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Episode13took refuge to evade his pursuers, has become a pilgrimage site.The Order of Saint Augustine in Japan continues in the pres-ent day, revitalized by American priests after WWII. Pope Leo XIV visited Japan in 2008 when he was serving as the Superior General of the Order. He was in attendance at the beatifica-tion ceremony of the 188 martyrs, including “Kintsuba” Jihyōe and Peter Kasui Kibe. The visit highlights a deep and enduring connection between Pope Leo XIV and the Catholic Church in Japan.The Order of Saint Augustine and “Kintsuba” Jihyōe This issue highlights documents relating to three Augustinian martyrs in Japan: Thomas de S. Augustin (“Kint-suba” Jihyoe), Bartolomé Gutiérrez, and Francisco de Graçia. The text was a primary source for the 2008 beati-fication ceremony of Fr. Peter Kasui Kibe and 187 other martyrs. It was printed in the Philippines, though printing presses and printed materials there during the 17th century were quite rare. Referred to as Manila imprint, these extremely rare texts hold very high value as research materials. One of the individuals described –– Thomas de S. Augustin (“Kintsuba” Jihyōe) –– was a Japanese priest whose life is shrouded in mystery.“Kintsuba” Jihyōe is said to have been born to devout Christian parents –– Leo and Clara –– around 1600 in what is present-day Nagasaki prefecture. From a young age, Jihyōe actively pur-sued studies in theology and language at the Jesuit seminary in Arima, but due to persecution by the Bakufu –– the Edo pe-riod Shogunate –– he was exiled with missionaries to Manila in 1614. He returned to Japan as a missionary, and then departed again for Manila with the intention of becoming a priest. It was then that he joined the Order of Saint Augustine.Jihyōe, who became known as Thomas de S. Augustin as a priest, is said to have returned to Japan in 1631 disguised as a samurai. He began his activities in Nagasaki where persecution of Kirishitan –– Christians –– was ongoing. Jihyōe’s sobriquet Kintsuba is a two-character compound that includes the char-acter tsuba (鍔), referring to the handguard of a Japanese sword –– the circular part that separates the grip from the blade and protects the wielder’s hand. He seems to have earned this name because of his bold nature.During the day, disguised as a stable hand from the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office, Jihyōe secretly made contact with impris-oned missionaries and believers. At night, he would go from house to house to preach the faith. He also appeared in Edo in the guise of a samurai wielding a sword with a shining golden tsuba. Jihyōe is described in the records as appearing suddenly and unpredictably, and his extraordinary mobility eventually earned him a reputation for being “like a ninja.”Jihyōe lived his life fully devoted to his faith. He was tortured by the Bakufu in their attempt to extract the names of the Portuguese people who supported him. He never confessed. On November 6th, 1637, he became a martyr after undergoing ana-zuri –– a type of torture referred to in English as “hole hang-ing” — a second time. His short, but meaningful and intense life ended at the age of 37. “Jihyōe Cave,” where Jihyōe once 28 SOPHIA MAGAZINE Vol. 20Contributed by Rev. Shinzo Kawamura, S.J. / Kawamura is a Professor in the Department of History at Sophia University. He received his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown University. His research focuses on the history of cultural exchange between Japan and Europe, Kirishitan history, and European Christian history.Photo: Kirishitan Bunko Library“Kintsuba” Jihyōe: The “Ninja Priest”