Free resources about the Japan Nagoya Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Japan LDS Missions.
Japan Nagoya Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Japan Nagoya Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Japan Nagoya Mission
1-304 Itakadai, Meitou-ku,
Nagoya-shi, Aichi
465-0028
JAPAN
Phone Number: 81-52-773-0755
Mission President: President Kazuhiko Yamashita
Japan Nagoya Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Japan Nagoya Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Nagoya Mission:
Videos with Japan Nagoya RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Japan Nagoya Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Japan
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Japan. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Japan, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Japan Nagoya Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Japan Nagoya Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Japan Nagoya Mission Groups
Here are Japan Nagoya Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Nagoya Mission.
- Japan Nagoya Mission Facebook Group (936 members)
- Japan Nagoya Mission 2007-10 Group (221 members)
- Whitesides Japan Nagoya Mission (216 members)
- Nagoya Mission- President Scott O. Baird Group (179 members)
- Nagoya Mission Mackley Missionaries Group (159 members)
- Nagoya Mission – President Walt Ames Group (152 members)
- Nagoya Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (6 members)
Japan Nagoya Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Japan Nagoya Mission!
Shirt designs include Japan Nagoya Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Japan Nagoya missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Nagoya Mission gifts
Japan Nagoya Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Japan Nagoya LDS Mission.
- 2013-2016, Kazuhiko Yamashita
- 2010-2013, Scott O. Baird
- 2007-2010, Bruce F. Traveller
- 2004-2007, Gary E. Stevenson
- 2001-2004, James Ben Whitesides
- 1998-2001, David F. Evans
Japan LDS Statistics (2016)
- Church Membership: 128,216
- Missions: 7
- Temples: 2
- Congregations: 266
- Family History Centers: 63
Helpful Articles about Japan
Japan Nagoya Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Japan Nagoya RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2014-2016 (Ryan)
- 2014-2016 (Westion)
- 2014-2015 (Gillian)
- 2001-2013 (Evan)
- 2001-2002 (Amaree)
- 1990-1992 (David)
- January 2008-July 2008 (Erica)
- September 1987-September 1989 (Matt)
- 1987-1989 (Larry)
- 2001-2003 (Ryan)
- January 1975-January 1977 (Kerry)
- 2004-2005 (Edward)
- 1981-1982 (Scott)
- 1999-2000 (Marci)
- 1992-1994 (Aaron)
- 1986-1989 (Clayn)
- 1982-1984 (Earle)
What areas did you serve in?
- Nonami, Nanao, Fukui, Kariya, Inuyama, Kasugai. (Ryan)
- Gifu, Takaoka, Shizuoka, Kanazawa, Yokkaichi, Matsumoto. (Westion)
- Yokkaichi, Kariya, Hamamatsu. (Gillian)
- Yokkaichi, Hamamatsu, and Kariya. (Gillian)
- Matsumoto, Kariya, Kasugai, Fuji, and Takaoka. (Evan)
- Kanazawa, Nonoichi, Gokiso, Takaoka, Toyama, Nonami. (Aaron)
- Yokaiichi, Suzuka, Toyama, Komastu, Nagoya. (Clayn)
- Japan Nagoya; Meieki, Matsuzaka, Seto. (Earle)
What were some favorite foods?
- Sushi, Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, ramen, soba, tempura, katsu, curry, tsukemono, udon, etc. (Ryan)
- Okonomiyaki, Gyoza, Tonkatsu, Donburi. (Westion)
- Sushi, Indo Cury, Yakisoba, actually…pretty much everything. (Gillian)
- Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, Sushi, Shabushabu, Yakiniku, and basically anything. (Gillian)
- Curry, Katsu, Shabu-Shabu, Yakiniku, Melon Pan, Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, and Sushi. (Evan)
- Sukiyaki, okonomiyaki, sake (salmon), unagi. (Amaree)
- Sukiyaki, Okonomiyaki, Yakiniku, Tonkatsu. (David)
- Takoyaki, curry, tonkatsu, corn chowder, kaki, yakisoba…(Erica)
- Gyoza, curry rice, mobodofu, oyakodon, takoyaki, squid jerky, calpis (drink) (Matt)
- Takoyaki, mabadofu, sukiyaki. (Larry)
- When we cooked at the Aparto I loved Mabudofu, the curry from a box and I loved Cupie. When we ate out, I loved Yoshinoya and Yakiniku Tabe Hodai. My all time favorite dish has to be Tonkatsu (Breaded pork cutlet). (Ryan)
- Gyoza, katsu don, Rice Curry. (Kerry)
- Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, sashimi, sushi, yakiniku, various breads. (Edward)
- Yakiniku, gyoza, yakisoba, okonomiyaki. (Scott)
- Shabushabu, yakisoba, Japanese pizza, and soft serve ice cream. (Marci)
- Takoyaki, gyoza, okunomiyaki, lots of sushi. (Aaron)
- Okinomiyaki, Yakasoba, Gyoza, Tacoyaki, curi rice. (Clayn)
- Okonomaiyaki. Tacoyaki. (Earle)
What was a funny experience?
