In this research, I am going to argue that internal political influences during the Tokugawa period have greatly affected the appeal of Christianity in the Japan, and that these internal political influences has led into threats to Christianity which has contributed to the significant reduction of the foreign contacts. This study presumes that the history of the Karuke Kirishitan or the Hidden Christians has contributed significantly to the country s culture and religion.
Christianity in Japan officially began when St. Francis Xavier arrived on the shores of Kagoshima this led to the Christian Century, which is ninety years of Christianity in Japan. The building of Christian churches resulted in the destruction of Buddhist temples and involved the burning and casting into sea of various Buddhist artifacts. This led to various rifts between the Buddhist and the Christians communities (Turnbull 29). The differences between Buddhism and Christianity were certainly going to create rifts, since Christianity preaches that other forms of religion are heretic, there is a heaven and hell, and that not everyone will be saved (Mason and Caiger 102).
When Tokugawa Ieyasu reigned over Japan, he permitted Christian missionaries to preach in Japan for they were able to bring commerce along with them. However, when the missionaries began preaching about the equality of all men before God, this did not please Ieyasu for he saw that preaching about equality violated his promotion of the feudal caste system in Japan apart from this, the feudal caste system was what he was using to control his various subjects under the Samurai (Nosotro).
Eventually, Ieyasu decided to deport the missionaries and conducted a brutal persecution of all those who believed in the Christian faith. This persecution resulted in around 3,000 martyrs among the 300,000 Japanese who believed in Christianity. Since Ieyasu feared that Christianity may defeat his purpose, he ordered everyone to register themselves at a Buddhist temple and closed all of Japan s ports to international trade to prevent Christianity from entering the country (Nosotro). Apart from this, Ieyasu believed that the Christians were working for and supporting his political rivals, the Toyotomi force. He saw that by eliminating the Kirishitan, he would be ultimately preventing the Toyotomi force s return to power (Higashibaba 138). After Christianity was banned and Ieyasu closed all of Japan s ports, Japan shunned the rest of the world for the next 250 years (OMF International).
However, according to Stephen Turnbull, from 1614 to 1873 Japan, there were underground communities who believed in the Christian faith amidst the risk of persecution (1). These communities were the forerunners of the Kakure Kirishitan or the Hidden Christians. Although the government was intent on establishing absolute control over its people, the Kakure Kirishitan held onto their faiths ( Christianity ).
This topic holds my interest for this will enable me to determine the various related aspects that led Japan to close itself to the world. It may seem that the answer is that Christianity pushed Japan to close itself however, I want to be able to determine the underlying factors that pushed Japan into that historical event. Apart from determining the effects of Christianity on the Japanese society, I also aim to determine what happened to the Kakure Kirishitan community when they began to re-emerge sometime in the 1860s.
This research will rely on various related literature such as books and studies. Since the research is about an analysis of a historical event in Japan, the researcher will mostly use secondary sources although primary sources will be highly appreciated, the researcher deems it unrealistic to assume that primary sources are to be found readily within the country. Since the research is an analysis, the researcher will rely on historical accounts of the event and would conduct rigorous research as to determine the accuracy of said accounts.
Christianity in Japan officially began when St. Francis Xavier arrived on the shores of Kagoshima this led to the Christian Century, which is ninety years of Christianity in Japan. The building of Christian churches resulted in the destruction of Buddhist temples and involved the burning and casting into sea of various Buddhist artifacts. This led to various rifts between the Buddhist and the Christians communities (Turnbull 29). The differences between Buddhism and Christianity were certainly going to create rifts, since Christianity preaches that other forms of religion are heretic, there is a heaven and hell, and that not everyone will be saved (Mason and Caiger 102).
When Tokugawa Ieyasu reigned over Japan, he permitted Christian missionaries to preach in Japan for they were able to bring commerce along with them. However, when the missionaries began preaching about the equality of all men before God, this did not please Ieyasu for he saw that preaching about equality violated his promotion of the feudal caste system in Japan apart from this, the feudal caste system was what he was using to control his various subjects under the Samurai (Nosotro).
Eventually, Ieyasu decided to deport the missionaries and conducted a brutal persecution of all those who believed in the Christian faith. This persecution resulted in around 3,000 martyrs among the 300,000 Japanese who believed in Christianity. Since Ieyasu feared that Christianity may defeat his purpose, he ordered everyone to register themselves at a Buddhist temple and closed all of Japan s ports to international trade to prevent Christianity from entering the country (Nosotro). Apart from this, Ieyasu believed that the Christians were working for and supporting his political rivals, the Toyotomi force. He saw that by eliminating the Kirishitan, he would be ultimately preventing the Toyotomi force s return to power (Higashibaba 138). After Christianity was banned and Ieyasu closed all of Japan s ports, Japan shunned the rest of the world for the next 250 years (OMF International).
However, according to Stephen Turnbull, from 1614 to 1873 Japan, there were underground communities who believed in the Christian faith amidst the risk of persecution (1). These communities were the forerunners of the Kakure Kirishitan or the Hidden Christians. Although the government was intent on establishing absolute control over its people, the Kakure Kirishitan held onto their faiths ( Christianity ).
This topic holds my interest for this will enable me to determine the various related aspects that led Japan to close itself to the world. It may seem that the answer is that Christianity pushed Japan to close itself however, I want to be able to determine the underlying factors that pushed Japan into that historical event. Apart from determining the effects of Christianity on the Japanese society, I also aim to determine what happened to the Kakure Kirishitan community when they began to re-emerge sometime in the 1860s.
This research will rely on various related literature such as books and studies. Since the research is about an analysis of a historical event in Japan, the researcher will mostly use secondary sources although primary sources will be highly appreciated, the researcher deems it unrealistic to assume that primary sources are to be found readily within the country. Since the research is an analysis, the researcher will rely on historical accounts of the event and would conduct rigorous research as to determine the accuracy of said accounts.
No comments:
Post a Comment