Martyrdom 1

Effects of Christianity on Japan

By BHuang
  • 1543

    Portuguese opened Trade Relations with Japan

  • 1547

    St. Francis Xavier meets with 3 Japanese at Malacca

  • 1548

    First Japanese Converts are accepted into Church

  • Period: 1548 to 1551

    St. Francis Xavier found Christian Communities

    Located in Kagoshima, Hirado, Yamaguchi and Funai (oita)
  • Aug 15, 1549

    St. Francis Xavier arrives to Japan

    As a missionary sent to Japan, St. Francis Xavier hoped to spread Catholic Christianity to other areas around the world including Japan. - Accompanied by Father Cosme de Torres and Brother John Fernadez.
  • 1551

    St. Francis Xavier departs

  • Period: 1556 to 1557

    Brother Luis d'Almeida establishes buildings

    Establishes Foundling homes and hopsitals
  • 1562

    Lord of Omura Baptized

  • Period: 1562 to 1563

    Missionaries sent to Different Regions

    Sent to Omura, Shimabara Peninsula, Goto and Amakusa Islands and Nagasaki
  • 1567

    Newly constructed Church in Kyoto

  • 1570

    30,000 Christians

    The rough estimate of the amount of Christians at this time
  • Period: 1579 to 1582

    Alessandro Valignano visits Japan as Jesuit visitor general

    Found Novitiate and college for spiritual and scientific training of Jesuits - ordered European missionaries to study Japanese language to better adapt.
  • Period: to

    300,000 Christians

    Rough estimate of the amount of Christians

  • Hideyoshi orders missionaries to leave Japan

  • 150,000 Christians

    Rough estimate of how many Christians in Japan

  • Christians to be put to death

    6 Franciscans, 3 Jesuits and 17 Japanese lay persons were put to death in Nagasaki after boat was stranded (Later martyred/canonized in 1862)

  • Christian lords urged to renounce their faith

    Many Christian lords abandoned their faith after 1600

  • Franciscans allowed to build church in Yedo

  • Many Churches rebuilt and 70,000 Converts added

  • Franciscans allowed to build church in Uraga

  • 140 Jesuits, 26 Franciscans, 9 Dominicans, 4 Augustinians and 400,000+ Christians

    Rough estimate of the number of Christians in Japan at this time

  • Christian Persecution edict

    Strong support for national religions of Buddhism and Shintoism
    All churches and missionaries ordered to be destroyed

  • Result of Christian Persecution edict

    Most missionaries had to leave
    37 priests remained
    4,000 Christians sacrifice their life for faith

  • Father Theodore Forcade - Paris Foreign Mission Society disembarks at Naha in Ryukyu Islands

  • Period: to

    U.S Navy induced Japan to open doors to foreigners

  • Period: to

    Paris Foreign Mission priests allowed to dwell in Yokohama, Hakodate and Nagasaki

  • Sisters of St. Maur come to Japan

  • First regional seminary for Japan established in Nagasaki

  • Pope Leo XIII establishes Japanese Hierarchy

  • Congragation for the Propagation of the Faith invites other religious institutes to send members to Japan

  • Franciscans return to Japan

  • Jesuits return to Japan

  • Kyoto Diocese - Notre Dame Women's College established by the School Sisters of Notre Dame from St. Louis

  • Pope John Paul II visits Japan