Footprints of Jurian Nakaura@No.5
With the foreign language they had heard for the first time in their lives, the classes went
on from early in the morning till late at night by the teachers who couldn't
speak Japanese
well... Not making head nor tail of it, the students at the Seminaryo gradually
became
able to understand difficult Latin. At first, Jurian also had experienced
great difficulty in
understanding. However his friend Maruchino Hara was more gifted at languages. Getting
help from Maruchino, Jurian got to obtain more solid knowledge of Jesus
Christ through the
Bible.
Under such circumstances, in 1582, Valignano concluded his mission in Japan.
Right before
he left Japan, suddenly an idea arose in him; to take these Japanese Christian boys with him
as the ambassadors to Europe and let them have an audience with the Pope,
the king of
Spain, and the Superior General of the Society of Jesus of the day, Valignano
thought that
they indeed can see the fruits of the mission in Japan, and it would encourage
them to
provide financial support for the mission in Japan. Valignano also thought to let boys see
Christendom in Europe, so that the boys could carry out the mission in
Japan. Moreover, he
thought to bring a European printing machine in order to enrich the theological
materials
for the mission in Japan.
Valignano wanted to send some of the students studying at this seminary
in Arima.
So he immediately went and broached to three Christian feudal lords; Sumitada
Omura,
Harunobu Arima, and Sorin Otomo. Thus, Mansho Ito (representing Sorin Otomo),
Migeru Chijiwa (representing both Harunobu Arima and Sumitada Omura), Maruchino
Hara and Jurian Nakaura as assistants were chosen, and were determined
to be sent to
Rome as the first Japanese Embassy to Europe.
(The Kyoto Glory Church Translation Committee is
responsible for the wording of this article.)
(Seminaryo in Arima)