RJCPN creates Unchurched Area Map for each region and prefecture. Each map indicates church presence/absence within Pre-Heisei merger municipal boundaries. Maps are available for downloading either in PDF or JPEG format.
Shikoku Region
Shikoku Sub-region 1
Tokushima Prefecture
Kagawa Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
* all three maps cover the same geography, the only difference is formatting
NOTE:
RJCPN defines rural areas as communities under 50,000 in population based on community boundaries prior to the widespread governmental mergers of rural towns and villages with urban areas that occurred between 1999 and 2014 (Heisei merger). Even though most rural towns ceased to exist as separate legal entities, missiologically they still are just as much in need of a church in their community as before because these communities remain psychologically, socially, and geographically largely distinct from the urban areas with which they were amalgamated. Since they are technically no longer separate cities, towns, or villages, the term URA (Unchurched Rural Area) and churched rural area (CRA) are used by RJCPN to refer to the municipal-like areas that were cities, towns, or villages of 3K to 50K in population prior to the Heisei mergers. Read More