- A drunk man handed me a pretty large box of mayonnaise and kept saying “heavy rotation.” (Ryan)
- I was in charge of the phone while my senior companion was on an exchange and one of our investigators called us. I didn’t know what to do so I just answered and said, “Sorry, wrong number!” Because I couldn’t understand the language yet and was nervous talking on the phone. (Gillian)
- Learning how to ride a bike with a skirt…Japan saw more of me than I did of it my first day in the field. (Gillian)
- When my companion’s bike broke down about 3 miles from our apartment and it was in the middle of rainy season. He rode on my back piggy-back style while I biked home with the rain. (Evan)
- Riding bikes with a skirt. (Amaree)
- Emptying an entire 12 story danchi, we had just housed, by ACCIDENTALLY ringing the fire alarm on the bottom floor…Late on a Sunday…On a cold winter’s night…As a bean. (David)
- I had always shipped my bike in one piece, until I transferred to Kanazawa and my Zone Leaders convinced me they could put it back together. Well, it ended up not quite right and my brakes were a little iffy, and one night we were biking by a bunch of shops and a drunken ojichan stepped out of a doorway right in front of us. We hit our brakes, and mine went all crazy and I ended up flying over the handlebars and into a bush on the side of the road. The ojichan looked at us and walked back inside. We laughed about it for days. (Erica)
- Had an old guy in a neighborhood apologize profusely to me and my companion for WWII. (Matt)
- Living there two months without knowing what a stop sign was. (Larry)
- It wasn’t funny at the time, but my bike was stolen and I had to borrow a member’s bike. Two weeks later, I was riding through a shopping area and saw a little kid with my bike. I stopped and my companion asked me why I stopped. I said I thought I saw my bike and he told me let’s go! We pedaled around a corner and found my bike sitting outside a toy shop. The boy came out and I told him “This is my bike!” He then told me to take it back but the owner of the store told me she would keep the boy there and to go get the police. The boy didn’t even argue with the old lady but obediently waited. The Police did determine it was my bike and the boy’s parents came. It was a funny experience. To top it all off, my bike was then stolen again when I brought it home and took it to college with me in Provo! (Ryan)
- When we were all at the public bath 14 green missionaries and there was an earthquake. Where do would you go if you were bathing? (Kerry)
- I was once asked if Commodore Perry was a prophet. (Edward)
- Mixing up the word for Son – Onko with the word for poop – unko during my first baptism. (Scott)
- I crashed my bike while studying Japanese. (Marci)
- Toward the end of the mission, when my bike finally gave out, an investigator’s father loaned me mama-chari, an old woman’s bike. I felt super cool cruising around on that thing my last couple of months. (Aaron)
- The first week I was in Yokaiichi, we were tracting and after a few days of knocking on doors and not having much success teaching any lessons, we where invited in to have a gospel discussion. I immediately removed my shoes and entered the house and sat down on the sofa in another room. After a few minutes, my senior companion came in and sat beside me and and we had a great discussion. I was reminded later of the Japanese tradition of being asked several times before entering or taking something that is offered. (Clayn)
- Snowing in Matsuzaka and we elders built a snowman like a missionary and got many referrals. Played Pachinko and baptized two. (Earle)
What was a crazy experience?
