Japan KYUSHU Tourist　　ジャパン九州ツーリスト株式会社

We are a travel agency in Fukuoka specializing in Kyushu,
warmly welcoming guests from around the world.
We offer Customized Private tours tailored to your preferences
across Kyushu.

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History of Japanese Christianity

 
Christianity in Japan holds a profound and unique history unlike any other in the world.
Its journey began in 1549 with the arrival of Francis Xavier, the first missionary, leading
to the rapid spread of the faith—primarily in the Nagasaki region. However, a centuries-long
ban by the Shogunate forced believers into hiding, where they practiced their faith in
secret despite severe persecution and martyrdom.
Following the lifting of the ban in 1873, a new chapter of Japanese Christianity began.
Our tour invites you to explore this remarkable legacy by visiting the historic sites and
sacred cathedrals of the Nagasaki region.

 

 

1549: St. Francis Xavier arrives in Kagoshima as the first Christian missionary, marking

　　　the dawn of Christianity in Japan.

1550: St. Francis Xavier travels to Hirado to continue his missionary work.

1551: The first Catholic church in Japan is established in Hirado.

1557: Catholicism is introduced to Ikitsuki and Kasuga in the Hirado region.

1563: Omura Sumitada becomes the first Japanese feudal lord (Daimyo) to

　　　convert to Christianity.

1569: Father Gaspar Vilela establishes the “Todos os Santos” Church, the first

　　　in Nagasaki.

1571: Lord Omura Sumitada opens the Port of Nagasaki to Portuguese trade.

1580: Lord Arima Harunobu converts to Christianity; the first Seminario (seminary)

　　　in Japan is established in Kuchinotsu.

1582: The Tensho Embassy—the first Japanese mission to the Pope in Rome—is

　　　dispatched by Christian lords Otomo Sorin, Omura Sumitada, and Arima Harunobu.

1587: Toyotomi Hideyoshi issues the first official edict banning Christianity.

1590: The Tensho Embassy returns to Nagasaki, bringing Western printing technology

　　　and music.

1597: The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan are executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki.

　　　Their sacrifice remains a profound cornerstone of Catholic history in Japan

 

1603: The Tokugawa Shogunate is established, eventually leading to the national

　　　isolation policy (Sakoku).

1614: The Tokugawa Shogunate issues an edict strictly prohibiting Christianity

　　　throughout Japan.

1622: Five Christians are martyred at Nakae-no-shima Island in Hirado.

1624: Three more Christians face martyrdom at Nakae-no-shima Island in Hirado.

1627: Twenty-seven Christians are martyred at Unzen Jigoku (“Unzen Hell”) amidst

　　　severe persecution.

1637: The Shimabara Rebellion: A massive peasant uprising led by Amakusa Shiro

　　　against the Shogunate’s religious persecution.

1637: Lorenzo Ruiz from the Philippines is martyred at Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki.

　　　He later becomes the first Filipino saint.

1641: Dejima, a small artificial island in Nagasaki, is established as the sole Dutch

　　　trading post during the isolation period.

1644: The last Christian missionary in Japan is martyred, marking the beginning of

　　　the era of “Hidden Christians” (Kakure Kirishitan)

1853: Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy arrives in Uraga, playing a pivotal

　　　role in ending Japan’s era of isolation.

1854: The Treaty of Kanagawa is signed between the USA and Japan, officially opening

　　　the country to the world.

1858: Treaties of Amity and Commerce are signed with the USA, the Netherlands,

　　　Russia, Great Britain, and France, allowing religious freedom within designated

　　　foreign residential areas.

1862: The 26 Martyrs of Japan are canonized by Pope Pius IX at Nishizaka Hill, Nagasaki.

1865: Oura Cathedral is established in Nagasaki as a basilica dedicated to the 26 Martyrs.

1868: The Meiji Restoration marks the end of over 250 years of Tokugawa Shogunate rule,

　　　restoring imperial power and heralding a new era of modernization.

1873: The long-standing ban on Christianity is finally lifted.

1882: Construction of Shitsu Church in Sotome begins, based on the visionary designs

　　　of Father de Rotz.

1909: Shitsu Church is completed.

1914: Urakami Cathedral is completed in Nagasaki; at the time, it was the largest Catholic

　　　church in East Asia.

1912: Yamada Church in Hirado is constructed.

1917: Tabira Church in Hirado is constructed.

1920: Kurosaki Church is completed, another masterpiece designed by Father de Rotz.

1931: St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church in Hirado is established at its current location.

1945: On August 9, the atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, devastating the city and

　　　claiming countless lives. Urakami Cathedral is completely destroyed.

