Christianity in Japan

Although you see countless Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in almost any direction that you look in Japan, the experience of living here quickly dispels the initial belief that Japanese people must be deeply religious. Apart from the various festivals and events that originate at these shrines and temples, and the celebration of the New Year, visits to the local shrine to seek spiritual guidance for one's life are quite rare. And visits to major shrines and temples such as Meiji Jingu in Tokyo, Ise shrine in Mie, Izumo Taisha in Shimane, Kiyomizu temple and Heian shrine in Kyoto, and Kasuga shrine and Todaiji temple are often tourist oriented, rather than for a significant religious reason. I think it is fair to say that the day to day philosophies that contemporary Japanese live their lives by are not derived from any inherent deep religious belief. In fact, Japanese people today may well be justifiably suspicious of organised religions in general, given the effect the attempt to create a State Shintoism had during the Meiji period. It led to a fairly rabid Nationalism, which in turn took them into several armed conflicts, ultimately resulting in their entry into World War 2 (organised religions and war have a historical habit of going hand in hand).

Oura Catholic church in Nagasaki. Built in 1864, at the very end of the Tokugawa period. It was exclusively for foreigners to worship in, and is now a major tourist attraction for Japanese and foreign visitors to Nagasaki.

This may be part of the reason as to why Christianity has not become popular in Japan, although many attempts have been made to establish and expand it. Like shrines and temples, you do see significant Christian churches in Japan, but they are more visited as tourist destinations, rather than places of Christian worship. Of course there are worshipping Christians in Japan, who use these facilities as a major part of their lives. But Christians make up less than one percent of the population, and there has been no significant increase to that in recent times, even though freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed.

Nagasaki and Hakodate, where Western influence in Japan was very strong (see article here on Meiji Architecture) have some architecturally interesting and beautiful Christian churches, which many, many Japanese people visit as tourists. Everybody knows the rebuilt Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki, but its real claim to fame is that the original was totally destroyed by the atomic bomb, being very close to the epicenter. Parts of the original building are on display as historic relics of the bomb. Much older, and also historically very significant, is the Oura Church near Glover garden in Nagasaki. It was built at the very end of the Edo period, in 1864, and was exclusively for the foreign merchants and their families living in Nagasaki. It was still forbidden for Japanese to practice Christianity until 1872, four years after the Meiji restoration.

Hakodate Episcopal church, Roman Catholic church, and the Russian Orthodox church.

Hakodate has an assembly of Christian churches on the hill in the Motomachi district, also the site of many other significant Western buildings. The Russian Orthodox church, the Motomachi Roman Catholic church, the Hakodate Episcopal church and the Uniting Church of Christ all sit within a stone's throw of each other. And several of them are of sufficient architectural interest to attract many Japanese visitors. Of course, they all have their own parishioners, but numbering nothing like the tourists that come to look.

There are Christian churches in many towns and cities in Japan; especially in Kyushu. But as an example of numbers, there is one small Catholic church in Saga, where I live, but at the very least several thousand Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.         

Small, local church in Saga city, Kyushu

And there are Christian schools and universities, but their presence is very minor, compared  to non-denominational educational institutions. And Japanese students attend them, not for the religion they offer, but to do a specialized course that they might offer, or just simple because they can pay to go there, and they may not have secured a place in a notable non-denominational university. Their role in the Christian university's religious activities is usually very minor.

Interestingly, in recent years many young Japanese couples get married in a Western style, mock Christian wedding ceremony. They bride dresses in the traditional Western white wedding dress, and the groom in a tux.  They use a Christian style chapel, in or attached to the wedding hotel they contract to do the wedding. The 'priest' , a hotel employee, often a foreigner, and sometimes an English teacher, moonlighting and also licensed to perform weddings, conducts a Christian-like service in English and Japanese, dressed in formal priestly robes. But there is no real religious significance to the ceremony, and no ongoing Christian indoctrination. Rather, it just represents the ongoing contemporary love affair with all things Western by young Japanese.

Many young couples get married in Christian style chapels. They are usually not places of worship, but are attached to wedding hotels, and are exclusively for weddings. Brides dress in white wedding gowns, and the 'priests' are in priestly robes, although the chances that they are true ministers of religion are very slim.

The history of Christianity in Japan is very interesting, and quite bloody. Which of course is another reason for its failure to take hold, but given that religious freedom has been guaranteed now for a long time (well over 120 years), it is not the major reason, in my opinion. But it is a history worth looking at.

Francis Xavier, a founding member of the Jesuit order, arrived in Kagoshima, on the southern island of Kyushu,  in 1549. His great ambition was to evangelize Japan. He established a mission in Kagoshima, and baptized about 100 people , but he died in 1552. By 1579, largely assisted by the arrival of the Portugese in Japan (Nagasaki),  there were about 100, 000 Christians, most of them in Kyushu, and six regional lords had converted. At first, Toyotomi Hideyoshi didn't take this new religion very seriously, being more interested trade with the Portugese, who had introduced guns into Japan, with which his predeccesor, Nobunaga had firmly established his power.

