|
|
|
The history of Christianity in Japan is one of persecution and murder on a par with the Roman Empire, and patiently hidden faith with parallels in Russia. From 1587 the then Japanese government perceived the acitivities of Christians as a serious enough threat to warrant action. In 1597, 26 European and Japanese Christians were arrested in Kyoto and Osaka and force marched to Nagasaki and summarily crucified, Japanese wives and children of Catholic Europeans were deported and eventually the Portuguese and Spanish were expelled. Only the protestant Dutch were allowed to stay as they were seen as being more interested in goods than Gods. The 26 martyrs were eventually installed as Saints and are commemorated by a simple but impressive memorial on Nishi-zaka Hill in the Urakami district. Six of these were Spanish with the remainder being Japanese, including two young boys aged 12 and 13. There are many moving stories to be discovered throughout Nagasaki but none more so than that of a group of Japanese women who waited so long to announce their faith. In 1865 the Oura Catholic Church was opened to serve the growing foreign community and was situated on the steep hill below Thomas Glover's residence. It had only just opened when the priest was approached by a group of Japanese women who told him that they had waited 300 years for this day, and could he please take them to Santa Maria. Japanese were still barred from embracing Christianity at this time, and as a result of the news of this event leaking out, thousands of Urakami residents were exiled to other parts of Japan. Many of these died before Christianity was finally legalised in 1872. This church is actually dedicated to the 26 martyrs and has some beautiful stained glass windows, however, in the small garden alongside a bust of the Pope is a large bronze relief depicting the brave women of Urakami. Please go to the Unzen Page for more of the same. |
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
The memorial to the 26 Christian Martyrs who were crucified in 1597, Urakami, Nagasaki |
|
|
|