　　　An estimated 73,000 people died instantly, with another 60,000 injured

1950: Pope Pius XII designates Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki—the site of the 26

　　　Martyrs—as an official Catholic pilgrimage site.

1959: The reconstruction of Urakami Cathedral is completed, standing once

　　　again as a symbol of faith and resilience.

1981: Pope John Paul II makes a historic visit to Nagasaki, delivering a powerful

　　　message of peace.

1982: Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) visits Nagasaki, touching the

　　　hearts of the local community.

18 Oct 1987: Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is canonized at the Vatican, becoming the first Filipino

　　　Saint and forever linking the histories of the Philippines and Nagasaki.

2000: The Shusaku Endo Literary Museum opens in Sotome, dedicated to the author

　　　of the world-renowned novel, Silence.

2018: The “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region” are officially inscribed on

　　　the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognizing their unique and profound cultural

　　　value to humanity

2019: Pope Francis visits Nagasaki on November 24. At Ground Zero, he delivers a

　　　profound apostolic message, calling for a ‘world without nuclear weapons’ and

　　　urging humanity to pursue a future of lasting peace

 

Nagasaki was a small Rome in 1569

 

Todos os Santos Church, the first church in Nagasaki, was built in 1569.

The feudal lord Omura Sumitada and the Jesuits reached an agreement in 1570 to

develop Nagasaki into a port for Nanban trade (with Portugal and Spain).

Nagasaki Port opened in 1571, the same year the first Portuguese ship arrived.

Following this, the development of the “Town of the Cape” began as a Christian

settlement, and the small Church of São Paulo was constructed at the tip of the cape.

  
Following the initial construction, several other churches were established:
  • Misericordia Headquarters Church (1583)
  • Santa Maria Church (1600)
  • Santa Clara Church (1603)
  • Santiago Church (1604)
  • San Juan Bautista Church (1605)
  • San Antonio Church (1606)
  • San Pedro Church (1607)
  • San Francisco Church (1611)
  • San Agustin Church (1612)
For 45 years after the first church was built, Nagasaki flourished as a Christian town.
By 1614, the majority of its 25,000 residents were Christians, earning the city the
nickname “Little Rome.”
 
However, following the Tokugawa Shogunate’s nationwide ban on Christianity in 1614,
most of these church buildings were destroyed within a 15-day period starting from
November 3rd.

Opening the port created Christian town Nagasaki in 1570

 

Nagasaki Port was opened in 1570 by Omura Sumitada, the first Japanese feudal lord
to be baptized as a Christian.
At that time, a group of Christian families immigrated to the area along with Father
Figueiredo. Many of them were fleeing persecution in regions such as Shimabara, Iki,
Goto, Hirado, and Yamaguchi. Their arrival marked the beginning of Nagasaki as
a Christian town.
  
Omura Sumitada donated the territories of Nagasaki and Mogi to the Jesuits to
protect his domain from neighboring enemies.
In 1580, the Society of Jesus in Japan established its headquarters in Nagasaki.

 

Tensho youth mission to Europe in 1582

 

In 1582, four young boys boarded a ship at Nagasaki Port bound for Europe.
They were dispatched as representatives of the Japanese Christian feudal lords,
departing with Alessandro Valignano, the Jesuit missionary who organized the
mission.
The four youths—Mancio Ito, Miguel Chijiwa, Martino Hara, and Julian
Nakaura—were all around 13 years old at the time.

 

 

The purpose of the mission is to show the four people who studied at Arima

Seminario about Europe and to convey the greatness of Europe to the

Japanese people.

By introducing the boy raised by the Jesuits to Europe, the mission was to

highlight the achievements of Japan’s missionary work and gain support from

the Pope and the King of Portugal.

 

Two years and six months after leaving Nagasaki, they finally arrived in Europe.

He first had an audience with Philip II at Rispon, and was subsequently welcomed

in various places.

On March 23, 1585, Japan had an audience with the Pope and made its grand d

ebut on the world stage. After that, they also visited various parts of Italy.

 

When they returned to Nagasaki in 1590, Christianity was being prohibited.

Therefore, their achievements were suppressed due to the ban on Christianity.

It was not until 1858, when religious freedom was recognized, that their activities

were evaluated.

 

26 Saints were the first martyrs in Japan in 1597

 

A group of 26 Christians was arrested in Kyoto, consisting of 20 Japanese, four Spaniards,
one Mexican, and one Portuguese. They were forced to walk barefoot to Nagasaki,
a journey that lasted about a month. On February 5, 1597, all 26 arrived at Nishizaka,
where they were tied to crosses and martyred.
  
