Footprints of Sourin Otomo (No.1)
NHK planned to broadcast "Sourin Otomo" as the New Year's historical
drama in 2004.
The story was based on the novel "Ou no Banka", written by Syusaku Endo..
I heard that Mr. Hiramatsu, the governor of Oita prefecture, personally requested NHK
to feature historical drama with it.
There are different opinions for Sourin Otomo.
Commonly, many people told that he should not have become a Christian.
Also, some people had doubt that he was really a Christian.
The former told that before he got baptized, he was a person of ability;
he obtained 6 countries by maneuvering Imperial court and was assigned
to serve as
Kyushu Tandai to reign over Kyushu. But after baptism, he was defeated by Shimazu,
and sought help to Hideyoshi so that his territory reduced to only Bungo.
The latter told he protected Christians just in order for Nanban trade, and that he was
a lustful person and was not seemed to be a Christian.
I would like to follow the footprints of Sourin Otomo for a while from
this week, hoping to
watch the drama during this coming new year, while eating mandarin oranges
in Kotatsu.
(The Kyoto Glory Church Translation Committee is responsible for the wording
of this article.)