おらしょ こころ旅

Registered asset

Shimabara/Amakusa

Statue of Chijiwa Miguel

・Chijiwa Miguel was the son of Chijiwa Yamato-no-kami Naokazu, the lord of Chijiwa Castle.
・According to the suggestion of Alessandro Valignano who came to Japan as a Jesuit visitor, Japanese boys were dispatched to Europe to meet with the Pope as the Tensho embassy in 1582.
・The four boys selected as senior envoys were Chijiwa Miguel, Ito Mancio, Hara Martinho, and Nakaura Jurião.
・Their eight-year voyage by sea must have imposed on them unimaginable hardships. The achievements of the Tensho embassy to Europe were a particularly significant event in Japanese cultural history. When they returned to Japan, however, the national policy had shifted to the prohibition of Christianity, making it difficult for Christians to practice their faith freely.
・After returning to Japan, the four boys went their separate ways, but it can be said that they played a significant role as a bridge between Japan and the West.

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