The country’s first diocese was created in 1904 (today there are 16), and in 1960 Archbishop Peter Tatsuo Doi of Tokyo was made a cardinal.
Catholicism in Japan today
After being prominently present in the Philippines for centuries, Christianity has in recent decades gained a major foothold in a number of Japan’s other neighbor nations in Asia, such as Vietnam and Hong Kong. Perhaps most notably, South Korea has developed a vibrant culture that is approximately one-third Christian, with Catholics comprising about 11% of the total population. The rise of Catholicism in South Korea contributed to the nation being chosen to host World Youth Day in 2027.
Japan, in contrast, today remains largely irreligious, with Christians still comprising approximately 1% of the population. Efforts by the Catholic Church to evangelize the Japanese population have frequently collided with roadblocks such as a highly secular and prosperous culture as well as a lessening of the Catholic identity of some of the nation’s schools, according to Archbishop Kikuchi of Tokyo.
Still, the testimony given by the many Japanese martyrs throughout the centuries remains a powerful evangelizing force.
“So long as we put our trust in God we need not fear any calamity. On the contrary, times of crisis are good opportunities to meet God’s grace,” wrote Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka of Kyoto, chairman of the Japanese bishops’ Committee for Promoting Canonization, last year.
“When they were suffering great persecution, the Christians of the Age of Persecution were not holed up and scarcely breathing. Even as officials searched, the Christians cared for the sick, helped widows and orphans, and reached out to the poor.”
“[L]et us look to the martyrs who testified to their love in the midst of hardship and find a new ray of hope for the next 50 years,” the bishop concluded.
Popes over the years have also praised the martyrs’ witness.
St. John Paul II, in a homily during his historic visit to Japan in 1981, called the many Christian martyrs of Japan a “glorious multitude, like that of the Christians of the first centuries.”
“Before their death, like all those who are righteous in the eyes of God, they were poor in spirit, meek, tolerant, thirsty for justice, merciful, pure of heart; they were peacemakers,” the saintly pope said.
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“The generous love and zealous activities of the martyrs can all be explained by the strength of the Holy Spirit who worked in them ... they became for everyone an example of fidelity to Christ whose return they awaited in hope and love.”
“By the grace of God, Christians [in Japan] have meditated on the Gospel through the mysteries of the rosary. They knew that there was a man far away from them called pope. Today he comes to pay homage to the tradition of the Christians of Nagasaki and to personally tell their descendants that he loves them in the heart of Christ Jesus,” the pope continued.
More recently, Pope Francis praised the martyrs during his visit in 2019. As a young Jesuit, Francis had hoped to be sent to Japan as a missionary but was prevented from going for health reasons.
The pope spoke at the memorial of Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki, where St. Paul Miki and his companions died, along with hundreds of other Christians over the years.
“May we never forget their heroic sacrifice!” the pope said, speaking of the hundreds of martyrs who “consecrated the ground by their suffering and death.”
Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.