Christianinty in Japan                                    Source:1

The Portuguese landed in Japan in 1542, Christian missions began there with the arrival of Francis Xavier in 1549.

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1553&C=1365

Source: 2

Although facing many struggles, Chrisitianity helped and influenced many western ideals in Japan. Although said that It's Ideals were admirable, they were said to be to admirable for Japan.

Source 2

 Christianity had attracted the attention of National figures. The national unifier Oda Nobunaga favoured the missionaries and granted them generous concessions. This facilitated the missionaries to work in Japan. However, this policy was executed until 1587 when on realising the extent of Christian旧 influence in Kyushu, the ruler in Japan at this time stopped to favour missionaries and even ordered them to leave. Surprisingly, the number of Christians still increased and according to Stefan(1996), nearly 300,000 Japanese people had been converted to Christians at that time.

Christisanity began to attract many followers at this time. Partly due to Japan wanting portugese guns. The missionaries began go through Japan and teach the good news. This was stopped however in 1587 .

http://www.enoch-b.org/paper/christpaper2.htm

Source 4

Francis Xavier

This great saint was born in Navarre, at the castle of Xavier, eight leagues from Pampelona, in 1506.

Source: 4

Here St. Francis went into a village full of idolaters and preached Jesus Christ to them, but the inhabitants told him they could not change their religion without the leave of their lord. Their obstinacy, however, yielded to the force of miracles, by which God was pleased to manifest His truth to them.

Source 4

If one Daiymo did not accept the Jesuit, they were certain o be welcomd by thier neighborsOn the other hand the lack of politicl stability  resuting from from the kaleidoscopic changes of fortune in the civil wars exposed their establishments.

The christian century in Japan pg.42

Xavier was part of The Society of Jesus,This Jesuit society had many postions. If you were training to be in the society of Jesus, thiere were two main postions you studied, you were either a scholor or a temporal coadjutor.

The Christian century in Japan

pg.46

Source 4

The Jesuits and the samurai although different had similarities, , it was better for them to free themselves from worldy aattachments in order to further thier goal,The samurai was satified with sacrificing everything for the sake of his superior.

source 5

At that time, Christianity had attracted the attention of National figures. The national unifier Oda Nobunaga favoured the missionaries and granted them generous concessions. This facilitated the missionaries to work in Japan.

source 5

After the isolation period of Japan ended in the mid-19^th century, Westerner were again allowed to enter the Japan. According to Stefan(1996), missionaries activity was reintroduced to Japan in 1859. However, this had to be done under the teaching of English because Christianity was still outlawed in Japan.(P.9) In 1873, Meiji government withdraw religious sanctions but freedom of religion was not specifically granted. As David(1991), said until 1889, Meiji Constitution published.(P.163) This made the freedom of conscience guaranteed. At this time, missionaries worked hard to spread the Christians message via different methods.

source 5

n order to introduce Jesus and God to the Japanese people, missionaries did many things to enhance their work. For example, they established many schools, hospitals and institutes. They also introduced many western things and did many beneficial things to Japanese society. So, Christianity in earlier of Japan gave some impact on Japanese society. Now, let's talk about some of these influences.

source 7

Pegu in Burma was a trading centre on Arab trade routes until the fifteenth century and according to Cosmas there were Christians there in the sixth century. Marco Polo in AD 1278 found Nestorian Christians in the Chinese province of Yun-an which borders on Burma. According to Marco Polo, Burma was temporarily conquered by Kublai Khan in AD 1277 and 1283. It is difficult to know whether any Christian missionaries came to Burma from China at this time and any Christian influence was felt. Marco Polo tells the story of Ludovico di Varthema, a Bolognese, who traveled in South East Asia in AD 1503 or 1504 and tells of meeting in Bengal (India) Nestorian merchants from Siam.

source 7

The Sailendra period is one of the most important eras in the history of Southeast Asia. Buddhist art, inspired by the Mahayanism and Tanthrism of the Palas, reached a new peak. Indonesian civilization during the Sailendra period became a model for Southeast Asian countries. The Sailendras introduced a new kind of script, Devanagari, from northern India. built world famous monuments such as Lara Jonggrang and Borobudur, and gave Malaysia a new name, Kalinga. Whilst Mahayana Buddhism had its votaries at the court and amongst the governing classes, Saivism was prevalent amongst the common people. Whilst Borobudur represents the peak of Buddhist art in Indonesia, the temple of Lara Jonggrang at Prambanan is Saiva. (DR Singhal, India and World Civilization. Michigan State University Press, 1969, vol. II, p.142.)

Source 7

Trade and cultural influences between India and Indonesia and between other countries in Southeast Asia were at their peak during the Sailendra period (8th-11th). The Sailendrans maintained good relations with the Chola rulers of South India. Perhaps it was to this period we should look for the beginnings of Christianity in Indonesia. In this context, the observations made by John England are important.

source 7

arly Roman Catholics in the Philippines found old images that might have been Christian images of the pre-Catholic period. Some have argued that an earlier Nestorian presence must have been the reason for the rapid growth and widespread acceptance of Roman Catholic Christianity that followed it. But it is very difficult to verify historically these claims.

source 8

In the Korean territory at Kyungju, the ancient capital of unified Korea, the historian Kim Yang -Sun discovered what appears to be a stone cross being used by Buddhist monks at Pusoksa, Korea’s most famous temple, as a charm to aid in child birth. It is now kept in the Christian museum of Soomgsil university in Seoul. Moffett says that there is no way to date it or even to determine whether it is indeed an ancient Christian cross. (Ibid.)It is possible that Christianity existed in Korea at least from the tenth century.

source 8

In recent years. some have revived apocryphal stories of even less credible and mysterious traces of Nestorianism in Japan. One such story declares that after his resurrection Jesus was seen in Japan. ... Another tells of the coming of the Nestorian physician and some missionaries to Japan during the reign of Emperor Shomu (724-728)

http://www.religion-online.org/sho

 Source 8

THe three min points of the exclusion edict of 1635

The japanese were kept within japan's boundaries. Catholics were not allowed,and trade was rescricted.

