This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
[The Spread of Christianity in Tohoku: Part 2] Northern Miyagi Prefecture, the Home of Hidden Christians [Christian Historic Site in Towa Town, Tome City]
[The Spread of Christianity in Tohoku: Part 2] Northern Miyagi Prefecture, the Home of Hidden Christians [Christian Historic Site in Towa Town, Tome City]
[Northern Miyagi and Southern Iwate Prefectures] Christianity Spreads in Tohoku (Part 1) In northern Miyagi and southern Iwate Prefectures, which became the home of hidden Christians
In this article, I have written about the full-scale ban on Christianity in the Tohoku region in two parts, but in this second part, I will actually visit the areas of northern Miyagi Prefecture and southern Iwate Prefecture and show you how they remain as martyrdom sites today, along with photographs of the area
Please note that there are a huge number of places considered to be martyrdom sites and places related to hidden Christians, so the explanations will be brief. If you are interested, we strongly recommend that you check the article and visit them in person
Christian Historic Site in Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, northern Miyagi Prefecture
Yonekawa Catholic Church
Yonekawa Catholic Church
Around 1954, the Catholic Diocese of Sendai (Mr. Kobayashi Arikata) learned that Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City was the site of a martyrdom, and built the church with donations from Canadian believers, with the current church being completed in November 1957. At the same time, a kindergarten was also completed, and next to the Catholic Yonekawa Church is the Yonekawa St. Mary's Children's School
In Yonekawa, three baptism ceremonies were held in groups of approximately 300 people in 1955. The Catholic Yonekawa Church houses valuable Christian relics
Information
Address: 41-2 Yonekawachoura, Towacho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, 987-0901
Parking: Available
If you would like to visit, please contact us at the phone number below
Phone number: 0220-45-2054
Google Map
Sankyozuka
Uminazawa Sankyozuka
The three sutra mounds, "Hakunosawa, Uminasawa, and Suinomori," are located on either side of the Tsunaki River in Towa Town, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture
In this area, 120 people, mainly workers in ironworks and mines, were executed by the Date clan during the Kyoho era (1716-1735). Their bodies were buried in groups of 40 with sutras, and the sutra mounds in Umisawa remain as they were to this day
Furthermore, the other two locations, "Hakunosawa and Kyonomori," have lost their original form, and it is said that only a small number of locals know their exact locations
Kirisuteba Sacred Site
Kirisuteba Sacred Site
It is said that this is the place where a large amount of Christian blood was sucked
The people of the Kirikiba estate had been secretly holding memorial services for the deceased through oral tradition for generations, but when the family emigrated to Hokkaido in 1982, it was revealed to the world for the first time by a close relative from a neighboring family. The arrangement of the river stones that form the three stone steps is said to remain the same as it was back then, and the cross was personally erected in 1985 by the manager at the request of a neighboring man
A cross made in 1985
Meditation Hill
Meditation Hill
The Date clan protected Christians working at the Doya ironworks in order to increase iron production, but in 1620, they took a turn and began to crack down on Christians
In 1720 (the 5th year of the Kyoho era), 120 hidden Christians working at Keiya were reported and gathered on this hill, where they were forced to watch the previous Christians die in agony at the Kirisuteba sacred site, with five-inch nails driven into their hands and feet
Even after being forced to watch this scene over and over again, not a single Christian gave in, and 120 were martyred in a brutal execution
Rosario Hill
Rosario Hill Entrance
In addition to the climb to Uminazawa Sankyozuka from the Tsunaki Shinwa Kaikan at the foot of the mountain, there is also a route up Rosario Hill. This Rosario Hill was founded in 1953 when Bishop Urakawa of the Sendai Diocese climbed this slope, hung his favorite rosary on the trunk of an old pine tree standing above Sankyozuka, prayed, and then returned home after realizing that he had forgotten his rosary. His attendant immediately turned back, but the rosary could not be found no matter how hard he looked, and its whereabouts remain a mystery
Later, local historian Yoshiyuki Numakura, who was Bishop Urakawa's guide, is said to have named the slope to commemorate the episode
Information
Address: Nishitsunagi, Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, 987-0901
Phone number: 0220-53-4111 (Towa General Branch Office, Citizens' Affairs Division)
The Ogarasawa Christian Cave is currently inaccessible due to fallen trees and the inflow of soil and sand, but it was discovered in August 1973 and is located 1,500 meters west of the Okago Christian Martyrs Park, deep in the mountains, and was dug out of a horizontal layer of sedimentary rock
At the back there is what appears to be a two-tiered altar carved into the rock wall, and in a hole 3cm in diameter that is thought to have been used for lighting a lamp there is a 3cm long nail-shaped metal object that remains in its original form
It is considered an extremely valuable site when it comes to learning about hidden Christians in the Tohoku region
Information
Address: Ogarazawa, Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, 987-0901
Goto Juan Monument
Juan Tomb
This is said to be the final resting place of Goto Juan, a Christian samurai and retainer of Date Masamune
Goto Juan was the lord of what is now Mizusawa in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, and gained great support for his benevolent rule over his subjects.He also built the Juan Weir, which is still in operation today, and is known as the ``father of the development of the Isawa Plain.''
From 1626, the Sendai domain's crackdown on Christians became increasingly severe, and he continued to refuse orders from Lord Masamune to convert, but in 1626 he was no longer able to resist and fled to the Nanbu domain. After that, no trace of Juan was found, but at the beginning of the Kan'ei era, with the help of the Oikawa family of what is now Yonekawa, he built a hermitage in the mountains here and lived there, and it is said that he later moved to Nishikamisawa
However, his life here did not last long, and it is said that one morning he was attacked in his sleep by officials after being informed of something and was punished. Because he was a Christian, a grave could not be built, and an unnamed round stone was used as a marker and was carefully maintained as Juan's grave for a long time
The monument was later discovered by the Miyagi Prefecture History Compilation Committee in 1951, and was erected as a memorial by the then Yonekawa village in 1954
Information
Address: 103 Nishikamizawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, 987-0901
Google Map
Part 2 (2) Continues to the Christian historical site in the Okago area of Fujisawa-cho, Ichinoseki City, southern Iwate Prefecture
Christianity spreads in Tohoku, and the hidden Christian villages
I'm a member of the Neft editorial team. I love alcohol, music, and traveling, so I indulge in some drinks after work on weekdays, and on weekends, if I have free time, I travel to nearby areas. I work hard every day with the goal of eventually traveling overseas to find connections to Tohoku through NEFT reporting.