- Riding to and from an appointment in the snow and slipping multiple times on the icy roads of Nanao/Kanazawa. (Ryan)
- There was one night a man was wandering into a busy, busy road and he was really drunk. We turned around and crossed the street so that we could help him get on the sidewalk. Well he ends up getting pretty mad at us because he thinks we steal people’s money and trick people and tried to push us. Well he was a little slower than 2 young elders on bikes and he missed. We did leave him with a word of wisdom pamphlet so hopefully he read it and had a change of heart.(Westion)
- Flipping over my handle bars while biking down stairs. (Gillian)
- Riding my bike down a ramp and flying over the handle bars. My face took the brunt of the fall and I had some pretty nasty battle scars. (Gillian)
- Japan isn’t very dangerous, but I would say biking in Japan is dangerous. I was hit by a truck a few weeks before I came home. (Evan)
- Red light districts. (Amaree)
- Minor altercations with two drunk guys on separate nights during the same week. (David)
- We were biking home one night, and my companion, who was in her second transfer, rode her bike right into a cement ditch that came out of nowhere! The ambulance picked us up and at the hospital all they told her was “no move, neck broke”. She ended up with a sprained wrist, broken nose and two black eyes, a nasty gash on her hand, and a limp. (Erica)
- Getting yelled at by some old guy while streeting, saying “Oh go home Yankee!”. (Matt)
- In Tsu, an old man peeing in the bushes, as we rode passed, turn around and sprayed us with his urine. (Larry)
- We once had an investigator who had gotten into the country by less legal means from the Philippines. One day, we went to his apartment right before we had to go home for the night to stop by and say hello. He was outside intoxicated but belligerent with those who brought him to the country. They were physically assaulting him and they saw us and started to approach us. We talked with them briefly and walked away. Thankfully our investigator got out from their grasp and moved to a new city. (Ryan)
- When I hit the body guard of a Yakusa Don in the ribs with a Kendo stick. (Kerry)
- The taxi drivers in urban areas can be really dangerous, and I was once bumped by one while on my bicycle. (Edward)
- Doing wheelies on my “Louie” old school mailman’s bike. (Scott)
- I had a drunk, omushinrikyo (cult responsible for sarin gas attack in Tokyo late 90’s early 2000) guy try to cut me and my companion off in the middle of the street with his car. (Marci)
- There are countless ways to crash a bike in Japan- wheels getting stuck in gutter grooves, sliding on rain-soaked streets, being nudged off the road by speeding buses, etc. Always wear a helmet! (Aaron)
- I was riding on a very busy street and I took my sunglasses off to wipe them with my tie and my tire ran over a street reflector and I fell off my bike and found myself in the middle of the street. The cars and trucks came to a skidding halt until I was able to get out of the street and retrieve my bike. I don’t recommend cleaning sun glasses with your tie while riding a bike. (Clayn)
- Have a movie experience in teaching English and then coming back home and sliding off the road but the Spirit helped us and later baptized the new member wife became Relief Society President. (Earle)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Every day was a spiritual experience so long as I tried to share the gospel. (Ryan)
- It was my third lesson of my mission and we were teaching a kid named Watanabe. As we were teaching the plan of salvation and I was trying my best to follow, I had the prompting that we needed to invite him to baptism for a specific date. It just popped in my head. So I jumped right into the lesson and asked if he would be baptized. He said yes! So I was going to ask about a day. I thought baptisms were usually done in Saturdays so I thought of the calendar and said the closest Saturday to the date I had received. Well he had a meeting that day… So then I asked about the day I had been prompted to say and he said he was free! Just goes to show that God knows. You don’t ever need to second guess a prompting. Just go for it and the worst that can happen is nothing. Which would happen anyways if you didn’t do anything in the first place. (Westion)
- Teaching a woman how to pray and then listening to her pray to her Father in Heaven for the first time ever. (Gillian)
- Being able to testify every day about our Heavenly Father to people who did not know Him. (Gillian)
- My first lesson I taught. I only said one line in my broken Japanese and I asked this family to be baptized. Two of them decided too after investigating for seven years. The boy served a mission and is a strong member to this day. (Evan)
- Teaching someone who had been prepared 50 years earlier by her daughter’s friend. (Amaree)
- When parents of a high school aged male investigator had a huge change of heart and gave him permission to join the church. (David)
- Oh my goodness, so many! The first time we got a yakusokusha in my first transfer, I felt like the Lord could help me accomplish anything! Smoking was really hard for her to quit though, so it didn’t pan out, but I still had that lesson of what the whole mission is all about! Also, I met and later saw the baptism of an old grandpa who was part of a part-member family whom my brother had worked with on his mission almost 20 years earlier! They said “I know your face” and pulled out a photo album and there was my brother! It really hit me that we really are always planting seeds! (Erica)
- Tracting into a “golden” investigator and teaching him from the beginning all the way through to baptism. (Matt)
- Meeting a golden contact three weeks before going home. (Larry)
- Too many to mention but the one that sticks out in my mind was in my last area. When I was a senior companion and we had down time without appointments, I would have one of us pray and then we would look at the map of the area. Once we both felt an impression to go to an area around a members house, we would go. One such time, we road an hour by bike to see a distant young single adult member. We visited briefly with her and shared a scripture. Later she confessed to us she had prayed for Heavenly Father to send her a sign that she was still loved and cared about. Literally, minutes later we knocked on the door. It was a confirmation to me that I was doing The Lord’s work. (Ryan)
- Conversion power of the Book of Mormon. An investigator, nearly blind, had to read the Book of Mormon one kanji at a time. Three days later, he had finished the book and knew it was true. (Kerry)
- When Preach My Gospel first came out in our mission, Elder Kikuchi of the Seventy came for a zone conference. In that conference, he promised that if we fulfilled certain criteria, we would see conversion rise to the point where there would be a baptism every day. (Edward)
- Fasting for a weekend for an investigator to gain a testimony, which eventually led to five baptisms in the area. (Scott)
- Many, one of the most sacred was getting to return to my first area, and see my first investigator still active in the gospel. (Marci)
- About half a year in, I was asked for my first time to give the Gift of the Holy Ghost in Japanese. It was intimidating and terrifying. But, as I laid my hands on my friend’s head, the Spirit took over. I was told later that I had perfect Japanese through the prayer. (Aaron)
- We had been praying for a family to teach and to baptize. We worked very hard to make that happen with no success. While we were planning a new day, the phone rang and it was a brother from the ward. He asked what we had planned for the day and told us to suspend whatever it was and meet him at a friend’s house. When we showed up, we found a family of 4 and after 3 weeks they were baptized. (Clayn)
What are some interesting facts about the Nagoya Mission?
