26 Saints were the first martyrs in Japan
26 Christians arrested in Kyoto who were consisted of 20 Japanese, 4 Spaniards,
1 Mexican, and 1 Portuguese.
They were forced to walk barefoot to Nagasaki for about a month.
On February 5, 1597, all 26 Christians arrived at Nishizaka and were tied to Crosses.
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Paul Miki said from the Cross
All of you who are here, please listen to me.
I did not com from the Philippines, I am a Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society
of Jesus.
I have committed no crime, and the only reason why I am put to death is that I have been
teaching the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am very happy to die for such cause, and see my death as great blessing from the Lord.
At this critical time, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress
and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian
way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our enemies and who have wronged us.
I must therefore say here that I forgive Taikosama (Hideyoshi).
I would rather have all the Japanese become Christians.
(From Luis Frois’s Martyrs Records, 1597)
Causes of the Martyrdom of 26 Saints
In 1596, the Spanish ship San Felipe, heading from the Philippines to Mexico, washed
ashore on the Tosa-Urato coast due to a typhoon.
Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi confiscated the ship’s vast cargo.
At that time, the navigator said that Spain first send Christian missionaries to increase
the number of believers, and then eventually conquer the country.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi heard this, he was shocked and ordered the capture of
Spanish Franciscan missionaries who were actively carrying out missionary activities
in Kyoto.
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Then, he ordered Ishida Mitsunari to execute Franciscan missionaries and Christians.
This was the beginning of the Martyrdom of 26 Saints in Nagasaki on February 5, 1597.
26 Saints Pilgrimage route on January 27 in 1597
There were 24 martyrs when they started Kyoto, but two more martyrs were added in
Shimonoseki, then became 26 martyrs in total.
The route of this day was from Karato in Shimonoseki to Kokura in Kitakyushu.
Rode on the boat at Karato, and transfer to Dairi in Kitakyushu
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Karato |
Kanmon Strait |
Dairi |
They landed at Dairi and walked 6 km along the coastline of Kanmon Strait to Kokura,
where was the place to stay.
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It is said that they stayed around Kokura Castle.
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26 Saints Pilgrimage route on January 28 in 1597
The route of this day was from Kokura in Kitakyushu to Akama in Munakata via Koyanose ,
the distance was 34.5 km.
Started at Kokura accommodation around Kokura Castle, and walked to Tobata port
along the Kanmon Strait.
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Transfered to Wakamatsu from Tobata by a boat.
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Walked to Akama through Ashiya and Koyanose, and then stayed at Akama.
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26 Saints Pilgrimage route on January 29 in 1597
The route of this day was from Akama in Munakata to Wajiro, the distance
was 21 km.
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Started at Akama accommodation and using Karatsu walking road, they went to
Wajiro passing through Koga and Shingu.
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Accommodation was Wajiro where faced Hakata bay, in order to cross from
Saitozaki to Shikanoshima the next day.
26 Saints Pilgrimage route on January 30 in 1597
The route of this day was from Wajiro to Shikano-shima Island, the distance
was 18 km walk.
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Started at Wajiro accommodation and walked through Gannosu to Saitozaki.
When the tide was low, they walked across to Shikano-shima Island, where
the boat port was located.
Stayed on the boat.
26 Saints Pilgrimage route on January 31 in 1597
The original plan was to take a boat through the Genkai Sea to Karatsu.
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However, the waves in the Genkai Sea were rough, so they changed the
plan to head Hakata through Hakata Bay.
They stayed in Hakata and took a rest after a long time.
26 Saints Pilgrimage route on February 01 in 1597
The route of this day was from Hakata to Yamamoto in Karatsu, the distance
was 58 km.
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Started at Hakata accommodation and heading Yamamoto using Karatsu walking
road, through the Daimyo, Ikino Matsubara, Imajyuku in Itoshima, Nijino matsubara.
Accommodation was Yamamoto.
26 Saints Pilgrimage route on February 02 in 1597
They were very tired from walking 58km the day before, so they only walked
5km this day.
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The route of this day was from Yamamoto to Tokusue, and stay at Tokusu.
26 Saints Pilgrimage route on February 05 in 1597
26 Christians arrive at Tokitsu Port by the boat on the cold night of February 4, in 1597
and stayed one night on the boat. At dawn on February 5, they got off the ship with a cold b
ody and landed at Togitsu Port. Then they began walking the 12km path to Nishizaka,
the place of martyrdom. Passed through the mountain pass, and through Michinoo, Akasako,
and Urakami, and arrived at Nishizaka at 10 o’clock.
And as soon they arrived, they were all crucified on the cross.
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Then, Paul Miki said from the Cross
All of you who are here, please listen to me.
I did not com from the Philippines, I am a Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus.
I have committed no crime, and the only reason why I am put to death is that I have been
teaching the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am very happy to die for such cause, and see my death as great blessing from the Lord.
At this critical time, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress
and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian
way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our enemies and who have wronged us.
I must therefore say here that I forgive Taikosama (Hideyoshi).
Then they all ascended to heaven with the happy of giving the life to Christ.
In 1862, 26 Martyrs at Nishizaka were canonized by Pope Pius IX.
In 1950, Pope Pius XII designated the Nishizaka of Martyrdom of 26 Japanese
Saints as an official Pilgrimage site for Catholics.