Source 9,

The beging of Christianity in asia was in the 1500,this was due to Roman Catholic missionaries since the sixteenth century and of the Protestant missionaries from Europe and America since the nineteenth century

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1553&C=1365

source 9

The Portuguese landed in Japan in1542, Christian missions began at this time with the arrival of Francis Xavier in AD 1549.

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1553&C=1365

Source 10

In 1626 Christianity was completely banned in japan forcing any remaining chritians to hide.This made it hard for the Jesuits to preach the good news and gospelof Jesus Christ.ome Jesuits still remaine but were not able to openly preach the good news.

http://www.seiyaku.com/seiyaku/en/discussion/is-it-christian.html

Source 10

in the 17th century life was hard for many Jesuits, many were beaten, arrested and tortured and Japan stopped its trade with the rest of the world.hundreds of jesuits and christians. were arrested even after this period of silence by Japan was over.This didnt stop until around 1873- early20th century.

http://www.seiyaku.com/seiyaku/en/discussion/is-it-christian.html

Source 10

"In 1908 there were an estimated 960 Protestant missionaries in Japan and they helped establish schools and colleges. Along with trade unions (a western idea introduced by missionaries to help with some of the problems Japan faced during its early industrialisation), western style medicine, hospitals, sanatoriums and orphanages, were founded on western ideas. The association of Christianity with these institutions retained its foreign image."

http://www.seiyaku.com/seiyaku/en/discussion/is-it-christian.html

Source 11

Life of Francis Xavier:

"This great saint was born in Navarre, at the castle of Xavier, eight leagues from Pampelona, in 1506. His mother was heiress of the two illustrious houses of Azpilcueta and Xavier and his father, Don John de Jasso, was one of the chief counselors of state to John III d'Albert, king of Navarre."

http://www.catholic-saints.net/saints/st-francis-xavier.php

Source 11

Life of Francis Xavier:

Having studied philosophy for two years he became master of arts, then taught philosophy at Beauvais college, though he lived in that of St. Barbara.

http://www.catholic-saints.net/saints/st-francis-xavier.php

Source 11

Life of francis Xavier

St. Ignatius came to Paris in l528 with to finish his studies and after some time entered himself in the college of St. Barbara, where xavier was teaching. This holy man had conceived a desire of forming a society wholly devoted to the salvation of souls, it would later be called the Society of Jesus.

http://www.catholic-saints.net/saints/st-francis-xavier.php

Source 12

Jesuits were welcomed, Japanese warlord were ager to trade with the westerners.

http://www.reformation.org/jesuits-in-japan.html

Source 13

In order to Preach the gospel of Jesus and spread GOD's word missionaries set up school, nursing homes and hostpitals.

http://www.enoch-b.org/paper/christpaper2.htm

source 13

Many Japanese people and even some war Lords were attracted by western christian art wanted to learn more about it

http://www.enoch-b.org/paper/christpaper2.htm

Source 13

Missions began to build schools around 1582, this not only helped educate students it also taught japanese students the word of GOD.

http://www.enoch-b.org/paper/christpaper2.htm

Source 10

"At the end of the war in 1945, as part of the surrender, the US forced Japan to grant freedom of religion and this became part of the new Japanese Constitution."

http://www.seiyaku.com/seiyaku/en/discussion/is-it-christian.html

Source 10

"In 1596 a Spanish galleon, the San Felipe, was shipwrecked off the providence of Tosa. Hideyoshi ordered the ship and its goods confiscated. The angry Spanish captain, wishing to impress or intimidate the Japanese officials, indulged in some boasting how Spain had acquired a great world empire. For proof the captain showed the Japanese officials a map of all the great Spanish dominions. His astonished hearers asked how it had been possible for a nation to subjugate so many lands. The Spanish captain boasted that the Japanese would never be able to imitate Spain, simply because they had no Catholic missionaries."

http://www.reformation.org/jesuits-in-japan.html

Source 16

Christianity in Japan

Christian churches had a heavy influence all over Japan, one of the main influences wa school life, since christians ofered schooling for free, so even the most poverty stricken children could attend and hear the word of GOD.

Source 16

Christianity in Japan

Japans Russia helped christians to become more well liked in eastern communities, they built hostpitals, and many christians also supported the army.

Source 16

The influence of christianity has increased greatly, many people want Bibles in Japanes, they also wish to attend christian schools

Source 16

"Japan in becomming christian, the teachings of Christ and his character appeal directly powerfully to the japanese conscience and heart"

CHristianity in Japan

pg.39

Source 16

THe reasons for this vasttly increasing number of Chriistians in Japan, is because GOD's word brings hope, joy, and peace to this evolving society, it brings new ideal, and new spiritual standards

Christianity in Japan

pg 39-40

Source 17

The main opposition to the spreading of Christianity was that the Japanese goverment felt that christianity would it, although true, this made some japanese reluctant to convert, this also brought doubt to Missionaries

Source 9

THe overall influence Christianity had on Japan was a positive, the missionaries the missioanries did a lot for the social society, they built churches, nursing homes, centers. They helped everyone who wanted to learn or be healed and lastly the respected and treated everyone fairly.