- It’s very rich in Samurai history. There is also the black thunder factory in Toyohashi. (Ryan)
- There are so many Brazilians! -It’s very countryside and other Japanese people say I have a country accent when I speak Japanese. -Nagoya is the 3rd largest city in Japan. -There are a lot of major Japanese car factories like Honda and Toyota. -The Winter Olympics were held in the Japanese Alps in 1998. (Gillian)
- Mt. Fuji is in our mission! It is the hottest and most humid mission in Japan. (Gillian)
- It held the winter olympics in 1998. My dad served there before me. Some areas took 6-7 hours by train from the mission home. The sister cities of Los Angeles and Salt Lake City are located in my mission. (Evan)
- One of my areas was a big Shinto religion landmark, and touring that was incredible. Another area had a mummy of a monk who died meditating and fasting. (Amaree)
- I served in seven areas and had 13 companions. I was a junior companion to four seniors, a senior to nine, a trainer to two. I was a District Leader three times and a Zone Leader once and died happily as a senior companion in a great and dedicated district. (David)
- It’s the best mission ever! (Erica)
- Loved doing the Bon dance in August! (Matt)
- I only saw snow at the Christmas taikai in Nagoya…some missionaries saw a lot of snow! They were in northern areas, I guess, and I was in southern areas thank goodness! (Larry)
- I served in an area where Matsuzaka beef originated and the beef per gram cost more than some of Japan’s military vehicles. My mission at the time had the original Shinto Shrine in it and the Shinto Shrine is set up just like King Solomon’s temple. There were at that time, about 2 million people in Osaka at any given time and there were only 4 missionaries! Meaning, I was supposed to bring the gospel to 500 thousand people by myself! (Ryan)
- Before Pres Sato came to Japan from Hawaii, he was a special policeman who worked for the Govenor. The basic organization that became Hawaii 50. (Kerry)
- Elder Stephenson was a Mission President of the Nagoya Mission. There are many historical spots, and great places to eat. (Edward)
- Nagoya Jo is cool. One of my favorite places to window shop is in an underground mall in downtown Nagoya. The bike trail along the Nagoya river is so gorgeous, especially during Cherry Blossom season. The members in Nagoya are awesome and super helpful and friendly. (Marci)
- It is a beautiful, wonderful mission. There are many areas in and out of the city, so it is a great place to experience the culture of Japan. (Aaron)
- Nagoya is the 4th largest city in Japan. Suzuka city is famous for motorcycle races and motorbike and car manufacturing (at least it was when I was there.) Toba city is close to the Mikimoto Pearl Island. Very neat to see the divers working. Clayn)
What was the weather like?
