In Search of Japan’s Hidden Christians: A Story of Suppression, Secrecy and Survival

In 1549 the first Christian missionaries arrived in Japan, and over 60 years, they converted over 300,000 Japanese to their belief. In 1614, a nationwide ban was issued, followed by a vicious campaign of persecution that forced the remaining faithful to go underground. Author John Dougill set out on a voyage over 2,000 miles and through 450 years of history. Seeking out the historical sites and vestiges as well as the faithful themselves, he reconstructs the Hidden Christians’ story.

A nonfiction work about devotion, the book is also a lively travelogue. And Dougill is a tireless journeyman and sleuth, going to wherever there is a story or lead. He tracks down descendants of hidden Christians on the island clusters of Amakusa, Goto and Ikitsuki, meets with curators, historians in Shimabara and Nagasaki, engages fisher folk in conversations about history. -Stephen Mansfield, columnist, Japan Times