Changes

In the Early Modern period, the Japanese were mainly Buddhists or followers of the traditional religion Shinto. St Francis Xavier began the first organized mission to Japan in 1549. Later he was joined by mainly Portuguese priests. The Jesuit Order became very active in the missions to Japan. They soon were converted many of the local Japanese to Christianity and in general , the missionaries could preach freely.<ref> Gonzáles, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, 3rd edition (Prince Press/Hendrickson Publishers. Volume 1, 2004), pages 405–406</ref> All of the Japanese who converted became Catholics, at least nominally and as in the movie, whole villages and towns converted. Under the great warlord and Imperial regent, Oda Nobunaga, the Christians even enjoyed some favor.  However, this changed with the rise to power of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's. He and the feudal lords became very wary of the Catholic priests and the growing power of the Japanese Christian community. Hideyoshi began a crackdown on the foreign religion and its local adherents. In 1598 he ordered the execution of 26 Christians outside Nagasaki. With the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate (Edo period), there was a wave of persecutions unleashed against those who professed Christianity. After 1603, there were many followers of Jesus killed for their faith and many missionaries executed.<ref>Gonsalez, p. 410</ref> The graphic scenes in the movie where the priests and local converts are brutally killed are based on historical incidents. The repression of the Japanese Christians went on for decades. Many of them were forced to go underground and to practice their faith in secret, despite often having no priests. This was shown very well in the movie.  Many Japanese converts continued to practice their faith despite the threat of death. However, as is shown in the movie many others renounced their faith. This was done by either spitting on a cross or stepping on an image of Christ or the Virgin Mary (known as a fumie). Unknown numbers of Catholics did apotheosize, like the character Kichijirō. However, in the movie , the local converts did not resist the Samurai sent to force them to abandon their faith. In fact, many Christians did resist efforts to make them apotheosize. In the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638), Japanese Catholics rose up in rebellion. This was brutally put down and some 30-40,000 rebels were beheaded.<ref>Gonsalez, p. 410</ref> Overall, the movie captures the brutality of the persecution of Christians in Japan very accurately during the Tokugawa shogunate. It is interesting to note that despite all the persecution that small groups of followers of Jesus continued to practice their religion in secret and that the savage persecution did not exterminate the creed.