- Ranges with season and location. Summer is hot and humid anywhere you are, but winters are bearable in some locations to the south. Typically the higher north you are in the mission during winter, the more miserable you are. (Ryan)
- Some areas are blazing hot and you sweat while you sleep. Other areas, you could be trudging through the snow while it rained on you and the wind ate into your soul. So be prepared for anything. (Westion)
- Our mission had some areas where it snowed A TON up near the mountains, but closer to the Bay Area it barely snows at all. In the summer, Nagoya is the hottest of all Japan because it is right in the middle of two mountain ranges. It’s VERY hot and VERY humid. (Gillian)
- I always served in the warmer areas, so I never experienced snow. My summers were extremely hot and humid and my winters were chilly and VERY windy. I know that up north the winters experience a lot of snow! (Gillian)
- Hot, muggy, and humid in the summer. Pouring rain in the spring. Very wet and dense snow in the winter. (Evan)
- Humid. Generally pretty mild. (Amaree)
- Four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid. Falls are extremely colorful. Winters are cold and often snowy. Springs are beautiful with the Sakura cherry blossoms. Both Junes were solid months of rain due to tsuyu monsoons. There were typhoons during September. (David)
- My first area was tropical, another one had feet of snow, and another was actually a sister city of Salt Lake. We had a little bit of everything! (Erica)
- Very distinct seasons, very humid all the time, lots of rain in August and plenty of snow in the winter. (Matt)
- The first summer I was there, I was in Fukutoku Ward – it was like breathing water it was so hot and humid some days…you could actually see the water in the air, kind of. (Larry)
- Cold and wet in the winter. Hot and humid in the summer. Expect to get wet in the summer from the outside in or the inside out during Monsoon season. (Ryan)
- Nagoya was hot and sticky in the summer…95 degrees and 98 percent humidity. In the winter, Fukui and Toyama received winter gales from Siberia across the Sea of Japan. (Kerry)
- Hot and humid in the summer, and cold in the winter. (Edward)
- Summer humidity and rains can be tough. (Scott)
- A combination of Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois depending on where you served in the mission. Really, quite a range of super humid and hot in the summer, and cold, wet, and windy in the winter. (Marci)
- Summers are humid, the rainy season is very wet. The north side of the mission gets a good amount of wet snow in the winter. (Aaron)
- Cold in the winters and hot in the summer. (Clayn)
- Snowy, tsunami, and hot. (Earle)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- I don’t know where to begin, I love everything about my mission! So many good memories!!! Members are superb in every area, and there are people who love Americans/English speakers everywhere in Japan. (Ryan)
- Everyone is so kind and friendly. Always willing to help you. If you need directions they will do their best to get you there. All the areas I served in were very clean and well maintained. American and foreigners can always get a laugh out of Japanese people with a dumb joke or even just showing some fun personality. They love it! (Westion)
- The people were always so humble and willing to give so much to the missionaries. In all my areas we were always provided with so much food and invited over to member’s houses all the time. (Gillian)
- I loved how willing the people (members) were willing to help missionaries as long as you were working hard. I loved how genuine the people are. They respect you so much. (Gillian)
- I love the culture, the scenery, and the food. I loved how humble and nice people were there. Many people are scared by you or don’t want to have anything to do with you, but they will be nice and polite about it. (Evan)
- They are very kind hearted and generous. (Amaree)
- They are genuinely kind and extremely polite. (David)
- The food was amazing, the people were very kind for the most part, and I feel like I left a little bit of my heart in Japan. (Erica)
- Loved the culture and the friendly people in rural areas. (Matt)
- Once I learned the language, everything was great…nobody really wanted to learn about the gospel, but everybody was really nice. (Larry)
- They are family oriented. Family is a central part of their lives and they don’t mind if 3 or 4 generations live in the same household. They are friendly and always willing to serve others. (Ryan)
- As with all missionaries, we learned to love the people as we served them and admired their generosity. One of the men in my English class heard that I was in the market to purchase a camera. The next week when he came to class, he gave me a shopping bag with a $400 camera and 11 rolls of film. (Kerry)
- Everything! (Edward)
- Noted in facts. I loved my Mission President and his family, the missionaries I served with, the members, and we had awesome community service projects. I taught an English class for a business, we helped in an orphanage, I helped at a mental institution for kids, served at a local company that hired the disabled for work, and I believe we worked at a local handicap school in one area. (Marci)
- The culture is fascinating. There is a lot of kindness from the people. The kids especially love missionaries. (Aaron)
- The people were all very kind to me and my companions. I have heard many stories of unkind people in other missions and I have a hard time understanding how people can be so callous and insensitive. I will always love and admire the love of the Japanese people. (Clayn)
- Awesome. (Earle)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- There are many good clothing stores in Japan such as Uniqlo, which is pretty much like a Japanese H&M or even cheaper, many recycle shops. I recommend buying winter coats there if you aren’t in the Mission Training Center during the winter. Missionaries really dig the Japanese-style fitting on most clothes. But if you’re taller (6′ about plus) then finding shirts and pants might be difficult, but not impossible. Uniqlo hasn’t let me down once. Winters ARE COLD. Buy warm long-underwear. It has saved my life. I once wore my garments, long underwear, my PJ’s and finally my pants which were under my rain pants. Winters usually are very wet and cold for missionaries. Regardless of what season you will need a good rain suit. (Ryan)
- Follow the dress and grooming standards. Don’t try to be out there. You are supposed to fit in and be one with your companion, district, zone, mission, and the Lord. (Westion)
- Sisters cannot wear pencil skirts, no matter how stretchy. The bar on your bike doesn’t allow for it to flow past your garments when you stop to talk to people. Also, deodorant and toothpaste are different in Japan so bring your own.
