Hidden Christians: notes of catholicism in Japan

Abstract

Catholicism in Japan has always been a minority. Since the arrival of the Jesuit San Francisco Javier to the Japanese archipelago in 1549, practitioners of the religion with the most faithful of the planet have lived at a difficult crossroads. Their persecution for centuries caused the appearance of the so-called “hidden Christians”, Japanese who adopted artistic formulas and experiences of the archipelago while maintaining their Catholic faith. The evolution of these Christians in a complex society
such as Japan and the importance of the Catholic communities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who received the visit of Pope Francis in November 2019, are also reflected in these notes on Japanese Catholicism.