2014年09月18日
長崎教会群：英語で平戸・生月島
昨日、長崎と天草の教会群が世界遺産登録への日本政府の推薦が決まったというニュースが流れました。
長崎と天草、さらには日本の現存教会は明治政府の禁教令が解かれた明治6年（1873年）後、建てられました。それまでは禁教だったのでキリスト教会が存在するのは不可能でした。でも、ひそかにキリスト教信仰をを独自の形で続けた人たちがいました。長崎と天草の教会群はこの地域の長い長いカクレキリシタンの歴史と切っても切り離せないものがあります。
というわけで、そのなかの平戸と生月島の隠れキリシタンの歴史を英語で紹介させていただきます。
The History of Christianity in Hirado
Francisco Zabiel is the first missionary to introduce Christianity to Japan in 1549. He came to Hirado Island the following year. Since then, Portuguese vessels travelled to Hirado to trade and missionaries taught Christianity to the people living on Hirado Island. When Oomura Sumitada, the lord of Oumula (present-day Oomura city in Nagasaki prefecture), became a faithful Christian lord, Nagasaki city was made into a port city with the cooperation of the Portuguese and the Oomura Clan. Afterwards, a lot of missions visiting Nagasaki spread Catholic teachings to the people of Nagasaki and built many churches, schools and hospitals. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan, he outlawed Christianity in 1587. Missionaries were ordered to leave Japan. But some missionaries continued carrying out their missions. A remarkable event occurred in 1596; 26 Catholic people (4 missionaries and 22 Japanese believers) were executed in Nagasaki. The Tokugawa Shogunate also followed the precedent set by Hideyoshi’s policy. Even though most foreign missionaries were expelled from Japan, some missionaries hid while others never stopped coming to Japan in order to continue spreading Christianity. Tokugawa ruthlessly cracked down on efforts to spread Christianity. On October 15th, 1635, the Amakusa-Shimabara insurgency occurred. Both areas had a lot of Christians because the former lords of these areas were Christians. Almost all of the residents; no less than 37,000 people including kids, women, and the elderly; were killed by troops dispatched from various alliances of clans by order of Tokugawa. After this event, the Tokugawa Shogunate continued to severely persecute Christians. Officers had the huge responsibility of eradicating Christians within their territories. Officers forced them to abandon their Christian beliefs through acts of brutal torture. Some people were hanged upside down in a hole until they renounced their Christian beliefs.(called Ana Zuri in Japanese term) Authorities forced them to step on an icon of Jesus or Mary. ( called Fumie in Japanese term) Some of them refused to do so in observance of their beliefs. As a result, they were executed. For example, some were crucified and left for dead in the shallow sea.(called Suitaku in japanese term) Waves gradually washed over their bodies and faces…The authorities tried to show the local residents the fate of the Christians. Others chose to step on the images to prove that they were non-Christians. But they didn’t abandon their Christian beliefs in fact.
紐差教会
フランシスコ・ザビエル教会
History of Pesection against Chrischians
Initially, Matsura Takanobu, the lord of the Hirado Clan, reluctantly permitted Christianity to flourish to promote trade with Portugal. But when his son, Shigenobu, inherited the title of lord, he began persecuting Christians by executing Christians, exiling missionaries and abolishing churches. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan, he placed a ban on Christianity throughout Japan in 1587. In 1613, the Tokugawa Shogunate followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi's anti-Christian policies. Hirado was regarded by the Tokugawa Shogunate as being an area having a close relationship with Christianity. The Hirado Clan had to severely crack down on the Christians, otherwise they could be abolished by the Tokugawa Shogunate. So, the lords of the Hirado Clan built temples as evidence to prove that they were non-Christians.
田平教会
宝亀教会
Historical Background of Ikitsuki
Ikitsuki is a small island, which is located to the northwest of Hirado Island. Ikitsuki Island was a territory of the Hirado Clan. On Ikitsuki Island, there was a large Christian family called the Koteda family. This family patronized the missionaries and encouraged the Ikitsuki residents to convert to Christianity from their conventional religions: Buddhism and Shintoism. As a result, almost all of the residents became enthusiastic and faithful Christians. They built churches and a tall cross at Kurose no tsuji. According to a letter from Almaida (a Catholic monk), one day, more than one thousand Christians on Ikitsuki Island and the Portuguese formed a long procession. Wearing a circle of flowers on their heads and raising paintings of Mary, they marched and sang hymns throughout the island. Initially, Matsura Takanobu, the lord of the Hirado Clan, reluctantly permitted Christianity to flourish to promote trade with Portugal. But when his son, Shigenobu, inherited the title of lord, he began persecuting Christians. After the Koteda family escaped from this island, the missionaries were expelled, churches were destroyed, and many faithful Japanese Christians were executed. As a result, almost all of the Christians went into hiding. Many of the Christian martyrs have been worshiped as deities in a Shinto way.
