Paul Marshall

3 min read ⭑

Several recent stories suggest that Japan is becoming more hostile to tourists. But most of these reports concern only particular popular tourist sites, especially those with a view of magnificent Mt. Fuji, where jostling crowds have failed to respect the mores of this famously polite society.

My experience has been the opposite. In visiting less foreigner-traveled areas this year, I found gracious hosts. I was welcomed and fell in love with the place and the people.

But, in one theme of this summer's travels, the history of Japanese Christianity, I found a different issue. This is the ignorance not only amongst foreigners but also amongst Japanese themselves of that history, particularly the long history of persecution.

Some of this, especially the dire persecutions of the early 17th century, is better known through Shusako Endo’s gripping 1966 novel “Silence,” and then through Martin Scorsese’s longtime personal attempt to bring the book to the screen in his 2016 movie “Silence.” Both compelling works depart at times from the history, but they bring home the gravity and depth of the atrocities.

In the early 17th century, Christianity was put under a ban lasting two and a half centuries, and Japanese people were repeatedly forced to prove that they were not Christian by trampling on a “fumi-e,” an image of Jesus on the cross, or of Jesus and Mary. Those who refused to do so were tortured to renounce their faith or, if not, be killed, often in hideously cruel ways.

Despite this persecution, and despite having neither Bible nor priest nor pastor nor churches, a remnant of Japan’s underground Christians survived for over two centuries, with hidden shrines in houses or remote places.

This amazing history is well recorded, although, especially the Shimabara rebellion, is little known. But what is even lesser known is that this persecution was renewed in the latter part of the 19th century, after Japan’s “opening” to the world.

American Commodore Perry arrived in 1853, calling on Japan to open trade and discourse with the rest of the world, particularly the Western world. His squadron’s modern guns, though not used except as a show of force, revealed to Japan’s rulers that they had become a technological backwater and would face defeat in any war against Western powers. Faced with this power, Japan entered into more extended relations with the rest of the world and made rapid, stunning changes to its polity. It rapidly industrialized and adopted many Western ideas and methods.

This period is often referred to as the Meiji restoration, a period of “enlightened rule”: It showed Japan’s unrivaled ability to rapidly change its whole national policy and ethos.

But despite these major changes, certain things remained. One of these was the renewed persecution of Christians in Japan.

In 1868, 3,394 Christians, mainly from the area of Nagasaki, remnants of the hidden Christians who had survived for 250 years, were arrested and dispersed to places where they would be starved and tortured to get them to renounce their faith.

As a result, 154 were exiled to the remote town of Tsuwano. a small town in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture. Some were confined in Sanjakaro, a box three feet each side, and left there, often being denied food. Others were repeatedly cast into freezing ponds. Thirty-seven died.

One of these martyrs, Yasutaro, who was confined to a Sanjakaro, stated that the Virgin Mary appeared to him, spoke to him tenderly and consoled him.

There are very few monuments to these martyrs, but now a memorial is being built in the hills above Tsuwano. Very few travel guides refer to it, but a little-marked 600-meter muddy trail now leads through the woods to the site of the memorial.

On the site is a small chapel with stained glass windows. One window tells the story of six-year-old Katarina Mori. “When she was dying of starvation, one of her captors brought here sweets, saying that he would let her have the sweets if she gave up her faith.” Katarina is reported to have replied, “Heaven tastes better.”

It was only when foreign diplomats learned of this persecution, and pressured to end it, that it ceased in 1873. These Christians who had kept the faith over 250 years were now allowed to return home.

Canonization is now being sought for these and other martyrs, and also the recognition of the appearance of Mary to Yasutaro.

Paul Marshall is Wilson Distinguished Professor of Religious Freedom at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, director of the Religious Freedom Institute’s South and Southeast Asia Action Team, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and author of over 20 books on religion and politics.

This article is republished from Religion Unplugged under a Creative Commons license.

Related Articles