Footprints of the Martyrs of the Hosokawa Domain@No.16@ @@@@@
Genya Ogasawara and Miya Kagayama 7
The government of Edo closed the country in 1633. At the
same time, the government adopted even more severe policies of
repression of Christianity. All these policies to exterminate Christians
conducted at Nagasaki had a large impact on whole western Japan.
Tadaoki Hosokawa indicated that the policy within his territory is lenient,
and orderd his
son Tadatoshi to follow the example of Nagasaki, and to execute thorough
repression of
Christianity in order for the Hosokawa to survive. Now, there was only
option left to
Tadatoshi who saw the former lord of Higo, Tadahiro Kato being stripped of his post and
the Kato clan to be destroyed.
From that year, Tadatoshi obliged all the residents in Higo to notify their
own religion.
And following Nagasaki, he incorporated joint responsibility system called
"Goningumi",
and forced people in the group to overwatch each other. They detected Christians by using
"Fumie" ( copper tablets with a crucifix which they forced Christians to
step on), and
pressed them hard to forsake their faith. In August 1634, billboards (
called "Kousatsu" ) to
ban Christianity were put up all over the country of Higo. In November of the same year,
Nagasaki magistrate's office ( called Bugyousyo ) put up another kind of billboards saying
that they would post prize money to whoever denounced Christians.
While many people prosecuted Christians, Tadatoshi was apprehensive if someone might
indict Genya, Miya and their family to Nagasaki magistrate's office for
the cash reward. He
wanted to protect them as long as no one prosecute them.
Moreover, from September through December in 1635 Christian-hunting was
executed
nationwide. It was just a matter of time before they were arrested.
Tadatoshi sent many of the key people of the Hosokawa domain and urged Genya, Miya and
their family to forsake their faith. Besides, Gonzaemon Okuda, the husband
of Miya's sister,
and Nagara Ogasawara, Genya's brother who abondoned his faith along the
way, were sent
again and tried to persuade them to give up the faith. Genya and Miya were
thankful and
cried for the tenderness of Tadatoshi, their friends and the relatives. However, they just
couldn't forsake the faith in Jesus, the Savior, who saved them from their
sins, who was
crucified to give them everlasting life, and who was raised from the dead,
even if it meant
death.
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."(Philippians1:21)
(The Kyoto Glory Church Translation Committee is responsible for the wording of this article.)