山田教会 （生月）
written by Hiroto Ikeda （写真もずいぶん前ですが私が撮ってきました。）
長文、読んでくださりありがとうございます。今回の推薦決定を機に、長崎・天草の教会群めぐりもいいですね。私は特に五島に行ってみたいです。
長崎と天草、さらには日本の現存教会は明治政府の禁教令が解かれた明治6年（1873年）後、建てられました。それまでは禁教だったのでキリスト教会が存在するのは不可能でした。でも、ひそかにキリスト教信仰をを独自の形で続けた人たちがいました。長崎と天草の教会群はこの地域の長い長いカクレキリシタンの歴史と切っても切り離せないものがあります。
というわけで、そのなかの平戸と生月島の隠れキリシタンの歴史を英語で紹介させていただきます。
The History of Christianity in Hirado
Francisco Zabiel is the first missionary to introduce Christianity to Japan in 1549. He came to Hirado Island the following year. Since then, Portuguese vessels travelled to Hirado to trade and missionaries taught Christianity to the people living on Hirado Island. When Oomura Sumitada, the lord of Oumula (present-day Oomura city in Nagasaki prefecture), became a faithful Christian lord, Nagasaki city was made into a port city with the cooperation of the Portuguese and the Oomura Clan. Afterwards, a lot of missions visiting Nagasaki spread Catholic teachings to the people of Nagasaki and built many churches, schools and hospitals. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan, he outlawed Christianity in 1587. Missionaries were ordered to leave Japan. But some missionaries continued carrying out their missions. A remarkable event occurred in 1596; 26 Catholic people (4 missionaries and 22 Japanese believers) were executed in Nagasaki. The Tokugawa Shogunate also followed the precedent set by Hideyoshi’s policy. Even though most foreign missionaries were expelled from Japan, some missionaries hid while others never stopped coming to Japan in order to continue spreading Christianity. Tokugawa ruthlessly cracked down on efforts to spread Christianity. On October 15th, 1635, the Amakusa-Shimabara insurgency occurred. Both areas had a lot of Christians because the former lords of these areas were Christians. Almost all of the residents; no less than 37,000 people including kids, women, and the elderly; were killed by troops dispatched from various alliances of clans by order of Tokugawa. After this event, the Tokugawa Shogunate continued to severely persecute Christians. Officers had the huge responsibility of eradicating Christians within their territories. Officers forced them to abandon their Christian beliefs through acts of brutal torture. Some people were hanged upside down in a hole until they renounced their Christian beliefs.(called Ana Zuri in Japanese term) Authorities forced them to step on an icon of Jesus or Mary. ( called Fumie in Japanese term) Some of them refused to do so in observance of their beliefs. As a result, they were executed. For example, some were crucified and left for dead in the shallow sea.(called Suitaku in japanese term) Waves gradually washed over their bodies and faces…The authorities tried to show the local residents the fate of the Christians. Others chose to step on the images to prove that they were non-Christians. But they didn’t abandon their Christian beliefs in fact.
紐差教会
フランシスコ・ザビエル教会
History of Pesection against Chrischians
Initially, Matsura Takanobu, the lord of the Hirado Clan, reluctantly permitted Christianity to flourish to promote trade with Portugal. But when his son, Shigenobu, inherited the title of lord, he began persecuting Christians by executing Christians, exiling missionaries and abolishing churches. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan, he placed a ban on Christianity throughout Japan in 1587. In 1613, the Tokugawa Shogunate followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi's anti-Christian policies. Hirado was regarded by the Tokugawa Shogunate as being an area having a close relationship with Christianity. The Hirado Clan had to severely crack down on the Christians, otherwise they could be abolished by the Tokugawa Shogunate. So, the lords of the Hirado Clan built temples as evidence to prove that they were non-Christians.
田平教会
宝亀教会
Historical Background of Ikitsuki
Ikitsuki is a small island, which is located to the northwest of Hirado Island. Ikitsuki Island was a territory of the Hirado Clan. On Ikitsuki Island, there was a large Christian family called the Koteda family. This family patronized the missionaries and encouraged the Ikitsuki residents to convert to Christianity from their conventional religions: Buddhism and Shintoism. As a result, almost all of the residents became enthusiastic and faithful Christians. They built churches and a tall cross at Kurose no tsuji. According to a letter from Almaida (a Catholic monk), one day, more than one thousand Christians on Ikitsuki Island and the Portuguese formed a long procession. Wearing a circle of flowers on their heads and raising paintings of Mary, they marched and sang hymns throughout the island. Initially, Matsura Takanobu, the lord of the Hirado Clan, reluctantly permitted Christianity to flourish to promote trade with Portugal. But when his son, Shigenobu, inherited the title of lord, he began persecuting Christians. After the Koteda family escaped from this island, the missionaries were expelled, churches were destroyed, and many faithful Japanese Christians were executed. As a result, almost all of the Christians went into hiding. Many of the Christian martyrs have been worshiped as deities in a Shinto way.
山田教会 （生月）
written by Hiroto Ikeda （写真もずいぶん前ですが私が撮ってきました。）
長文、読んでくださりありがとうございます。今回の推薦決定を機に、長崎・天草の教会群めぐりもいいですね。私は特に五島に行ってみたいです。