But when Hideyoshi suspected that the foreign missionaries were influencing the Japanese politically, he banned Christianity (1587). His edict was not initially enforced, but in 1597 he rounded up 26 Japanese and foreign Christians, and in a fit of ironically inspired pique, using illustrations from their missals as a guide, had them crucified along the beach in Nagasaki. Hideyoshi died one year later, and in 1603 the Tokugawa Shogunate was founded.

Monument to the 26 executed Christians in Nagasaki.

The foreign and Japanese Christians might have thought this would be the end of their persecution, but the second Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, issued directives in 1612 to restrict Christianity, and then, in 1614, banned it nationwide. The persecution of Christians intensified across Japan, which resulted in many killings, and ultimately in the expulsion of all Portugese from Japan, and the banning of Portugese shipping.

A model of Dejima, the Dutch enclave in Nagasaki. although trade with the Dutch continued after the Portugese were banished from Japan, they were confined to this area of Nagasaki. This model of Dejima is part of a new tourist complex in Nagasaki.

Trade with the Dutch continued, but was restricted to Nagasaki. The Dutch, being Protestant, were thought to be less of a threat than the Catholic Spanish or Portugese, primarily because their main interest was perceived as trade, and they seemed less inclined to meddle in politics, or attempt conversions. Japan remained closed to all other Western foreigners, and Japanese were forbidden from traveling abroad. It wasn't until after the Meiji restoration that the persecution ceased, and Christians were finally free to practice their religion.

Although their numbers have increased, and new Christian churches and educational institutions have been established, Japanese people have not really taken to Christianity. It does not seem to fit well with their belief in harmony with nature, an adherence to Confucianism, and the acceptance of the polytheism of Shinto and Buddhism.

RK

More information on Christian history here

Comments

[Higuma]

Nicely done Ray... Of note - the Anglican schooled Episcopalian Priest in Hakodate is a friend and University classmate of my Wife when they both attended Hokusei University here in Sapporo... Shimozawa-san is a really nice guy and his wife is rather charming... If you get there again I will introduce you - he speaks very good English but I can tell you that - as an Anglican - the service is a little over the top for me...

Even smaller world...

Cheers

[Ray Kinnane]

Thanks for visiting and commenting, Higuma. The church is wonderful, and great to photograph. I'm sure I will get to Hokkaido again - I have already checked out how long it takes by TRAIN. But it is too beautiful not to do it again.

I'm not at all religious - but I find the history of Christianity as a part of colonization fascinating. I think Japan probably did well to largely avoid it.

Ray Kinnane

[Bev Mackey]

Found your website while researching Christianity in Japan. Love it and will have to read it all. Had the great adventure to visit Japan 14 years ago and it was a highlight of my life. Thanks for this site.

Thanks Bev. Please enjoy it, and thanks for visiting. I'm sorry that I haven't written any new stories for a while, but now that I know you are visiting, I will get to writing more, starting this weekend! I need to throw off my laziness!

Ray

[larry jacques]

Ray, enjoyed roarfish. If possible, I'd appreciate any insight you may have regarding a picture. It is approx. 11 by 17 inches. It is relatively old; perhaps silk screened.It is a picture of a statue of Mary and baby Jesus. In very nice English script it says: " At this statue the descendents of the ancient Christians of Nagasaki were discovered on March 17th, 1865." Below is Japanese script. Thank you. Great site.

[Ray Kinnane]

Hi Larry. Sorry for taking dso long to reply to you, but I have been away for awhile, and just found your comment yesterday.

I'm sorry, but I don't know much about the history of the 'hidden Christians' in Nagasaki. I do remember reading that when the ban Christianity was lifted at the time of the Meiji restoration (very close to the date on your picture), a discovery of a group of hidden Christians was made at Urekami, Nagasaki. So your picture could be about that. Do some googling on hidden Christians, and Urekami (the site of the Atom Bomb park), and you may find a better source of information. Sorry I am not much help!

Ray Kinnane

[Karen Temple Beamish]

Hey Ray - Just got back from Japan on Friday. Now its Tuesday and am still reeling from a once in a lifetime adventure hosted by the Japanese Government, a program called the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. I am writing a blog myself for the first time and just wanted to compliment you. I was doing just a little research to make sure I had a few facts straight and came across your blog. What a treat. Muchos Gracias from New Mexico.

[Cleto]

"(organised religions and war have a historical habit of going hand in hand)"

You really thought this was necessary to mention ? Talk about stating the obvious. So how do you really feel about organized religion and war ?

[marty]

a few years back, I read an article in the Asahi Shimbun about a book that was written by an Armenian man. I was based on his research of Christianity in Japan. I believe the book was called something like "Japan, land of the cross" I haven't been able to find this book anywhere. Have you heard of it?

[Ray Kinnane]

No, Marty. Sorry. Have you tried 'googling' it, to see if you can find the title and publisher?

Ray Kinnane