[Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture] Part 2 ① Christianity spreads in Tohoku, northern Miyagi Prefecture and southern Iwate Prefecture became the village of hidden Christians (Christian historic site in Towa-cho, Tome City, northern Miyagi Prefecture)

editorial staff
2024.09.20
Last updated: 2024.09.18

table of contents

1 A Christian historical site in Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, northern Miyagi Prefecture

[Northern Miyagi Prefecture and Southern Iwate Prefecture] Christianity is spreading in Tohoku, and the northern Miyagi and southern Iwate regions have become home to hidden Christians (Part 1)

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT

[Northern Miyagi Prefecture/Southern Iwate Prefecture] Christianity spreads in Tohoku, becoming a hidden Christian village...

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/32407

The prefectural border between Miyagi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture, the Yonekawa area in Towa-cho, Tome City, the Okago area, Fujisawa-cho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and the Magome area, Motoyoshi-cho, Kesennuma City, are known as ``hidden Christians''. Did you know that it was "Sato"? There are several places in Tohoku that are related to Christianity, but this time we will talk about the hidden Christians in Tohoku, which have a gruesome history and still remain today.This time, we will talk about the hidden Christians in Tohoku, which are spreading around the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture (Tome City - Kesennuma City) and the southern part of Iwate Prefecture (Fujisawa Town). The first part is about Christianity, and the second part includes on-site interviews, the history of hidden Christians in Tohoku, southern Iwate prefecture, and northern Miyagi prefecture, and the places of martyrdom that they actually visited.

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Christianity spread in Japan
Christianity spreads to Tohoku

I have written about the full-scale ban on Christianity in the Tohoku region in two parts, but in the second part of this article, I actually visited the present-day northern Miyagi prefecture and southern Iwate prefecture areas and how they remain as martyrdom sites today. I would like to introduce you to the place along with some local photos.

Please note that there are a large number of places considered to be martyrdom sites and places related to hidden Christians, so the explanation will be a simple one. If you are interested, we strongly recommend that you check the article and actually visit.

A Christian historical site in Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, northern Miyagi Prefecture

Catholic Yonekawa Church

Around 1955, the Catholic Diocese of Sendai (Mr. Arikata Kobayashi) learned that Yonekawa, Towa Town, Tome City, was the site of martyrdom, and built it with donations from Canadian believers, and the current cathedral was built in November 1955. It was completed. At the same time, a kindergarten was also completed, and next to the Yonekawa Catholic Church is the Yonekawa St. Mary's Nursery School.

Baptism ceremonies were held in Yonekawa three times in 1955, with groups of approximately 300 people. The Catholic Yonekawa Church houses valuable Christian relics.

Information

Address: 41-2 Yonekawa-cho Ura, Towa-cho, Tome-shi, Miyagi 987-0901
Parking: Yes
Tour: If you are interested, please contact us at the phone number below.
Phone number: 0220-45-2054

Google Map

Sankeizuka

The three locations across the Tsunaki River in Towa Town, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture are called the Sankyozuka: Honosawa, Uminazawa, and Keinomori.

During the Kyoho era (1716-1735) in this area, 120 people, mainly those who worked in the iron industry and mines, were executed by the Date clan. Their bodies were buried in groups of 40, and the Kyozuka of Uminazawa still remains as it was in the past.

The other two locations, Honosawa and Keinomori, do not remain in their original form, and it is said that only a small number of locals know the exact locations.

Cutting ground sacred place

It is said that this is where a large amount of Christian blood was sucked.

The people of the Kirikiba mansion held a memorial service in secret through generations of oral tradition, but when the family moved to Hokkaido in 1981, it was first revealed to a close relative of a neighboring family, and it became known to the world. The arrangement of the river stones forming the three stone steps is said to be the same as it was back then, and the cross was created and erected in 1985 by the administrator personally and at the request of a neighbor.

meditation hill

In order to increase iron production, the Date clan protected Christians who worked at the Doya ironworks, but in 1620, the feudal clan took a complete turn and started to strictly control Christians. I did.

In 1720, 120 Hidden Christians who were working at Keijiya were tipped off and gathered on this hill, where they watched the former Christians writhe in agony and die with 5-inch nails stuck in both hands and feet. It is said that he was shown off.

Despite being exposed to such a disgusting situation, not a single Christian fell down, and 120 Christians were brutally executed and martyred.

Rosario Hill

In addition to climbing from the Tsunaki Shinwa Kaikan at the foot of the mountain, there is also a route to climb from Rosario-zaka. This Rosary Hill was built in 1952 when Bishop Urakawa of the Sendai Diocese climbed this slope and put his favorite rosary on the trunk of an old pine tree that stood on top of the Sankyozuka to pray, and when he came back down the mountain, he realized that he had forgotten his rosary. The attendants immediately turned back, but Rosario was nowhere to be found, and her whereabouts remain shrouded in mystery.

It is said that Yoshiyuki Numakura, a local historian who was guiding Bishop Urakawa along the way, named this slope to commemorate that episode.

Information

Address: Nishitsunagi, Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, 987-0901
Phone number: 0220-53-4111 (Towa General Branch Citizens Division)

Google Map

Oarasawa Christian Cave

Borrowed from the Yonekawa Satoyama Newsletter – Inside the Okarasawa Christian Cave

Oarasawa Christian Cave is currently inaccessible due to fallen trees and mud flowing in, but this cave was discovered in August 1971 and is located 1500m deep into the mountain to the west from Ogo Christian Martyrdom Park. , built by excavating horizontal aquatic rock formations.

In the back, there is what appears to be a two-tiered altar dug into the rock wall, and a 3cm-long nail-shaped metal hole that is thought to have been used for a lamp is also left intact in its original form. .

It is considered to be the most valuable ruin when it comes to talking about the hidden Christians of Tohoku.

Information

Address: Yonekawa Okarasawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, 987-0901

Monument of Goto Juan

This is said to be the final resting place of Goto Juan, a Christian samurai and vassal of Date Masamune.

Goto Juan is the current lord of Mizusawa, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, and has gained great support for his benevolent government towards the people of his territory.He is also known as the founder of the "Juan Weir" which is still in operation today, and the "father of the development of the Isawa Plain." This is the person who is being told.

The Sendai domain's crackdown on Christians from 1963 became increasingly severe, and they continued to refuse orders from Lord Masamune to convert, but in 9th year of Genna, they could no longer resist and fled to the southern territory. It has been. After that, all traces of Juan disappeared, but it is said that at the beginning of the Kan'ei era, under the care of the Oikawa family of present-day Yonekawa, they built a hermitage in the mountains of this area and lived there, and then moved to Nishikamisawa.

However, his life in this place did not last long, and it is said that he was attacked in his sleep one morning by a government official and was defeated due to a secret report. Because he was a Christian, he could not build a grave, and for a long time an anonymous cobblestone that served as a landmark was used as the grave of Juan, where memorial services were held with great care.

Later, in 1951, the monument was discovered by the Miyagi Prefectural History Compilation Committee, and in 1950, the village of Yonekawa at the time erected it as a memorial monument.