- It’s better for sisters to have skirts that are a-line. Too tight is hard for biking and too loose will get caught in your brakes. (Gillian)
- Gortex shoes for sure. Rain suit. Shoes and pants that are good for walking and biking. Comfortable backpack. (Evan)
- Bring a great rain suit and rain boots! If you’re a tall and/or a bigger woman, don’t expect to find clothes that fit. (Amaree)
- Buy a high quality rain suit (kappa) in the USA. They’re available in Japan, but made for Japanese body types, with shorter arms. The short cuffs ride up your arms while biking, which can be irritating. (David)
- Don’t buy your rain gear in the States; wait until you get there, or you’ll have just wasted your money. (Erica)
- Rain gear to adequately cover a full suit…usually available in country. (Matt)
- -Be sure to buy (a pack of ten) handkerchiefs!!! -During the rainy season, my companion was from Portland. When we first got together, I started putting on rain gear one day and he asked what I was doing. I said I am putting on rain gear because it’s raining. He said “I’m from Portland. We don’t need rain gear. We’ll just get wet from the sweat inside the rain gear or we can get wet from the rain … so DON’T BOTHER WITH RAIN GEAR.” (Larry)
- You ride a bike every where so your suits and/or dresses need to be thick and sturdy. None of the thin material and expensive suits from Men’s Warehouse or speciality stores. Get heavy duty work suits. (Ryan)
- Bring rain gear pants and jacket that fits over your suit and that you can use while riding a bike. (Kerry)
- Clothes for hot and cold weather. Warm gloves, hat, scarf, and underclothing for the winter. At least 7 changes of summer clothes (you’ll sweat a lot). (Edward)
- Comfortable shoes. Buy summer weight pants/suits in Japan. (Scott)
- Long warm winter skirt. I was fortunate one of our service mom’s gave me one. It was a life saver. Have peanut butter shipped to you if you like it (expensive in Japan, at least 15 years ago :). (Marci)
- Leave your briefcase at home. (Clayn)
- Pack slip on shoes. (Earle)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- I know so many awesome people! I can communicate in Japanese! I also have so many funny experiences to share with people. I know how to cook and live by myself and it’s given me a ton of life experience. (Ryan)
- I learned to study. Study with a purpose, study with questions, and find those answers and really progress my knowledge of the gospel and life in general. (Westion)
- Having a greater love for those around me and a better understanding that everyone has their problems and challenges. Through all of life, our Heavenly Father is so aware of each of us and never leaves us stranded. (Gillian)
- My own personal conversion. (Gillian)
- I learned so much about the gospel, my Savior, and most importantly, myself. I was able to develop into a person that can lead and handle tasks in my life with more patience and a better outlook on life. (Evan)
- I gained a deeper understanding of the scriptures- a deeper love of the Gospel. My companions- both good and challenging- gave me insights into what to look for in my future spouse. (Amaree)
- Learning to study was a great motivation for higher learning pursuits. Learning to persevere and work around obstacles. Not becoming too disgruntled at the way things often turn out. Being creative in solving problems. (David)
- Oh my goodness, so many! But the thing is, they didn’t come for a few years after I got home, which was super frustrating for me! (Erica)
- Developed strong work ethic, great gospel study habits, temple marriage. (Matt)
- Respect for other races/cultures/beliefs. (Larry)
- I know if I didn’t go on my mission I wouldn’t have the amazing wife and kids I have today. Everything fell into place for us to meet just after I got home from my mission. I know also by going on my mission, my family was blessed and my sister was finally able to get pregnant. My parents did not stand in need temporally even though they had two missionaries out at the same time. I also learned exactly how I learn because I had to learn a second language and thus my grades increased by .5 GPA in college! I went from C+ and B to B+ and A. (Ryan)
- Understanding the source and power of miracles. (Kerry)
- Everything about my current life can be attributed to my mission. I had never studied or even really thought about Japan before my mission, and now I’m married to a wonderful Japanese sister (who I did not meet on my mission), and I am living in Japan. (Edward)
- The language skills came to play in business opportunities later in life. (Scott)
- It was the greatest preparation for the rest of my life. It has been a tremendous blessing in my schooling, meeting and marrying my eternal companion, raising my family in the gospel, and so, so helpful in every calling I have since had in the church. (Marci)
- Beyond the obvious blessings of a strengthened testimony and a learned language, serving in Japan taught me persistence and patience. (Aaron)
- When I left, my girlfriend was not a member of the church. While I was away, she found the missionaries and learned the gospel and was baptized. When I returned, we were married in the temple and have been married for 28 years and have a wonderful eternal family. (Clayn)
What are some skills you gained?