Speaking from the Cross, Paul Miki said:
To all of you who are here, please listen to me. I did not come from the Philippines;
I am Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus.
I have committed no crime. The only reason I am being put to death is that I have
taught the doctrine of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I am truly happy to die for such a cause,
and I see my death as a great blessing from the Lord.
In these final moments, when you can be certain that I would not try to deceive you,
I want to emphasize and make it unmistakably clear: there is no path to salvation
other than the Christian way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our
enemies and those who have wronged us. Therefore, I declare here that I forgive
Taikosama (Hideyoshi).
 
My only wish is that all the Japanese people would become Christians.”
(From Luis Frois’s Martyrs Records, 1597)
 

Santo Domingo Church, built in 1609

 

Santo Domingo Church was built in Nagasaki in 1609 by the Dominican Father

Francisco de Morales, using materials from a demolished church in Kagoshima.

 
The ruins of the church were discovered in 2002 during an archaeological
excavation conducted for the reconstruction of Sakuramachi Elementary School.
Today, the site is home to the Santo Domingo Church Ruins Museum, where
visitors can view the excavated remains alongside Christian artifacts and historical
materials discovered across Nagasaki.

Ban on Christianity in 1612

 

The number of Christians in Japan continued to grow, reaching approximately

300,000 by 1614. Fearing that this increasing influence could lead to rebellion,

the Tokugawa Shogunate issued a ban on Christianity in Nagasaki in 1612, f

ollowed by a nationwide ban in 1614.

 

After that, the history of martyrdom began in various places.

・in 1617, 4 missionaries were martyred in Omura

・in 1622, Genna great martyrdom (55 Christians) at Nishizaka

・in 1622-24, Ikutsuki and Nakae-no-shima island martyrdom

・from 1627, Unzen jigoku martyrdom

・1633, Nakaura Julian martyred in Nishizaka

・in 1637, Shimabara Rebellion

・in 1644, Konishi Manjo martyrdom, Domestic priests become absent

・in 1657, Persecution of Christians in Omura

・in 1790, Persecution of Christians in Urakami

・in 1839, Persecution of Christians in Urakami

・in 1856, Persecution of Christians in Urakami

Hidden Christians from 1612

 

Severe oppression began with the Tokugawa Shogunate’s ban on Christianity.
Missionaries were expelled overseas, while those who remained in secret were
captured and martyred. Konishi Mansho, the last remaining priest during this period,
was also martyred in 1644.
In the absence of priests, believers maintained their faith by ostensibly pretending
to be Shinto or Buddhist. Christian organizations were formed in each village to
preserve their teachings, and the faith was passed down from parents to children,
and from children to grandchildren for generations.
 
“Kakure Kirishitan” (Hidden Christians)
Even after the ban on Christianity was lifted, some believers chose to continue
practicing their faith in the traditional way passed down through the generations,
rather than returning to the Catholic Church. These people are known as
“Kakure Kirishitan.”
The traditions of the Kakure Kirishitan have been preserved in regions such as
Hirado, Ikitsuki, the Goto Islands, Sotome, and areas surrounding Nagasaki.

 

Genna great Martyrdom in 1622

 

Twenty-five years after the martyrdom of the 26 Saints, the blood of Christians

was once again shed on the hill of Nishizaka in Nagasaki.

   

A total of 55 Christians were martyred, having been arrested at Suzuta

Prison in Omura and Kurusu Prison in Nagasaki.

Unzen jigoku Martyrdom from 1626

 

When Matsukura Shigemasa became the new feudal lord of Shimabara in 1616,
a large portion of the population was Christian.
Initially, he turned a blind eye to Christianity because he needed the cooperation of
the local people to construct Shimabara Castle. However, once the Tokugawa
Shogunate became aware of the situation, Shigemasa was strictly ordered to force
the Christians in Shimabara to convert.
 
Starting in 1627, Christians who refused to apostatize were persecuted using the
scalding waters of Unzen Jigoku (Unzen Hell). Many believers were brought to
these boiling springs and martyred for their faith.
Unzen Church is dedicated to Father Antonio Ishida and his companions who were
martyred at Unzen Hell. Every May, a martyrdom festival is held to honor their memory.
Today, Unzen Jigoku is the most popular tourist attraction in Unzen. “Jigoku” means
“Hell,” a name inspired by the striking landscape where white steam and boiling water
rise from the ground over a vast area. The air is filled with the distinct scent of sulfur,
serving as a powerful reminder that the Unzen volcano is still very much active.