Sarah Mitchell
The arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1540s, led by Francis Xavier and the Jesuits, marked the introduction of Catholicism in Japan. Despite initial resistance from the highest office holders, including Emperor Ōgimachi, who issued edicts banning Catholicism, the religion gained a significant following, with over 100,000 converts by the 1560s. The Jesuits' strategy of targeting influential daimyōs and local rulers, offering trade advantages and gifts, proved effective. By the early 17th century, Japan's Christian community thrived with an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 converts. However, the Tokugawa shogunate's ban on Christianity in 1620 forced the religion underground, leading to the persecution and death of many Japanese Catholics. Today, Catholicism persists in Japan, with approximately 431,100 followers as of 2021, and the Catholic Church actively involved in religious education through various institutions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the arrival of Christianity in Japan | 1540s |
| Number of converts in the 1540s | 100,000+ |
| Year when Christianity was banned by Emperor Ōgimachi | 1565 and 1568 |
| Year when Jesuit missionaries were banned by imperial regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi | 1587 |
| Year when Christianity was banned by the Tokugawa shogunate | 1620 |
| Year when the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross was formed in Japan | 2015 |
| Number of congregations of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Japan as of 2015 | 2 |
| Number of Catholics in Japan as of 2021 | 431,100 |
| Percentage of Catholics in Japan as of 2021 | 0.34% |
| Number of dioceses in Japan | 15 |
| Number of metropolitan archdioceses in Japan | 3 |
| Number of bishops in Japan | 34 |
| Number of priests in Japan | 1,235 |
| Number of deacons in Japan | 40 |
| Number of churches in Japan | 957 |
| Number of Catholic educational institutions in Japan | 828 |
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What You'll Learn
The arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1540s
The arrival of Christian missionaries in Japan in the 1540s was a significant event that marked the first organised introduction of Christianity to the country. Led by Francis Xavier, a Navarrese missionary, and accompanied by the Jesuits, the group included the Jesuit priest Cosme de Torres and Juan Fernandez. They first arrived in Kagoshima with the goal of evangelism, seeing it as a way to expand the influence of Portugal and Spain in the region.
At the time, Japan was in the midst of a nationwide civil war, with neither the emperor nor the Ashikaga shogun holding much power. Xavier initially planned to seek permission from the emperor to build a mission but was met with the devastation of the imperial residence. Instead, the Jesuits approached the daimyo in southwestern Japan, recognising the potential for trade and the spread of their religion. This approach proved successful, and they were able to convert several daimyo, including Ōmura Sumitada, who became the first Japanese daimyo to convert to Catholicism. Sumitada invited the Jesuits to settle in Yokoseura in the early 1560s, where they built a church and welcomed Portuguese ships.
The Jesuits' strategy of seeking influence through powerful individuals and trade proved effective, and by the 1570s, there were around 130,000 converts to Christianity in Japan. Nagasaki, which became a significant port city, was chosen by the Jesuits for its natural port advantages, and Sumitada donated land to establish a settlement for displaced Christians. By 1577, João Rodrigues, a Jesuit missionary in Nagasaki, had become fluent in Japanese and played a crucial role in high-level negotiations and interpreting Japanese life to the West.
The spread of Christianity in Japan, however, soon met resistance from the highest office holders. Emperor Ogimachi issued edicts to ban Catholicism in 1565 and 1568, but these had little effect. Despite the bans, the number of converts continued to grow, and by the late 1590s, there were around 200,000-300,000 converts, with Nagasaki becoming the centre of Japanese Catholicism.
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Converting the daimyo
The Jesuits' strategy for converting the daimyo in Japan was to target the ruling class first, with the idea that their conversion would lead to the conversion of their subjects. This strategy was based on the power vacuum that existed during the Sengoku period, where warlords vied for control and sought external sources of power and legitimacy.
The Jesuits approached daimyo in southwestern Japan with offers of trade and exotic gifts, acting as brokers for Portuguese trade. They also provided military support to Kirishitan daimyo when they were threatened by non-Christian daimyo. This was an effective strategy, and between 1553 and 1620, 86 daimyo were officially baptized, with many more sympathetic to Christianity.
The conversion of the daimyo was also driven by the arrival of Christianity and Portuguese trade in Nagasaki, which transformed the city into a significant port. Ōmura Sumitada, the first daimyo to convert, invited Jesuits to settle in Yokoseura in the early 1560s, where a church was built and Portuguese ships visited. However, Yokoseura's destruction by anti-Christian groups and rival merchants in 1563 prompted the Jesuits to relocate to Nagasaki, where Sumitada donated land for a Christian settlement.
Other daimyo who converted and were instrumental in the spread of Christianity in Japan include Arima Yoshisada, Ōtomo Sōrin, and Dom Justo Takayama. Ōtomo Sōrin donated land for a church and funded its construction, while Arima Yoshisada provided a non-Christian temple that was reused as a church. Dom Justo Takayama, a Christian daimyo in western Japan, may have received military support from Portugal and Spain.
The conversion of the daimyo was not without its challenges. The destruction of Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines often accompanied the conversion of the daimyo and their subjects, with the Jesuits also contributing to the destruction and persecution of Buddhist monks and Shinto priests. This added to the suspicion of Christianity held by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who attempted to curb Catholicism while maintaining good trading relations with Portugal and Spain.
