Shimabara Rebellion

The Shimabara Rebellion was a major uprising of mostly Christian peasants and rōnin against the Tokugawa shogunate in 1637–1638, centered on the Shimabara Peninsula and Amakusa Islands.

Matsukura Katsuie: A daimyo who governed Shimabara during the rebellion and was later executed for misgovernment. His taxation and treatment of subjects helped fuel the uprising.
Christianity in Japan: The history of Christian communities, institutions, and beliefs in Japan. The rebellion’s Christian identity emerged from decades of evangelization and repression.
Fumi-e: Images of Christian figures that authorities required suspected Christians to step on as a test of faith. Authorities expanded faith-screening practices after the rebellion.
Shimabara Peninsula: A peninsula in western Kyushu, Japan, facing the Ariake Sea. It was the principal mainland theater of the uprising.
Terazawa Katataka: A Japanese daimyo who governed the Karatsu domain, including the Amakusa Islands, during the early Edo period. His domain’s oppressive rule contributed to unrest in Amakusa.
Japanese Catholic Church: The Catholic community established in Japan after the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the sixteenth century. Many rebels belonged to communities shaped by Catholic missions.
Hidden Christians: Japanese Christians who maintained their faith in secret under bans on Christianity, especially during the Edo period. The suppression drove Christian communities further underground.
Amakusa Islands: An archipelago off western Kyushu in Japan, historically home to substantial Christian communities. Revolt spread here before rebels joined the defense at Hara Castle.
Hara Castle: A former Japanese castle whose ruins became the rebels’ fortified stronghold during the Shimabara Rebellion. Rebel forces withdrew here for the uprising’s decisive siege.
Tokugawa anti-Christian edicts: Shogunal laws and orders that restricted and sought to eliminate Christianity in early modern Japan. Their enforcement made Christian practice a source of danger before the revolt.

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