- Work ethic. Responsibility. Punctuality. People skills. (Ryan)
- Interacting with people. Lots of people skills and a love of talking and getting to know people. (Westion)
- I learned how to carry on conversations with complete strangers. (Gillian)
- Time management, serving others, listening to others when they’re talking, and how to love others. (Gillian)
- Understanding potential in others, myself, and situations. Prayer. How to discipline and motivate myself. (Evan)
- Working tirelessly. Studying intently. Praying sincerely. (Amaree)
- Cooking, cleaning, and learning to really listen and care about others. It’s not all about me, and that’s okay. (David)
- Learning to teach, learning to teach through the Spirit and being OK to move away from our scripted plan. I learned how to explain and teach more simply and clearly. I tried really hard and learned to love those who seemed unlovable. (Erica)
- Japanese fluency, mad bike riding skills, public speaking skills. (Matt)
- Bike riding skills. A second language. (Larry)
- I learned another language. I learned leadership skills. I also learned perseverance and I learned about failure. I also learned it is okay to fail as long as you work hard. (Ryan)
- Japanese speaking skills I have used in my engineering profession. Organization and leadership skills. Goal setting and productivity skills. (Kerry)
- Patience, a love of language, a love of cultures, greater understanding. (Edward)
- Striking up a conversation with complete strangers. (Scott)
- Better interpersonal skills, teaching skills, self management skills, and language skills. But the biggest blessing was truly coming to know the Savior in a very personal way, and understanding the power of the Atonement, not just for forgiveness, but for healing, and to help magnify our efforts. Also I learned of his great love for each and every person. (Marci)
- I learned how to crash a bicycle with style. (Aaron)
- I learned to cook and still enjoy making my own recipes. I learned to study. I learned to have faith and trust in the Lord. (Clayn)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- That Japanese is one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn. Also I wish they taught us in the Mission Training Center just HOW missionary work, works. There was not any finding practice or street contacting practice etc. That would be a good thing to know how to do instead of literally knowing NOTHING as a trainee. (Ryan)
- Making mistakes is better than not making any. Especially when talking about learning a second language. Remember the road to fluency is messy along the way. Give it your all and don’t be afraid to speak. Use what you know and add on it. (Westion)
- It’s not always about the numbers, it’s about the people. There were so many things we did daily as missionaries that never counted as a stat at the end of the night. You don’t report how many times you testified or how many Books of Mormon you passed out, but without doing those things, there is no missionary work. (Gillian)
- What a missionary’s daily routine was actually like; not just going off what I thought it would be like. (Gillian)
- Becoming Christlike is a day-to-day slow change with sometimes no obvious results. (Evan)
- To pray for ways to show and feel love for my more challenging companions. To not speak ill of the ones I struggled with. (Amaree)
- I wish I had waited and not dated anyone steady before my mission. Best not to have romantic interests while serving, despite the mumbo-jumbo from films like “The Other Side of Heaven,” which I actually really like to watch, as it accurately depicts what serving in a foreign land is like. Regardless, today I’m happily married to a wonderful post-mission student ward sister I met at school. Things have a great way of working themselves out if you let them run their course, while remaining faithful, prayerful, and positive. (David)
- I wish I hadn’t been so scared to approach people. I definitely got over being shy pretty quickly. I also wish I’d have known about and attended temple and mission prep classes (they weren’t offered where I was). I also suggest practicing sharing your testimony out loud, so you don’t feel dumb and lost trying to find the words to do so in the MissionTraining Center. (Erica)
- Better working knowledge of Japanese. (Matt)
- The language. That I wasn’t going to perform any baptisms. Gotten rid of the anxiousness and nervousness and just relaxed and had more of an enjoyable time. (Larry)
- I wish I had gone to seminary more. Thankfully, I had 4 years of Japanese in high school which helped me get a head start on learning the language. Without that, I would not have had time to study the scriptures more. (Ryan)
- No regrets, hard work and patience was the key for me to yield the fruits of the mission. (Kerry)
- Have a more firm testimony and understanding of the Gospel. (Edward)
- How to cook better. (Marci)
- I wish I knew from the start that God prepared me to be me and that I should use the gifts and talents He had given me in the work, no matter how unorthodox that may have seemed. Once that sunk in, I had a much happier and successful time. (Aaron)
- I wish I would have read the Book of Mormon more and memorized more scriptures so that I could be a more effective teacher. (Clayn)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Nagoya?
