Greetings on this first day of October 2025.

We're glad you've joined us for Denison Forum's Daily Article Podcast,

authored today by Dr. Ryan Dennison, Senior Editor for Theology.

I'm Chris Elkins, narrator.

Shira Hama Japan is known for its beautiful beaches, hot springs, and amazing views. However, for many,

it's become a popular destination for a more tragic reason. Standing some 200 feet above the ocean,

Shira Hama's Sandanbeki cliff, also known as Suicide Cliff, has become one of the nation's most frequented

locations for those looking to end their life. Yet, as Kazusa O'Keya describes in an excellent

article on Yoichi Fujiyabu, the pastor of Shirahama Baptist Christ Church, God's people have taken

up the challenge to change that reality.

Fuji Yabu's ministry, the SRN-Sherahama Rescue Network, is a non-profit organization operating

out of his church that provides an alternative to those who cannot see a future beyond the cliffs.

Over the last three decades, he has stopped

more than 1,100 people from killing themselves, but SRN doesn't stop at preventing death.

Through a variety of SRN's local businesses, a dormitory for those who need a place to stay,

and partnerships with the local government, they work to help people rebuild

their lives while introducing them to Jesus along the way. That last part is particularly important,

and in a country where less than 1% of the population is Christian is perhaps the most unique

aspect of their ministry. It also makes the hope and purpose found only in

Christ, the perfect antidote to the shame and meaningless that drives so many to the cliffs.

While there are a number of reasons why suicide has become such an epidemic in Japan,

including long work hours, increased isolation, pressure in school and at the office, to name a few,

...