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Photos from Shimabara
Our group was allowed to see and take pictures in the museum inside of Shimabara castle. The museum has exhibits from the different time periods of Shimabara's history. Show here are the swords and scabbard of a samurai from Shimabara.
Samurai armor was also on display. These are the weapons and armor that would have been used by the samurai during the rebellion in 1637.
Here is a fumie, used to draw out Christians every New Years Day. Every one in an area would have to stamp on an image of Christ or Mary to prove they were not Christians.
The very visible crosses on these weapons were commissioned by a christian samurai.
This pottery was also commissioned by christian, most likely by a samurai.
Here is another Fumie.
These are small symbols used by hidden Christians much like the Maria Canon. They looked like buddhist images but held different significance for the Christians.
These are christian's graves just our side of Shimabara castle.
This pillar notes that they are christian graves.
This is a shot of our group in front of the Shimabara Castle that has the museum inside. You can see the pillar and graves to the left of us.
We then went to Shimabara Catholic Church to hear more about the history of christianity in Shimabara.
The inside of the church itself was unique. The circular layout and art work were different from any other churches we stopped at during our study.
This is a replica of a fumie. Fumie were tools of spiritual torture. They were first used in 1626; every New Years Day everyone was forced to step on an image of Christ or Mary to prove they were not Christians. In some one refused to step on they and they family were put to death. The hidden Christians used a special prayer to ask forgiveness each time they were forced to step on the fumie.
The stain glass tell the story of Christianity in Shimabara. It starts with birth of Christ.
Depicted here is Christianity coming to Shimabara with Father Alessandro Valignano and Luis Almeida. With the work of Valignano Arima became the center of Japanese Christian culture. He used his knowledge of medicine to help people and taught not only religion but also music gymnastics japanese history, culture and literature were taught. He shared the most advanced studies from Europe.
In the 1580's four young seminarians went on the first diplomatic mission from Japan to Europe. The four young men are seen here.
The story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. In this story Jesus prepares for his own death. This scene offers a poignant comparison to the preparations martyrs in Shimabara made.
The Golden age of Christianity in Japan was not to last for ever. We can see people watching their friends and loved ones be forced to renounce their faith or be drowned in the Arima river.
This scene shows christians being burned at the stake along the Arima river. We can see a woman on the left whose son ran to her as she burned. Her hand and face are raised to heaven.
This window shows the Martyrdom of Paulo Uchibori and other faithful being lead to Unsen to be torture in the hot springs and thrown off cliffs.
The last window shows Christ in more of a typical portrayal with the Japanese people in the Marriage Banquet with the Resurrected Christ.
This flag is a recreation of the flag of the Shimabara rebellion. It depicts two angels worshipping the Eucharist. It says in Portuguese, "Praised be the most holy sacrament."
This statue on the outside of the church depicts Paul Uchibori youngest son the age of five who showed no sign of pain when his hands were maimed. All of Paul's children had all but their thumbs and pinkies removed because the in the soldier's eyes Christians were less than animals so they should have less fingers than animals.
Another statue portrays Valignano helping the sick.
From the Church we went to the ruins of Hara Castle, the site of the Shimabara rebellion. We were lead by Shinji Matsumoto the historian in charge of the excavation hara castle and running Hara Culture Center. Mr. Matsumoto show us around the excavation and the culture center.
Some areas just look like fields, others have masonry or even bones of people killed in the rebellion.
Here are bones at the excavation.
Mr. Matsumoto explains the various parts of the excavation and significant parts of each.
Here is our group in front of a statue of the leader of the Shimabara Rebellion, 16 yearold Shio Tokisada.
Many of the rebels placed crosses and medals images of Mary in there mouths so if they died the governments troops wouldn't know to strip them of these sacred symbols. This picture shows teeth around a medal.
Here is a cross next to what looks to be a jaw bone.
At the Hara Culture Center we were able to see much of what had been recovered at the excavation. Here is some pottery that was recovered at Hara. The porcelain plates were found in the main enclosure of the Hara Castle ruins. This porcelain was made in the kilns of Jingdezhen in China between 1590 and 1630. The characters on the middle of the plate saying tenka ichi meaning number one under heaven. During the warring state period this was a favorite phrase of generals like Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During that time there was a system of checks in place that ensured that only generals could use this phrase. After Hideyoshi's death the upper class could used it as well. The Tokugawa Shogunate outlawed the use of tenka-ichi once again in 1682.
Here are other pieces of porcelain that were fired in the Jigndezhen kilns in the Jianxi provence in China. That pottery district provided the royal court of China with it's porcelain and was a stand out in China in the industry. The existence of this pottery speaks to the prosperity of the region and the amount of trade going on in Arima.
Here are many of the medals recovered from the excavation.
This is one of the crosses found. It is said that the rebels would melt down the bullets that were shot at them by the government troops and fashion them into crosses.
Here are some of those same bullets and possible a cross made of some.
This is one of the more stunning pieces in the centers collection. It is an ornately decorated cross with intricate details all over. It also has volume which shows even more craftsmanship.
Many remains were found at Hara Castle. The government troops killed 37,000 people once they were able to gain the upper hand. Here are some of the skulls and other remains found. You can see on some, the trauma sustained.
Here is one of the canon balls used by the Dutch. The Dutch were commissioned by the Bakufu to cut of the rebels food supplies and help crush the rebellion. Dutch ships bombarded the castle and cut off the rebels. With no food or water the rebel couldn't last any longer. The government troops burned the castle to the ground and took apart much of its masonry. They also killed all of the rebels including women and children. For the next 250 years Christians were forced to flee and hide horrible punishments and tortures because of their beliefs.
Here is a larger collection of bullets from the rebellion.
After the Hara Culture Center we went to see some sacred spaces for hidden Christians in Shimabara.
Copyright © 2006 Brendan Eagan