Footprints of the Martyrs of the Hosokawa Domain　No.5A



　Hayato Kagayama 4

Ieyasu Tokugawa controlled the whole Japan.  He was appointed as the Supreme Shogun by the Emperor and inaugurated the Edo shogunate in 1603. Tadaoki Hosokawa, who had moved to Buzen, invited Father Cespedes to perform a requiem mass on the memorial day of the death of his wife, and allowed missionaries to spread the gospel throughout his domains.  He also allowed them to build missionary centers and chapels and as the good news spread, many people converted to Christianity.

However, in 1611, three years before Ieyasu issued his edicts proscribing Christianity, Tadaoki banished all missionaries from his lands and ordered the chapels to be destroyed.  When Ieyasu’s edicts were issued, Tadaoki obeyed him and ordered those of his vassals who were Christians to abandon their faith.

At that time Hayato had been put in charge of the party from the Hosokawa domain for the repair of Edo Castle and sent to Edo.   The Edo Shogunate imposed “construction duty”* on the feudal lords in order to reduce their military and economic power.  At the beginning, Tadaoki gave tacit approval to Hayato who was a senior statesman inside the domain and an important vassal for himself.

　* Economical / practical burden of reconstructing and repairing a public institution,
　　 such as Edo Castle.

(The Kyoto Glory Church Translation Committee is responsible for the wording of this article.)

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References
　｢日本キリシタン殉教史」　片岡弥吉著
　｢キリシタン地図を歩く（殉教者の横顔）」　日本１８８殉教者列福調査歴史委員会編
　「細川ガラシャのすべて」　上総英郎編

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