Perhaps because everybody's mind was taken up with
Shogun Hidetada's arrival in Kyoto, the Christians who were
in prison at the time were forgotten.
Kyoto shoshidai Itakura Katsushige had acted as a friend of the
missionaries before the edict banning Christianity and even
afterwards he tried to avoid persecuting Christians as much as possible.
As a result of his goodwill towards Christians, Itakura took this
opportunity to release several believers.
Tekura Hashimoto was one of the prisoners being released and she and her children were taken in by relatives.

While Shogun Hidetada was in Fushimi Castle preparing to return to Edo (modern Tokyo) after finishing his work in Kyoto, Itakura tried to act as a mediator for the Christians, but his efforts brought about the opposite result by bringing the death penalty down on them.
When Hidetada heard that there were still Christians in Kyoto in spite of his command, he sentenced death to Christians who were still in the prison as well as those whom Itakura had set free as a lesson to everyone.
Hidetada himself pronounced a sentence of death by burning for all the Christians including women and children.

With this command, those who had been released once were sent back to the prison again.
Although Tekura Hashimoto knew that she was going to be killed, she returned to the prison with her five children.
It is natural for any parent to wish one’s children to survive
I myself became pregnant for the first time in January this year and when I was told by the doctor in the seventh week of the pregnancy that there was a strong likelihood that the baby would miscarry, I started to stroke my belly and talk to the baby, saying, "You will be born healthy. You don't have to worry."
And the thought came to me many times that if I could die, instead of my baby I would gladly take his/her place..
.Above all else I wanted my baby to survive and live even if I die.

However, Tekra Hashimoto was different. It was almost as though she were glad to be condemned to death with her five children because they were Christians.
Tekra Hashimoto knew that death itself was not something sad. She knew that it was wonderful to die a martyr and be called in heaven.
Being a woman like Tekura I was deeply moved by the beauty and strength of the woman who trusted the savior, Jesus Christ, and by her love toward her children as a Christian mother.
The faith of Tekra was inherited to her children. All of them returned to the prison with their mother.

There was no weeping and wailing in the prison at the command of Shogun. Filled with joy, everyone prepared for their last moments.

In a certain book, it is written, "The inside of the prison became like a church."

　　　But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns
to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.(Acts 16:25)

This was what happened in Japan 400 years ago.

　　　　　　　　　　　(Esther Atsuji is responsible for the wording of this article.)

　　　　　　　　