Timetable of Christian History in Japan and Related Events

1549 Francis Xavier establishes Japan's first Christian mission at Kagoshima

1563 Omura Sumitada becomes the first daimyo to convert to Chistianity

1597 Twenty-six Japanese and foreign Christians crucified at Nagasaki by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu is granted the title of Shogun, founds Tokugawa Shogunate.

1612 Shogunate issues directives aimed at restricting Christianity

1614 Ban on Christianity extended nationwide.

1622 51 Christians executed in Nagasaki

1624 Persecution intesifies. 50 Christians are burned alive in Edo

1629 Fumie for testing belief in Christianity begins in Nagasaki. Fumie were paper (and later bronze) depictions of Christian figures upon which Japanese were ordered to step upon to indicate non-belief in Christ.

1633 First Sakoku (National Seclusion) edict issued. 30 missionaries executed

1637 Shimabara Uprising (1637-38) where 37,000 Christians and peasant farmers were be-headed and burned alive in Nagasaki Prefecture. Only 5 missionaries thought to remain.

1639 Edicts establishing National seclusion are completed: Portuguese merchants are evicted from Dejima; Portuguese ship banned from Japan; all westerners except the Dutch are prohibited from entering Japan.

Kirishitan monogatari (Christian tales) an anti-Christian work is published

1640 The shogunate instituted the office of the shumon aratame yaku (inquisitor) to hunt down remaining Christians

61 members of the ship that sailed from Macao to reopen relations were executed

1665 Daimyo were ordered to follow the shogunate's example and to appoint inquisitors charged with a yearly scrutiny of Christians

1837 Oldest existing Japanese version of any portion of the Bible is published in Singapore

1853 Four warships of the Us East India Squadron, commanded by Matthew Perry, call at Uraga at the mouth of Edo Bay

1859 More than ten Christians died under torture in Urakami (3rd persecution). Seven American Protestant Missionaries arrive

1865 A group of Kakure Kirishtan at Nagasaki publicly identified themselves as Christians. These are Christians who kept their faith hidden through the years and generations of the national seclusion starting in 1639.

1867 64 Christians were arrested in Urakami, and in nearby Omura 110 were jailed under such harsh conditions that 60 died of exposure.

1868 Meiji Period begins

1870 2,810 adherents of Christianity from Urakami shipped to other provinces

1873 Meiji government withdrew religious sanctions, although freedom of religion was not specifically granted.

1880 Japan YMCA founded by Kozaki Hiromichi. First Entire Protestant New testament of Bible in Japanese complete

1888 Protestant translation of Old Testament complete

1889 Constitution of the Empire of Japan promulgated. (guaranteed only qualified religious freedom "within limits not prejudicial to peace and not antagonistic to duties as citizens.")

1895 Kanzo Uchimura publishes "How I became a Christian"

1917 Revised version of Protestant translation of New Testament complete

1928 First full translation of the New Testament solely translated a Japanese Scholar published.

1942 42 Pentacostal Pastors arrested and charged for teaching the sovereignty of Christ upon his return.

1955 New Protestant colloquial translation of the Bible Complete.

1966 Endo Shusaku publishes the novel Chinmoku (Silence), a depiction of the persecution of Christians in late 17th century Japan.