Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan

 

Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki is the place of Martyrdom of 26 Japanese Saints. The 26 Martyrs of

Japan were a group of Catholics who were executed by crucifixion on February 5, 1597.

The Twenty-six Christians led by Paulo Miki, including six foreign missionaries and three young boys,

were arrested in Kyoto and Osaka on the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the National ruler, for preaching

Christianity. 

They were marched 800 km through the snow to Nagasaki and crucified in front of large crowd on

Nishizaka hill on Feb. 5, 1597.

 

Paul Miki said from the Cross

All of you who are here, please listen to me.

I am a Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus. I have committed no crime, and the

only reason why I am put to death is that I have been teaching the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am very happy to die for such cause, and see my death as great blessing from the Lord.

At this critical time, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress

and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian

way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our enemies and who have wronged us.

I must therefore say here that I forgive Taikosama (Hideyoshi).

 

Then they all ascended to heaven with the happy of giving the life to Christ.

 

Nishizaka hill, the site of Martyrdom in 1597

The martyrs said that  ” All people, bless God ! ”

The 26 Japanese martyrs have  been canonized in 1862

 

 - Nagasaki travel guide