- This will only be great if you make it great. Go in with the mindset that these will be the best 2 years of your life and I GUARANTEE you they will be. It will be hard, harder than anything you’ve done up to this point, but there are so many people there to support you. Take this great opportunity and learn and have fun because it’s one of the greatest things you will ever do in your life. (Ryan)
- You are an army. The army of God in fact. And like the Army of Helaman in the Book of Mormon, they conquered because they fought as one. Don’t try to bring glory or attention to yourself. Stay humble and do things as God would have you do. Be a missionary in God’s army. (Westion)
- Love the people. The more love you have for everyone around you, the easier life is. When you humble yourself before others, you gain their trust and in turn open their heart. (Gillian)
- Enjoy it. Let the mission change you. Let go of everything back home no matter how hard it may be; it’ll only come back in the form of bigger blessings. Don’t go in with expectations. Have goals and don’t let anything stop you from achieving them. Be open and willing to take criticism. (Gillian)
- Life is good, God is good. Love the little moments and experiences you have. (Evan)
- Serve the Lord and the people. Love your companion, even when they are unloveable. (Amaree)
- Be patient and be believing. Missions are hard. Anything worthwhile takes a lot of planning and effort. You can do it! The church is true, and the Gospel is true. Show the Lord your dependability and the Lord will take care of your capability. (David)
- Oh my goodness, you’re going to be in the best mission ever!!!! Study Preach My Gospel and the scriptures before you go to the MTC. Practice saying your testimony out loud. Don’t be afraid to pray about EVERYTHING and EVERYONE! Even when you’re overwhelmed, sad, scared or homesick, don’t leave early. Pray really hard, work harder, talk to your companion and Mission President, and keep going! Also, don’t take anything negative personally. Also, the milk tastes weird. (Erica)
- Don’t be easily offended by anyone, including your companion, and be willing to work hard through any challenge. (Matt)
- Hope you get to sent to Tsu!!! (Larry)
- Go for the right reasons. If you aren’t going because you want to serve the Lord, then don’t go. You will only damage your testimony if you feel like you were forced to go. Your mission will be the greatest 2 years of your life until you get married and then have kids. It will also be some of the toughest times in your life. Amazing people will exercise their agency and not accept the gospel and it will tear at you. Others will choose to leave the church but you will see so many miracles if you just look for them. The blessings will last a life time and the love you will gain for those you serve will show you a tiny glimpse of the love Jesus and Heavenly Father have for all of us. (Ryan)
- This is not an adventure like scout camp but an opportunity for the Lord to lead you into his work. This is not your Mission…never refer to it as your mission rather as a missionary for the Lord. (Kerry)
- It will change your life. The Lord will be with you and sustain you. He said it best when He said, “doubt not, fear not.” So have fun and serve your Savior with all your heart, mind, and might. (Edward)
- Jump in with two feet! (Marci)
- Learn to eat and love anything offered to you. And never, never get caught up in mission politics. You are there to serve, not to jockey for leadership positions. (Aaron)
- Be prayerful and faithful in the study of the gospel. The language will come in time. (Clayn)
What was a funny language mistake?
- My companion said “watashitachi wa nezumi desu” meaning “we are rats,” instead of “watashitachi wa nemui desu.” Hahahaha (Ryan)
- One sister on her first phone call was way nervous. When you normally answer the phone you say “moshi moshi…” 「もしもし」but this sister said “Mushi mushi…” 「虫 虫」which actually means insect. So she told them “insect insect”. (Westion)
- Instead of telling someone Jesus was killed by other people, I told them Jesus killed people. (Gillian)
- The words reiteki and seiteki often got switched. If you are speaking Japanese, be sure not to switch them. It’ll save you embarrassment later. (Gillian)
- My companion said “ansatsu” (assassinate) instead of “aisatsu” (to meet you) when meeting our neighbors in an exchange. I also said “seiteki na” (sexual) instead of “reiteki na” (spiritual) when referring to goals in a lesson with a member. (Evan)
- Nikkutai= physical body. Nekkutai= neck tie. Ninshin= pregnant. Nesshin= with conviction. (Amaree)
- Don’t trust what scheming District Leaders or Zone Leaders may teach you. They might tell you to say something for simple shock value. Trust your trainer. (David)
- “If you listen to the prophet, you’ll die.” That one still gets brought up at reunions. (Erica)
- I have two that were really funny mistakes. Reiteki means spiritual in Japanese. So when you gave a spiritual message you would say Reiteki na messagi. One of the missionaries who came into the mission with me stood up during district meeting and said “I want to give a seiteki na messagi”. Seiteki means sexual. So he said I want to give a sexual message instead of spiritual message. My second is when a new missionary got up to bear his testimony in zone conference. He got up and said “Ai wa Opai”. What he wanted to say “Ai wa Ippai”. What he said was “Love is Boob (Whatever slang word you want for Breast)” instead of saying “Love is full”. (Ryan)
- Too many to list. We all make mistakes. The language never really becomes perfect. (Kerry)
- I accidentally said (roughly translated), “I, thankfully, completely forgot!” when I was trying to say, “I, regrettably, completely forgot”. (Edward)
- I am sure we made them all the time, but I can’t remember. (Marci)
- There are a couple of common language mistakes, but the translation is probably not appropriate for this site. (Aaron)
- There are so many words that sound the same however have significantly different meanings. Unfortunately, I do not remember exactly which words. I do remember some very kind people correcting me several times so I wouldn’t embarrass myself again. (Clayn)