Kita Arima Christian Monument: Nagasaki Prefecture

The Kita Arima Christian Monument is a symbol of the many Christians who died for their Christian faith mostly during the 17th century.  There are many of these statues, monuments, reminders, posts, tombstones and the like all over the Shimabara Peninsular in Nagasaki as this area of Japan was a hive of Christian activities during the 16th and 17th centuries.  I have been discovering and searching for these site for a while now and more keep popping up all over the place.

In 1549, St. Francis Xavier and two other priests arrived in Kagoshima to bring Christianity to Japan from Spain. There were an estimated 300,000 Christians by the end of the sixteenth century. Problems arose and Christianity was suppressed and the first Martyrs of Japan died in 1597.  250 years later, when Christian missionaries returned to Japan, they found a community of Japanese Christians that had survived underground and were approached cautiously by the descendants of the Christians after their suppression.

There were 205 Japanese Christian Martyrs between 1597 and 1637.  One of these incidents is documented with a Nagasaki Christian Monument in the town of Kita Arima on the Shimabara Peninsular.  Here 29 Christians were martyred in the Arima River, death by drowning for not renouncing their Christian faith, in times where Christianity was banned throughout all of Japan by the rulers.  It was quite an intense feeling to be at the site of such atrocities that were committed so many years ago but as with all shocking incidents it is better to learn from our past rather than hiding the real truth!

Please check out the Kita Arima Christian Monument on this map below:

 

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:

Remembering the dead

29 Christians died here

The place where the Christians were drowned

Remembering the turbulent times

Please click on the video below to see the Kita Arima Nagasaki Christian Monument:

Arima Christian Heritage Museum: Shimabara Peninsular, Nagasaki Prefecture

The Arima Christian Heritage Museum in Nagasaki is an interesting place that one can see and interact with many facets of Japanese History and especially its interaction and involvement with people from other countries through culture, trade and religious experimentation.

The Museum is well signposted in English, has enough literature and footnotes as well as a 10 minute video to explain the histories and problems of the day in which Christianity was outlawed and those that continued to follow their faith (even though the consequences meant death) were dealt with in the most gruesome manner.

No stone is unturned at the Arima Christian Heritage Museum as all topic of reference are discussed in full details.  These include the Martyring of Nagasaki Christians, the connection between trade and evil forces from abroad, as well as the Hara Castle massacre whereby 37 000 peasant Christians were murdered as a result of their unwillingness to stop practicing their faith and because of their defiance to follow the rank and file orders of their over bearing Lord of the time.

I will recommend this place to anyone who has an interest in the history of the Nagasaki Christians, as there is just enough information to fill in the gaps and to provide a picture worth viewing.  However because of the Museum`s remote location most probably a Private Tour will be needed to access this and other remote places.

Please click on the click to see Arima Christian Heritage Museum in Nagasaki on this map:

 

Click on the photos below to enlarge:

Renounce your faith or else!

Christianity arrived in Japan with the traders

An interesting 10 minute video with subtitles

Christians being Martyred

The Arima Christian Heritage Museum

Religious cleansing

Martyrdom

The Hara Castle Massacre

Rebellion forces holding out the lords soldiers

The end result 37 000 Christian dead

Entrance

Please check out these videos below to see more about the Arima Christian Heritage Museum in Nagasaki:

Hokobaru Martyrdom Site: Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Hokobaru Martyrdom Site is an interesting place to visit in Omura City.  You will be able to step back in time and learn and understand more about the Christian History of the area and some of the surreal and horrible acts that were committed at the time in order to protect and preserve Japanese Nationalistic ideals of the time.  After Christianity was banned in 1587, it seemed that the Christian religion had vanished forever within the realm of Nagasaki and Japan in general.  However, many Christians continued to practice in secret and are referred as the Hidden Christians.

When the Tokugawa Shogunate took control in 1614 and then closed Japan’s borders to the outside world in 1633, they started a hunt to eliminate all practicing Christians in order to restore only Japanese traditions through the implementation of rebuilding Shrines and Temples and force feeding the public to revert back to the original Buddhist and Shinto Religions.

In 1657, known as the Kori Kuzure (Collapse of Kori) the government found and arrested 603 Christians hiding in the area known as Kori Village within the Omura domain.  Out of this large number, 197 people were either found innocent or imprisoned.  The other 406 people were executed. Due to the number of executions, 275 people were sent to other areas to meet their fate, such as Shimabara, Nagasaki and Saga.  At Hokobaru Martyrdom Site, 131 of those captured were beheaded.

The landmark that stands today at the Hokobaru Martyrdom Site is a sign of respect and a tribute to all those that lost their life during this troubled period in Japan.  The Japanese Christian community within Nagasaki and Japan have done a marvelous job to keep their history alive and to continue to tell the story of what happened all those many years ago for future generations.

Well worth a visit.

Please check out the Hokobaru Martyrdom Site in Nagasaki here on a map:

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:

Good information in English too!

Impressive from all angles

Shot down by Angels from above

Powerful images

Interesting to say the least!

Sacifice

Click on the video below to see the Hokobaru Martyrdom Site:

Unzen Christian Memorial: Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture

The Unzen Christian Memorial is a very special place indeed.  It is hard to believe that such a special, unique and picturesque place was actually a murdering ground for the prosecution and killing of Christians all those years ago in feudal Japan.

During the depression of Jigoku (1627-1632) many Christians were killed.  Though it is impossible now to indicate the exact place in which many Christians suffered martyrdom, two monumental stones were placed in the Jigoku (Hell Ponds) to honor the Martyrs.  One is called "Seika Moyu no Hi," (monument of sacred flame) which was built in 1939.  The Japanese poem written by Chosuke Ikuta is inscribed and reads "Your exalted spirits and sacred red blood have never faded away and are still vividly seen through the red mountain covered by azalea flowers."

The other monument is of the Christian Cross and was raised by Archbishop of Nagasaki in 1961.  On the surface of its setting stone, 6 martyrs' names are inscribed to keep the plight of these people many years ago alive and in the memory of all Christians of today and yesteryear.  It is a place that one can lost in the magnificent scenery not to mention the history of the area and at the same time you can learn about the Christians of Japan and the persecution that they had to endure in order to follow their faith.

Check out the Unzen Christian Memorial here below:

 

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                                   The names and dates of the Christians who were boiled to death

Please check out the video of the Unzen Christian Memorial here:

                                                        Many Nagasaki Christian were martyred here!

                                                 This is where it all happened!

                                                        The memorial stands to remember the Christians of the time