World Cultural Heritage: Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki and Amakusa Region

The largest rebellion in Japanese history: the Shimabara- Amakusa rebellion

　The Shimabara- Amakusa rebellion in the southern part of the Shimabara Peninsula was the largest uprising during the Edo period, which broke out in1637 and ended in the following year. It was the final and desperate stand-off in a long struggle for survival among both peasants and Christians. The annual tributes under the reign of Shimabara’s feudal lord Matsukura had been set at much higher than the standard amount, which reduced the peasants’ lives to extreme poverty. This coincided with an intense and cruel crackdown on Japanese Christians who refused to abandon their faith after the Shogun had put a ban on Christianity in 1614. When a famine struck during the 14th year of Kanei, peasants, no longer able to bear the oppression, killed the local governors, prompting the people of Shimabara peninsula and Amakusa to stage a series of revolts. Rebels attacked Matsukura’s residence, Moridake Castle (Shimabara Castle), but failed to seize control. On the opposite bank, in the Amakusa region, a siege of Tomioka Castle took place.
Towards the end of the rebellion the main battlefield was at Hara castle, previously abandoned by the ‘law of one castle per province’. A total of about 37,000 rebels from the southern part of the Shimabara Peninsula and the Amakusa region fortified themselves in the castle. On the opposing side 120.000 troops of the Allied Forces of the Shogunate gathered to lay siege on the castle in an attempt to suppress the revolt. Three months into the siege, the rebels, weakened and exhausted by starvation, were eventually defeated by the Shogunate forces. Although some rebels escaped the castle to surrender, most of them died in this battle which also saw enormous losses in the Shogunate army.

The site of tragedy: Remains of Hara Castle

　Afraid of the influence of Christianity, the Shogunate thoroughly destroyed the stone walls remaining on the site of Hara Castle; the last fort of Shimabara- Amakusa rebellion. It was only in 1990 when archaeological excavations began and a large amount of human bones were found in the remains of the destroyed castle. Articles left by the deceased such as the crosses, medals, rosaries were also discovered. Since being recognized as World Cultural Heritage Site in July 2018, the site, part of what is now called ‘Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki and Amakusa Region’, is welcoming an increasing number of visitors and tourists.

The leader: Shiro Amakusa

Shiro Amakusa, a Christian during the early Edo period is considered to be the supreme leader of the rebels in the Shimabara Amakusa Rebellion and its last battle. His real name was Shiro Masuda and his posthumous name was Tokisada. The baptismal name was initially Jeronimo but was changed to Francisco at the time of the Shimabara Rebellion. He is now generally known as Amakusa Shiro. A statue of Shiro Amakusa was made by Seibo Kitamura, a representative sculptor of Japan born in Minami-Arima-cho in Minami-Shimabara. Eiji Oyamatsu, who is the sculptor of St. Mary’s of Hara Castle, visited Seibo Kitamura’s atelier when he was young and developed a close relationship with him.