Hidden Christians in Nagasaki
In 1549, Saint Francis Xavier introduced Christianity to Japan for the first time. Christianity had been accepted and grown in the region of Kyushu and western Japan. In 1563, the governor of northern part of Kyushu, OMURA Sumitada, was baptized and became the first Christian Daimyo （feudal lord）. In 1571, Nagasaki Port was opened for trading with Portugal. The region around Nagasaki Port was donated to the Jesuits. Nagasaki has since been a special place in Japan, with its connection with Christianity.
In 1614, the Edo Bakufu （Shogunate government） formally started the ban of Christianity. Bakufu destroyed Churches and arrested missionaries. Nagasaki Bugyo （magistrate） thoroughly cracked down on every Christian. After this severe and prolonged period of prohibition, it seemed that all of the Christians had disappeared. By around 1644, all of the missionaries had been deported from Japan. However, even through that situation some groups had been secretly maintaining the Christian faith in Nagasaki. Several people, including Chokata, Mizukata, Kikiyaku played important roles in managing this group of Hidden Christians. Within Hidden Christian communities, Chokata was a leader and took on the role of reminding them of the liturgical calendar. Mizukata performed baptisms, and Kikiyaku assisted him. The Hidden Christians used statues of a Buddhist deity known as a Kannon in order to represent the Virgin Mary. And an Orasho was read as their prayer.
In 1865, after the ban had supposedly been lifted and missionaries had been allowed to return to Japan, some local people presented themselves at Oura Cathedral and announced their Christian faith to Father Petitjean. This event is now called the Discovery of Hidden Christians. After that, many Christians were still persecuted. It took eight years until the ban was formally lifted by the new Meiji government.
Some groups of Hidden Christians kept their own style of worship which was different to Catholicism, even after the lifting of the ban. They are called Kakure Kirishitan, to distinguish themselves from Hidden Christians who returned to the Catholic Church after the lifting of the ban.
Places of pilgrimage in Urakami
In the Urakami area, you can find many places of pilgrimage besides Urakami Cathedral, which is a very famous symbol of Christianity in Nagasaki. Those places will tell you about the history of Nagasaki Christians who had been hidden during the ban on Christianity in Japan.
Secret Churches
After the Discovery of the Hidden Christians on March 17th 1865, the strict ban on Christianity was still in force. Around Urakami, Hidden Christians had four secret churches in which they were able to be baptized by priests from Oura Cathedral. Those churches were in private homes and the worship was held secretly.
