Any future effort should focus on the southern region of Shiga and the northern region of Mie where the population growth is exceeding the number of church plants. The Kinki Broadcast Ministry Association (Kinpoden) was founded in 1972, and has not only been effective in promoting the radio ministry, it has also been used to forge a strong cooperative spirit among Evangelical churches. |