Christianity and its Reception in Japan Essay -- Jesuit Missionaries,

During the fifthteenth century the Western religion of Christianity began to spread across the knowledge base through the influence of European powers such as Portugal and Spain. In 1549 the flyspeck island nation of lacquer was first ex comprise to Christianity in the form of Jesuitical missionaries, which included the affluent Saint Francis Xavier of Spain. Japan, up to this time, had always been an isolated artless and this was applied towards its traditional cultural values as well, shunning outlander influences without a second thought. Through Xaviers efforts however, Christianity was able to create a self-colored foundation in spite of its foreign nature. From its point of arrival in 1549 Christianity enjoyed a peaceful and gradual growth, until 1597, when Japans then de facto military leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, ordered the suffering of some twenty-six Christians in an outburst of anger (Spae 5). From here on the Japanese government began a series of persecution agains t Christianity and its followers within Japan, at long last cultivating into a bloody rebellion, and near massacre, in the Shimabara providence in 1639, and the eventual(prenominal) banning of all things Christian alongside a re-isolation of the country. This raises the question why was the religion of Christianity met with such resentment by the Japanese government? To execute the question, one must understand the circumstance and history of foreign border in Japan, while also being aware of the political built in bed within the country at the time. From learning and analyzing these factors of society and politics, it can be realized that Christianity was utilized as a political scapegoat by the Shogunate Military government for superordinate means. Furthermore by analyzing this claim, an explana... ...d citizens. The attack of Christianity was elect due to its foreign nature, as well the fact that it was minor nuisance, posed no actual political threat, and could easily be ma nipulated into a awing monster. Once the Bakafu created this image of the evil Christians, and dispelled of it, the Japanese citizens were tricked into a fervent bank and admiration of their rulers. The events which transpired during this period of time help to explain why posterior Japan would become such a ultra-nationalistic country. The military administration of Japan was able to draw such focus and morale from its citizens due to an subtile manipulation towards view of foreign ideas. And from this initial embedding of anti-foreignness and blind belief in the government, would come the birth of the infamous modern-era patriotic and ultra-militaristic Japan of the twentieth century.