Why I Made the “Juzu Rosary” — A rosary created for a Japanese Catholic reality —

A question I am sometimes asked

“Why did you make something called a Juzu Rosary?”

I am sometimes asked this question.

The word juzu refers to Japanese prayer beads,
often associated with Buddhist ceremonies.

My Juzu Rosary is not an attempt to combine religions.

Rather, it was created from a small reality
many Japanese Catholics quietly experience.

Living between two worlds

In Japan, many family ceremonies are still connected to Buddhism.

Funerals.

Memorial services.

Gatherings with relatives.

Even as Catholics,
we may find ourselves attending these occasions.

I have attended them too.

And sometimes,
there is a quiet expectation:

Do you have prayer beads with you?

Small moments that become difficult

Usually, nobody means any harm.

Someone may simply say:

“Did you forget yours?”

“Here, you can borrow these.”

It is meant kindly.

And yet, for some Catholics,
these moments can feel unexpectedly complicated.

Some bring a rosary.

Some bring nothing.

Some choose to carry Buddhist prayer beads.

There is no single answer.

Not every day is a day for explanations

This may sound strange to people outside Japan.

But there are times
when one does not wish to explain everything.

Especially during:

• family gatherings
• funerals
• workplace relationships
• conversations after adult baptism

Questions sometimes come.

Why did you become Catholic?

Why Christianity?

Sometimes I am happy to answer.

And sometimes,
I simply wish for a quiet day.

So I made something

That was how the Juzu Rosary began.

It is a cord rosary.

To it, I added a removable tassel.

Normally, it remains an ordinary rosary.

Only when needed
does it take on another appearance.

Some versions allow the tassel to be removed.

Others allow both the tassel and crucifix to be adjusted.

It became a small design journey of its own.

It is still a rosary

Occasionally, people ask whether this means
mixing Buddhism and Catholicism.

For me, the answer is no.

This was never created to combine two religions.

It remains a rosary.

The appearance may change.

The prayer does not.

A quiet compromise

Japanese Catholics sometimes stand
between different worlds.

The world of the Church.

And the world of family traditions.

This rosary was born somewhere between them.

Not to hide faith.

Not to change it.

But simply to live gently within both.

Perhaps it is not needed by everyone

Some Catholics feel perfectly comfortable bringing a rosary.

Some bring nothing at all.

Some choose differently.

And all of those choices are valid.

This rosary was made only for those who feel a small hesitation.

Those who wish to remain quietly themselves.

And so I continue making them

This design receives both agreement and disagreement.

I understand both.

Still—

if it helps even one person
move through a difficult day a little more peacefully,

then perhaps it has a reason to exist.