The history of the Christian in Goto

I introduce the history of the Christian of this island.at first. Christian of this island into two phases.
The first phases begins in a Portuguese missionary”RUIS-ARUMEIDA”comes to Goto by the request of the 18th Goto feudal lord in 1566, and having worked on propagation.

He was not only the propagator but also an excellent doctor. Why did Goto feudal lord request him?

Because the feudal lord and his son had a disease. Especially his son had a peculiar disease what is called Hansen disease . They forgave propagation activity in a reward to have a disease treatment.

The 19th feudal lord becomes a Christian. He was the only Christian feudal lord in the Goto feudal lords.

This is a important point in history. Many feudal lords forgave Christian propagation activity in those days.
It was not from pure faith.. They wanted Western advanced medical technology and profit by the trade
with them.
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The then propagation activity was that” Propagation”, “Western medicine” and “Trade” were one set.However, the general people had pure faith.　As a result, about 2,000 people is baptized and becomes a Christian in this island.
But, the Christian of this island disappears by severe oppression and persecution afterwards.

The second phase begins in Oomura feudal lord of Nagasaki having moved 108 farmers to this island by the request of the Goto feudal lord in 1979 about 210 years ago.

Why did the Oomura feudal lord of Nagasaki send a farmer into this island?
Why did the Goto feudal lord request it for an emigrant?.

Because Oomura land was poor, small, and over-population, they was forced to kill a newborn baby what is called “MABIKI” in Japanese.
MABIKI means that The crowded many vegetables can not grow greatly. Therefore, they had to pull up some vegetables.

On the other hand, in this island, the land was large, but it was stormy and needed a reclamation farmer.
So interest of both feudal lords accorded.
It was 108 people first. However, about 3,000 moved afterwards.
And, in fact, they were Christians. However, outwardly they pretended to be a Buddhist.

Because the then government did not accept Christianity. They forbade strictly.
The Christian teaching was against a thought of the government.

And, it is about 210 years from the time It was not allowed for them to gather. It was not allowed for them to pray aloud in public. However, they continued keeping their faith from a parent to a child and child to a grandchild secretly.

Now a Christian living in Goto is a descendant at that time . About 10,000 live. The total population of Goto is about 67,000. The ratio for the population of Goto is about 15%.
It is the highest ratio in all over Japan. (The Christian ratio of the all over Japanis about 1%.)

By the way, in the last years of the Edo era, Oura Catholic Church of Nagasaki was built for the French. And several Christians went to this church secretly from Goto island.
They received a doctrine from a father and were awakened to a Christian true doctrine for the first time.

The Christian awakened to a true doctrine returned to Goto island. And they taught another hiding Christian in Goto island a true doctrine.
Many hiding Christians who had woken announced to a government official. I am a Christian

In fact the government official have already known that they were Christian. from before.
But, government official permit tacitly because they did not announce that it was a Christian.

However, government official could not but arrest them because they announced "I am a Christian."
In 1868, severe persecution, oppression, torture begin. It was really miserable

9 years old boy standing in the sea of the snowing winters　 Sit down on a triangular tree and ride a big stone on the knee Torture by water Torture by fire.

The most miserable persecution case happened in a neighboring island HISAK island.
200 Christians were shut in about 20 square meters room for eight months

They cannot move hands and feet freely so that crowd is in a state.
There was the person that a body was bid up because the room was small, and a foot did not reach the floor.

The room does not have the restroom; followed it, and was extremely insanitary. 　The meal is one slice of potato in morning and evening They were hungry 　They felt thirsty 　　

The room was extremely insanitary An old man and a child died first　.A little child died while tearing a face of mother while crying."Give me water" Eight months passed, and 42 people died in this way.

When the people who survived returned to the house, the household effects and the farm implement were plundered the villager of entirely.　

The Japanese Government could not but remove prohibited religion law by the pressure of many foreign countries

About Ishida Castle

This castle was built by Goto feudal lord in 1863.near the end of the Edo era.
The construction of this castle needed 20,000 Ryo expenses, time of 15 years, the staff of a total of 50,000..

This is the newest castle in Japan and the only one to be surrounded entirely by sea on three side of the castle wall.

Around this time , European Black ships frequently appeared around the waters of this island. This castle was built to protect it from those attack, and to keep them out.

The Edo era was over five years later since it was built.
And unfortunately this castle was dismantled, and the headquarters of the army was built
Then US headquarters was built after Ｔhe Ｗorld Ｗar Ⅱ.

Goto senior high school is built now in the ruins.
And there is the retired person mansion of the feudal lord in the neighbor, and the descendant of the feudal lord lives.

Next is about An envoy to the Tang(China) Dynasty.
To be continued !