Christian Group Wants Native Tribe Brought to Justice for Death of Missionary John Chau

[yuiyoshida]

39. Japan must be the only country that threw CHRISTIANS out of their country

Persecution under the Shogunate
Main articles: Martyrs of Japan and Kakure Kirishitan
Under Hideyoshi and the succeeding Tokugawa shogunate, Catholic Christianity was repressed and adherents were persecuted. During these times, many Christians were killed in Japan, some by crucifixion; most famously, the twenty-six martyrs of Japan were tortured and crucified on crosses outside Nagasaki to discourage Christianity in 1597. Following a brief respite as Tokugawa Ieyasu rose to power and pursued trade with the Portuguese powers, there were further persecutions and martyrdoms in 1613, 1630, and 1632.

By this point, after the Shimabara Rebellion, the remaining Christians had been forced to publicly renounce their faith. Many continued practicing Christianity in secret, in modern times becoming known as the "hidden Christians" (隠れキリシタン kakure kirishitan). These secret believers would often conceal Christian iconography in closed shrines, lanterns or inconspicuous parts of buildings. For example, Himeji Castle has a Christian cross on one of its 17th-century roof tiles, in place of a mon, indicating that one of its occupants was a secret Christian.[32]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Japan

Today in Japan the Christian population remains under 1% while most Japanese remain Shinto-Buddhists because as one Japanese told me, that to become Christian is considered bad luck in Japan, and Japanese are very superstitious.

Most Christian missionaries are totally frustrated with Japan, and have learned time and time again, that this is a society that won't be threatened or baited by the concepts of Christianity.