The Japanese Convert to Judaism: Gilad Kinan Shares His Extraordinary Journey

Discover the captivating story of Gilad Kinan, a Japanese convert to Judaism, whose unique journey from a medical student in Osaka to a devoted Jew in Israel is truly fascinating.

Kinan was born 50 years ago to wealthy architect parents in Osaka, Japan's third largest city. Like most Japanese, his parents were not affiliated with any religion. "As a people, the Japanese don't believe in anything," Kinan shares in an interview with 'Kol Yisrael'. "Some try to show that there are several religions here, but it's only due to interests and politics," he adds.

Thus, the chances for him to deeply encounter Judaism were slim but not impossible. "At the age of 20, during my medical studies, I began learning English at a particular school that employed teachers from around the world," he recalls.

There, Kinan noticed something intriguing: almost all the lecturers from abroad criticized their countries and spoke about their political and other shortcomings, except for one teacher. "That teacher always spoke well of his country, sharing stories about the wonderful people living there and its beautiful landscapes. I was enchanted by his stories because I had never heard of Israel before, and thanks to him, I got to know about it."

Later on, Kinan noticed another amazing fact. "I realized that this teacher, who was traditionally Jewish, often said in Hebrew 'Blessed is Hashem' or 'With the help of Hashem' during his lectures. Once, I worked up the courage to ask him what they meant, and when he explained it to me, I was thrilled. I was happy because I had already come to the conclusion that a person must have faith, and without it, life is not truly lived.

"On the other hand, I distanced myself from all the world's religions because I saw that devout followers were usually very strange and odd."

"Within Two Years, My Library Was Filled with Books on Judaism"

This was the first time he encountered people who believed in their religion and yet remained normal and behaved 'as human beings'. As one who always sought the truth, this was the moment he felt intrigued and curious to start exploring the Jewish religion. "One day, I walked into a bookstore looking for a particular book, and suddenly I found a book related to Judaism. I glanced through it and discovered a fascinating book on Jewish history, from the giving of the Torah and the splitting of the Red Sea to the latest generations.

"I started reading and reading, and I bought it immediately. After finishing it, I discovered there were many more books related to Judaism in Japanese, and I began buying more and more books about Judaism until within a year and a half to two years, my entire library was filled with Jewish books. I studied the Bible, Mishnah, and Gemara—all in Japanese."

But all this was still within the realm of anthropology. When did this 'anthropologist' put down the research magnifying glass and start living with the 'tribe' he studied? "For a long time, I read and read, but I still didn't intend to convert," Kinan shares. "Until I encountered an article in the Gemara about converts. There I read that a convert who wishes to convert is not accepted immediately but is rejected and asked 'What did you see in this persecuted and tormented nation' to want to join them? Then they tell him it is not worthwhile, trying to 'dissuade him from the idea. But precisely there, I said to myself: This is the truth! Because the truth doesn't need to convince people to join it".

Immediately afterward, Kinan made a unilateral decision to join the Jewish people and convert. But then the question hit him: 'How do you do that?' "I didn't know any Jews and knew nothing. I called the numbers printed in all the books, but no one knew how to tell me what I needed to do to convert until finally, someone told me that I needed to travel to the Land of Israel. There, they explained, you would study for a few months, and then you'd have a test."

"I Had Faith That Despite Leaving a Good Job, Hashem Would Provide Me with Another Job"

And then the concerns started to surface in his mind. "When I heard about such a complex process, I really became depressed. I naively thought that one could convert in Japan after a one-day test and that's it, and suddenly they tell me I need to travel to Israel?

"Before that, I had never left Japan, nor did I dream of leaving my job—which would have automatically happened if I traveled for an extended stay outside Japan. In Japan's reality, once accepted to a job, one doesn't leave it. And suddenly they tell me I need to request several months' leave from work. It was something very far from my reality."

Besides, there was also the question of how to obtain enough money for the flight and stay in Israel for an indefinite period. "You can understand that my parents didn't really encourage this. I felt like my world was crumbling, but that feeling quickly dissipated when Hashem gave me another idea: Since I had been working at the same job for a few years, I thought to myself that if I left it now, I would receive a substantial amount of severance pay that would suffice for my stay in Israel throughout that period, and so I decided to go. I had faith that despite leaving my job—when I returned, Hashem would provide me with another good job."

And so it was. "When I arrived in the country, I called my teacher, and he was very happy to meet me. I told him everything I had experienced over the last few years and said that I wanted to convert. He and his family received me warmly and took care of everything since."

That dear Jewish man and his wife accompanied Kinan throughout the conversion process at the Ashdod rabbinic court, and a few months after conversion, they even led him to marriage with his Israeli-born, returning-to-religion wife.

25 years have passed since. The Kinan family now lives in Beit Shemesh and has become Breslov Hasidim. Kinan works as an X-ray technician and two years ago published his biography in Japanese to bring closer to Judaism other Japanese who also grapple with the questions he had about Judaism.