“Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake” (Luke 6:22 NKJV).

In the 1560s, Jesuit missionaries from Portugal introduced Christianity to Nagasaki, marking the beginning of a profound yet tumultuous journey for the faith in Japan. Despite the initial rapid growth of Christianity, ultimately swelling to some 500,000 believers, political authorities soon perceived it as a threat to the central government, leading to severe persecution. The crucifixion of 26 missionaries in Nagasaki was a grim harbinger of the suffering to come. By 1614, a nationwide ban on Christianity was imposed under the Tokugawa Shogunate, expelling, arresting, or executing foreign missionaries and thrusting Japan into a period of isolation.

A particularly harrowing practice during this time was the fumie, where residents were compelled to step on brass images of Christ or Mary to renounce their faith. Refusal resulted in torture or death, often through brutal methods designed to break their resolve. Despite these intense persecutions, a remnant of Christians survived. By the mid-19th century, when Japan reopened its borders, approximately 20,000 Christians emerged from hiding, their numbers having dwindled drastically.

Christian martyrs, from Stephen, stoned in Jerusalem to those persecuted in Japan, have sealed their faith with blood. The early disciples faced horrific deaths: Matthew, slain with a sword; Peter, crucified upside down; Bartholomew, flayed alive; and others meeting equally brutal ends. Their unwavering commitment echoes Christ’s words: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25 NKJV).

The blood of those martyrs in Japan, like the blood of the disciples, can be the seed for a new church. Their sacrifices sowed seeds of faith that, despite intense suppression, have endured and can blossom today. As Tertullian said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Join me in continuing their legacy, proclaiming God’s word to a people once forced into silence. Together, we can witness the blossoming of faith anew.

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