おらしょ こころ旅

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Shimabara/Amakusa

Imatomi Village in Amakusa

・Imatomi is a farming village located in the southwestern part of Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture. In the olden days, local people cultivated narrow patches of land along the mountains and engaged in agriculture or forestry.
・Peddlers called “megoinai” (fishermen’s wives) came from Sakitsu to Imatomi Village to exchange their fish for rice and vegetables.
・Even after the lifting of the ban on Christianity, many Underground Christians in the village did not to return to Catholicism and continued to worship Christ following the practice of their ancestors.
・Underground Christians no longer exist today because they eventually converted to Shinto or Buddhism.

Related persons and terms(By hovering your mouse pointer over an item, explanation of the item are displayed.)

Kakure Kirishitan

[Kakure Kirishitan] Kakure Kirishitan (underground Christian) refers to those who did not return to Catholicism even after the lifting of the edicts banning Christianity in the 19th century but continued to follow the unique beliefs developed during the forbidden period.

Senpuku Kirishitan

[Senpuku Kirishitan] Senpuku Kirishitan (hidden Christians) lived ostensibly as Buddhists during the ban on Christianity but secretly carried on their faith.

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