Sophia Magazine vol.8 / WINTER 2018

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9© Tsutomu Ikeda1873 when the Meiji government lifted the ban. At that time, persecution such as the use of fumi-e (a likeness of Jesus and Mary) to expose kirishitan and torture to force conversion meant that missionaries and churches disap-peared. Nevertheless, senpuku kirishitan kept their faith underground. Kondo: The story of the hidden Christians is a rare ex-ample in human history that shows the value of keeping faith at the risk of one’s life. Yet, the churches proposed for designation were built after the end of the Shogunate and the lifting of the ban (in other words, not during the pe-riod of repression) and as such, it was pointed out that they did not constitute direct evidence of the faith of the hidden Christians. Koso: Oura Cathedral, one of the Hidden Christian Sites, was the location of the “discovery of the hidden Christians” by Father Petitjean; or from the point of view of the un-derground Christians who were in the cathedral, the “dis-covery of missionaries.” Another site is Sakitsu Church in Amakusa, built on the site where fumi-e was performed on senpuku kirishitan. The community that fostered the his-tory of faith behind these kinds of buildings is seen as the heart of the Hidden Christian Sites. Kondo: World Heritage sites are not just structures and re-mains; they also include “cultural landscapes” that humans have hewn from nature over time. The Hidden Christian Sites were also judged in that context, weren’t they?Koso: I have come up with three reasons why the Hidden Christian Sites are of such significance. The first is “Chang-ing perception of history,” the second is “Confirmation of re-ligious freedom,” and the third is “Co-existence of religions.” The first reason is that they shine a spotlight on Christian history, which has always been seen as a minor part of Jap-anese history. The inscription of the Hidden Christian Sites alongside Buddhist and Shinto-related World Heritage sites means that Christianity is being publicly validated as an element of Japanese religious culture and spirituality. It is also vital that this history of repression is faced, and that value is found in doing this. The next, “Religious freedom,” is an important condition of human dignity, but in Japan it can be said to have been established as a result of the 260-year struggle of the hid-den Christians. This inscription reaffirms this fact.The third is its message that “religions co-exist,” which has a particularly modern significance. During the period of repression, hidden Christians would behave as member of the danka system (compulsory registration of household with the local Buddhist temple) or as parishioners of Shinto shrines, but as symbolized by the Maria kannon (images of the Virgin Mary made by senpuku kirishitan), they con-tinued their Christian faith under a Buddhist or Shinto guise. Meanwhile, many non-Christians were aware of the Christians in their midst but did not report them. During this repressive era, people were living the “co-existence of religion.” Kondo: Listening to you, I recall the Kyogen play Shuron (“Religious Dispute”). Two monks, one from the Hokke (Lotus) Sect and one from the Jodo (Pure Land) Sect go traveling together, not knowing they are from different branches of Buddhism. However, down the road they find out and start arguing. After a while they get excited and start chanting their respective sutras and dancing. The dancing soon becomes so intense that they find themselves reciting the sutras of the other’s sect. Realizing what they are doing, they come to understand that their sects just have different approaches. Their underlying belief in Bud-dha is exactly the same. Koso: That is a funny story.Kondo: In Japan, which has absorbed outside influences to create a unique culture of its own, there is a certain flexibil-ity with regard to religion. Shinbutsu-shugo (the syncretiza-tion of Shinto and Buddhism) was seen as perfectly normal. When Christianity arrived in Japan, it was accepted by the common folk in the same way.Koso: However, for the Tokugawa Shogunate, which was seeking to instill the class system in order to consolidate its power, the belief of Christianity in “equality before God” Obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees at Sophia University, and has served in various capacities including as Chancellor of Sophia School Corporation. Currently a Profes-sor by Special Appointment; serves as President of the As-sociation for the Study of Kirishitan Culture; and advises the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technol-ogy and the Japan Association of Corporate Executives.Fr. Toshiaki Koso, S.J.111Special Talk