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The role of trade
Trade played a significant role in the spread of Catholicism in Japan, with Portuguese traders and missionaries arriving in the country as early as the 1540s. The Jesuits, who were mostly Portuguese, brought with them Western goods that were highly sought after by the Japanese daimyo, including guns and cannons. The Portuguese also acted as brokers between Japan and other countries, such as China, bringing Chinese silk to Japan.
The arrival of Christianity and Portuguese trade transformed Nagasaki into a significant port city, with the city growing from a village of 400 houses in 1579 to a town of 15,000 people by the early 17th century. The Jesuits, with support from the Christian daimyo Ōmura Sumitada, established Nagasaki as a secure base for their mission and to facilitate Portuguese trade. Sumitada donated land to the Jesuits, granting them perpetual usage rights and extraterritorial privileges in return for their support.
Trade was also a motivating factor for the conversion of many daimyo to Christianity. The daimyo sought to gain more favorable access to saltpeter, which was used to make gunpowder. Additionally, the Jesuits approached local rulers with offers of trade and exotic gifts, using their position as brokers to expand their influence.
The rivalry between Catholic and Protestant countries also influenced trade relations in Japan. Dutch and English traders advised the shogunate that Catholicism was a means for Spain to gain territorial control, and they promised to limit themselves to trading without conducting missionary activities. As a result, the shogunate banned Catholicism in 1614 and demanded the expulsion of all European missionaries.
Overall, trade was a crucial factor in the introduction and spread of Catholicism in Japan, shaping political alliances, economic exchanges, and religious conversions during the 16th and 17th centuries.
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Resistance from the highest office holders
Emperor Ōgimachi, the highest office holder in Japan, issued edicts to ban Catholicism in 1565 and 1568, but these had little effect. Many daimyōs converted to Christianity to gain more favourable access to saltpetre, which was used to make gunpowder. Between 1553 and 1620, 86 daimyōs were officially baptised, and many more were sympathetic to the Christians. The Jesuits provided various kinds of support, including military support to Kirishitan daimyōs when they were threatened by non-Kirishitan daimyōs.
The Jesuits chose Nagasaki for its natural port advantages, including a narrow promontory that offered visual defence of the bay entrance. Sumitada, the first Japanese daimyo to convert to Catholicism, invited Jesuits to settle in Yokoseura in the early 1560s, where a church was built and Portuguese ships visited in 1562 and 1563. However, Yokoseura's destruction in 1563 by anti-Christian groups and rival merchants prompted the Jesuits to relocate to Nagasaki. Sumitada donated the land to establish a settlement for displaced Christians, granting perpetual usage rights and extraterritorial privileges in return for securing permanent port customs and entry taxes.
In 1587, imperial regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued a ban on Jesuit missionaries, claiming that Christians were bringing disorder to Japanese society and that their followers "contravene governmental regulations, traduce Shinto, calumniate the True Law, destroy regulations, and corrupt goodness". Hideyoshi had become alarmed by reports that Christian lords oversaw forced conversions of retainers and commoners, that they had garrisoned the city of Nagasaki, and that they participated in the slave trade of other Japanese. He promulgated the Purge Directive Order to the Jesuits on July 24, 1587, which consisted of 11 articles, including a ban on missionaries and the selling of Japanese people to the Nanban (Portuguese).
The Tokugawa shogunate banned Christianity in 1620, and it ceased to exist publicly. Many Catholics went underground, becoming hidden Christians, while others died.
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The ban on Catholicism
In the 1540s, Christian missionaries, including Francis Xavier and the Jesuits, arrived in Japan and began their missionary activities. Despite initial success and gaining over 100,000 converts, including some powerful daimyōs, they faced resistance from the highest office holders in the country. Emperor Ōgimachi issued edicts banning Catholicism in 1565 and 1568, but these had little effect.
In 1587, imperial regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued the ""Bateren edict" (the Purge Directive Order to the Jesuits), banning Jesuit missionaries and repressing Christianity as a threat to national unity. This marked a significant turning point, and the Jesuits' commercial activities and influence over local rulers were viewed as a primary reason for the ban.
The Tokugawa shogunate further enforced the ban on Christianity in 1620, and it ceased to exist publicly. Many Catholics went underground, becoming "hidden Christians" (kakure kirishitan), while others were brutally tortured and killed for their faith. Despite the ban, some Christians resettled in remote areas like the Sotome coast, Kuroshima Island, and Hirado to practice their religion in secret.
During the Edo Period, the isolation of certain areas, such as Amakusa and the Shimabara Peninsula, allowed missionaries to continue their work before the ban was enforced. The Oura Catholic Church in Nagasaki, constructed during this period, catered to the city's foreign community.
It wasn't until the late 1800s, after the Meiji Restoration, that freedom of religion was introduced, and Christianity was re-established in Japan. The lifting of the ban led to the construction of numerous churches in previously hidden Christian communities.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholicism was first introduced to Japan by the Jesuits in the 1540s, led by Francis Xavier.
Catholicism was initially welcomed by some daimyos in Japan, who were offered trade and exotic gifts by the Jesuits. By 1579, there were about 130,000 converts. However, it soon met resistance from the highest office holders of Japan, including Emperor Ōgimachi, who issued edicts to ban Catholicism in 1565 and 1568.
As of 2021, there were approximately 431,100 Catholics in Japan, or 0.34% of the total population. The Catholic Church in Japan has 15 dioceses and 957 churches, and it is involved in religious education, with 828 Catholic educational institutions in the country.
