Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan (日本二十六聖人)
The twenty-six Martyrs of Japan is 26 Catholics executed in Nagasaki City on February 5, 1597 by order of Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI. This was the first execution issued by the order of the person in the highest authority in Japan because they believed in Christianity. These 26 martyrs were canonized later by the Catholic Church and called "The Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan." The Twenty-six martyrs were all male, consisted of 20 Japanese, 4 Spanish, 1 Mexican and 1 Portuguese. This event is called "The martyrdom of the Twenty-Six Saints." The festival day is February 5.
Process
In those days, a succession of the following incidents occurred: Christian feudal lords and Christians set fire to temples and shrines and also persecuted Buddhist monks; or conversely, Christians were persecuted in the place where religious Buddhist feudal lords dominated. In addition to that, a slave-trade incident occurred in which missionaries and merchants sold Japanese people into slavery, which finally made Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI decide to issue the order expelling Jesuit missionaries. However, since Hideyoshi placed emphasis on the actual profit that he could receive from Japan's trade with Spain and Portugal, a great persecution was not executed at this point. The missionaries could continue their activities in Japan, actually in the way that their activities were overlooked, and the Japanese who became Christian did not officially forced to abjure their religion.
However, when the San Felipe Incident occurred in October, 1596, Hideyoshi issued the Ban on Christianity on December 8, 1596 again. Hideyoshi also thought that Franciscan's energetic activities were provocative against the Ban on Christianity and ordered to the Kyoto magistrate, Mitsunari ISHIDA, to arrest and execute all Franciscan members and Christians. The Franciscan members in the Twenty-six martyrs were the members of "the Alcantara group," one of whom, a Spanish man, St. Peter of Alcantara, arose a reform. A total of 24 people consisted of 7 Franciscan members, 14 followers of the Franciscan, and 3 people involved in the Society of Jesus were arrested in Osaka and Kyoto. Mitsunari tried to remove people involved in the Society of Jesus including Paul MIKI, but failed.
The 24 people had their left ears cut off on Ichijo Modori-bashi Bridge located at Horikawa-dori Street in Kyoto (Hideyoshi ordered to cut off their ears and noses) and were dragged through the city streets. On January 10, 1597, they were ordered to be executed in Nagasaki and departed from Osaka to Nagasaki on foot. In addition, Peter Sukejiro who was asked to go along with the members of the Jesuits to take care of them, and Francisco, a carpenter from Ise, who also took care of the Franciscan members were arrested. They did not refuse to sacrifice their lives for their own religious belief as Christians.
When the supervisor, Hanzaburo TERAZAWA, found 12-year old Louis IBARAKI among the party which arrived in Nagasaki after the journey in the coldest period of winter, he felt sorry and tried to save him by offering the condition that he should renounce his religion, but Louis politely turned down this offer. James KISAI and John of Goto made their profession in front of a Jesuit, Father Francisco Pasio, who came to hear their confessions, and gained admission to the Society of Jesus. When it was determined that the 26 martyrs would be executed on the hill of Nishizaka in Nagasaki instead of the execution ground where was usually used, the party was taken to the place. A curfew was imposed in Nagasaki City to avoid confusion, but more than 4000 people gathered there. Paul MIKI told his own religious belief to the people when he was facing his own death. It was around 10 in the morning when they were martyred by being pierced both sides of the body with the spear.
After their death, the bodies were divided by many people to send all over the world as the bodies of the first martyrs in Japan and revered. This is because Catholic Church had a tradition of respecting the bodies and relics (sacred relics) of martyrs. The Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan were more well known in Europe than in Japan in early-modern times, which is due largely to the reports written by the missionaries such as Luis FROIS. On June 8, 1862, they were canonized for saints by Pope Pius IX (pope) and added to the list of saints. In 1962, Twenty-six Martyrs Museum (designed by Kenji IMAI) and monument by the sculptor, Yasutake FUNAKOSHI were built on the hill in Nishizaka to commemorate the 100th anniversary of canonization.
Names of the Twenty-six Martyrs
(Here lists the names, starting from the right side of the monument for the Twenty-six Martyrs)
Francis of Ise
A Japanese carpenter. He accompanied the party to take care of the Franciscan members and arrested along the way.
Cosmas TAKEYA
He was 38 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Osaka.
Peter Sukejiro (or Pedro Sukejiro)
A Japanese who accompanied the party to take care of the Jesuits and arrested along the way.
Michael KOZAKI (or Miguel KOZAKI)
He was 46 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was father of Thomas KOZAKI.
James KISAI
He was 64 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Osaka. He was a Jesuit.
Paul MIKI
He was 33 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Osaka. He was a Jesuit.
Paul IBARAKI
He was 54 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a brother of Leo KARASUMARU.
John Soan of Goto (or John of Goto)
He was 19 years old Japanese. He was a Jesuit who was arrested in Osaka.
Louis IBARAKI.
He was 12 years old, the youngest Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a nephew of Paul IBARAKI and Leo KARASUMARU.
Anthony of Nagasaki
He was 38 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto. His father was Chinese and her mother was Japanese.
Peter BAPTIST (or Pedro BAUTISTA)
He was 48 years old Spaniard. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a Franciscan priest.
Martin of the Ascension
He was 30 years old Spaniard. He was arrested in Osaka. He was a Franciscan priest.
Philip of Jesus (or Felipe de Jesús)
He was 24 years old Mexican. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a Franciscan monk.
Gonzaro GARCIA
He was 40 years old Portuguese. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a Franciscan monk.
Francis BLANCO
He was 28 years old Spaniard. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a Franciscan priest.
Francis of St. Michael
He was 53 years old Spaniard. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a Franciscan monk.
Matthias
A Japanese who was arrested in Kyoto. Originally, his name was not on the arrestee list, but he was arrested simply because he had the same Christian name.
Leo KARASUMARU
He was 48 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto. He was a younger brother of Paul IBARAKI. He was an uncle of Louis IBARAKI.
Bonaventure
A Japanese who was arrested in Kyoto.
Thomas KOZAKI
He was 14 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Osaka.
He was a child of Michael KOZAKI
Joachim SAKAKIBARA (or Joaquín SAKAKIBARA)
He was 40 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Osaka.
Francisco, a physician.
He was 46 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto.
Thomas DANGI
He was 36 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto.
John KINUYA
He was 28 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto.
Gabriel
He was 19 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto.
Paul Suzuki
He was 49 years old Japanese. He was arrested in Kyoto.
The church devoted to the Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan
The Church of the Holy Japanese Martyrs (LA CHIESA DEI SANTISSIMI MARTIRI GIAPPONESI) (Civitavecchia, Italy)
Ouratenshu-do (Oura church) (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture)
Dozaki Church (Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture)
Twenty-six Martyrs Museum (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture), also called Nishizaka Church. It was designed by Kenji IMAI.
Honjo Church (Sumida Ward, Tokyo Prefecture)
Minokamo Catholic Church (Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture)