Arima Harunobu
Encyclopedia
was the second son and successor of Japanese daimyo
Arima Yoshisada. Harunobu was born in the castle of Arima and controlled the Shimabara
area of Hizen province
. After Harunobu's father's death, he began the persecution of Christians in his region. With Ryūzōji Takanobu
expanding into his domain, Harunobu turned to the help of the Jesuits. Due to this fact, Harunobu was baptized by Alessandro Valignano
in 1579. Protasius was his baptismal name, and he took the name of John when he received confirmation. As a result of his Christianization, Harunobu now started getting supplies of weapons from the Portuguese
, which strengthened that of the Arima clan
. He also founded a seminary
and training center for novice
s in his domain, where apart from the ordinary instructions given was also taught European style music, painting and sculpture and the manufacture of organs
and watches.
In 1582 Harunobu teamed up with the Kyūshū
Christian daimiyos Ōtomo Sōrin
and Ōmura Sumitada
to send a Japanese embassy to the Pope
in Rome
, led by Valignano and represented by Mancio Ito
.
In 1586, he had a vision in which there appeared to him two persons of celestial exterior, who thus spoke to him: "Know that on the lands over which you rule, the sign of Jesus is found; honor and love it much, for it is not the work of man." Six months afterwards, it happened that a fervent Christian from the neighborhood of Arima sent his son to the woods for the purpose of cutting firewood. On his arrival the young man noticed a tree that was somewhat dried up; he split it in two, and found inserted in the middle of it a cross of a brown color and of a regular form. At the sight of this prodigy every one was struck with astonishment. As soon as Harunobu heard of this, he went himself to the place, and on seeing the cross he cried out: "Behold the sign of Jesus, that I was told was hidden in my dominions, and that was not made by the hand of man." He then fell on his knees, and after having venerated it amidst many tears, he had it carried to Arima, where by his order it was formed in a magnificent crystal. This miraculous cross brought about the conversion of twenty thousand people.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi
expelled the Catholic
fathers and outlawed the teaching of Christianity in 1587, the Arima domain became a refuge for many Christian missionaries and believers.
During the year of 1582, Harunobu ended up losing his important Shimabara Castle
and was reduced to holding a thin strip of the peninsula. Harunobu in desperate stands, called for the help of the Shimazu clan
, were currently in battle with the Ryūzōji. The Shimazu however assisted them by sending Shimazu Iehisa
to Shimabara
. During the year of 1584, the combined forced of the Arima and the Shimazu with over 3,000 troops, ended up defeating that of the Ryūzōji. The battle that they fought was known as the Battle of Okitanawate. During that battle, Ryūzōji Takanobu
ended up getting killed. Afterwards, Shimazu Yoshihisa
suggested the Arima renounce Christianity, but this was only refused by Harunobu.
After the latter invaded Kyūshū
during the year of 1587, Harunobu allied with the likes of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
. During the year of 1592, the allied force led some 2,000 men to Korea under Konishi Yukinaga
. During the Battle of Sekigahara
during the year of 1600, Harunobu supported Tokugawa Ieyasu
, and thus didn't lose any land during the end result of the battle.
During the year of 1609, Harunobu was tasked to scout out a potential trade center for Japanese, Chinese, and that of Western ships. When they arrived, many of the islanders attacked Harunobu's men, and many ended up being killed. Later that same year, a trading ship Harunobu had sent to Champa
was attacked by the Portuguese while stopping at Macau
. Harunobu retaliated this the following year by attacking the Portuguese tradingship Madre de Deus coming to Nagasaki from Macau. Immediately follow this incident, the Okamotodaihachi Jiken resulted in Arima Harunobu's death. A certain Okamoto Daihachi who is a servant of Tokugawa Ieyasu
's close advisor Honda Masazumi
was sent to Harunobu to congratulate on his latest triumph again the Portuguese. Okamoto was apparently also a Christian and he was entertained by Arima Harunobu with a feast. During the banquet, Okamoto told Arima that through his influence upon his master, he can allow Arima to recover three gun (郡) territories that were lost to the Ryūzōji clan
over the preceding years. Arima believed him and sent him many gold and silver to lobby for him in the Tokugawa government.
However, Okamoto pocketed the money but never did anything and when Arima Harunobu encountered Honda Masazumi during his obligatory visit to Edo, he learned that Honda Masazumi was unaware of Arima Harunobu's dealings with Okamoto. Furious with Okamoto, Arima presented the case to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu immediately imprisoned Okamoto, further investigation revealed that Arima had various other dealings with Okamoto and they were involved in a conspiracy to assassinate the Bugyo of Nagasaki. In the end, Okamoto to sentenced to death by fire, while Arima was stripped of his holdings and exiled to province of Kai. When ordered by the Shogunate to commit suicide, Arima refused based upon his Christian principles and instead ordered his retainers to behead him.
St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote of his death as follows:
His son Arima Naozumi married Tokugawa Ieyasu's adopted daughter Kuni-hime and as a result inherited the land that was confiscated from his father.
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
Arima Yoshisada. Harunobu was born in the castle of Arima and controlled the Shimabara
Shimabara
Shimabara can refer to any of the following:* Shimabara, Nagasaki, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan* Shimabara Peninsula, the geographic feature that hosts Shimabara, Nagasaki* Shimabara Castle, in Shimabara, Nagasaki...
area of Hizen province
Hizen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō...
. After Harunobu's father's death, he began the persecution of Christians in his region. With Ryūzōji Takanobu
Ryuzoji Takanobu
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled a region in northern Kyūshū. He was the eldest son of Ryūzōji Chikaie, and upon headship, became the 19th head of the Ryūzōji clan. Takanobu's son, Masaie, would become the last head of the Ryūzōji....
expanding into his domain, Harunobu turned to the help of the Jesuits. Due to this fact, Harunobu was baptized by Alessandro Valignano
Alessandro Valignano
Alessandro Valignano, , was a Jesuit missionary born in Chieti, back then part of the Kingdom of Naples, who helped supervise the introduction of Catholicism to the Far East, and especially to Japan....
in 1579. Protasius was his baptismal name, and he took the name of John when he received confirmation. As a result of his Christianization, Harunobu now started getting supplies of weapons from the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, which strengthened that of the Arima clan
Arima clan
The was a Japanese feudal daimyo family dating to the Sengoku period. Its name "Arima," transliterates as "has horses," reflecting the samurai/cavalry origins of the family. Famous members include Arima Harunobu and Arima Naozumi....
. He also founded a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
and training center for novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
s in his domain, where apart from the ordinary instructions given was also taught European style music, painting and sculpture and the manufacture of organs
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and watches.
In 1582 Harunobu teamed up with the Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
Christian daimiyos Ōtomo Sōrin
Otomo Sorin
, also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige and Ōtomo Yoshishige , was a Japanese feudal lord of the Ōtomo clan, one of the few to have converted to Christianity. The eldest son of Ōtomo Yoshiaki, he inherited the domain of Funai, on Kyūshū, Japan's southernmost main island, from his father...
and Ōmura Sumitada
Omura Sumitada
Ōmura Sumitada Japanese daimyo lord of the Sengoku period. He achieved fame throughout the country for being the first of the daimyo to convert to Christianity following the arrival of the Jesuit missionaries in the mid-16th century. Following his baptism, he became known as "Dom Bartolomeu"...
to send a Japanese embassy to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, led by Valignano and represented by Mancio Ito
Mancio Ito
The Tenshō embassy was an embassy sent by the Japanese Christian Lord Ōtomo Sōrin to the Pope and the kings of Europe in 1582...
.
In 1586, he had a vision in which there appeared to him two persons of celestial exterior, who thus spoke to him: "Know that on the lands over which you rule, the sign of Jesus is found; honor and love it much, for it is not the work of man." Six months afterwards, it happened that a fervent Christian from the neighborhood of Arima sent his son to the woods for the purpose of cutting firewood. On his arrival the young man noticed a tree that was somewhat dried up; he split it in two, and found inserted in the middle of it a cross of a brown color and of a regular form. At the sight of this prodigy every one was struck with astonishment. As soon as Harunobu heard of this, he went himself to the place, and on seeing the cross he cried out: "Behold the sign of Jesus, that I was told was hidden in my dominions, and that was not made by the hand of man." He then fell on his knees, and after having venerated it amidst many tears, he had it carried to Arima, where by his order it was formed in a magnificent crystal. This miraculous cross brought about the conversion of twenty thousand people.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
expelled the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
fathers and outlawed the teaching of Christianity in 1587, the Arima domain became a refuge for many Christian missionaries and believers.
During the year of 1582, Harunobu ended up losing his important Shimabara Castle
Shimabara Castle
, also known as and , is a Japanese castle located in Shimabara, Hizen Province , also known as and , is a Japanese castle located in Shimabara, Hizen Province , also known as and , is a Japanese castle located in Shimabara, Hizen Province (present day Nagasaki prefecture. This five-story white...
and was reduced to holding a thin strip of the peninsula. Harunobu in desperate stands, called for the help of the Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
, were currently in battle with the Ryūzōji. The Shimazu however assisted them by sending Shimazu Iehisa
Shimazu Iehisa
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who was a member of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province. He served in a command capacity during his family's campaign to conquer Kyūshū....
to Shimabara
Shimabara
Shimabara can refer to any of the following:* Shimabara, Nagasaki, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan* Shimabara Peninsula, the geographic feature that hosts Shimabara, Nagasaki* Shimabara Castle, in Shimabara, Nagasaki...
. During the year of 1584, the combined forced of the Arima and the Shimazu with over 3,000 troops, ended up defeating that of the Ryūzōji. The battle that they fought was known as the Battle of Okitanawate. During that battle, Ryūzōji Takanobu
Ryuzoji Takanobu
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled a region in northern Kyūshū. He was the eldest son of Ryūzōji Chikaie, and upon headship, became the 19th head of the Ryūzōji clan. Takanobu's son, Masaie, would become the last head of the Ryūzōji....
ended up getting killed. Afterwards, Shimazu Yoshihisa
Shimazu Yoshihisa
was a daimyo of Satsuma Province and the eldest son of Shimazu Takahisa. His mother was a daughter of Nyurai'in Shigesato , Yukimado . Shimazu Yoshihiro and Shimazu Toshihisa are his brothers....
suggested the Arima renounce Christianity, but this was only refused by Harunobu.
After the latter invaded Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
during the year of 1587, Harunobu allied with the likes of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
. During the year of 1592, the allied force led some 2,000 men to Korea under Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was the son of a wealthy Sakai merchant, Konishi Ryūsa...
. During the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
during the year of 1600, Harunobu supported Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, and thus didn't lose any land during the end result of the battle.
During the year of 1609, Harunobu was tasked to scout out a potential trade center for Japanese, Chinese, and that of Western ships. When they arrived, many of the islanders attacked Harunobu's men, and many ended up being killed. Later that same year, a trading ship Harunobu had sent to Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
was attacked by the Portuguese while stopping at Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. Harunobu retaliated this the following year by attacking the Portuguese tradingship Madre de Deus coming to Nagasaki from Macau. Immediately follow this incident, the Okamotodaihachi Jiken resulted in Arima Harunobu's death. A certain Okamoto Daihachi who is a servant of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
's close advisor Honda Masazumi
Honda Masazumi
' was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. He later became a daimyo, and one of the first rōjū of the Tokugawa Shogunate....
was sent to Harunobu to congratulate on his latest triumph again the Portuguese. Okamoto was apparently also a Christian and he was entertained by Arima Harunobu with a feast. During the banquet, Okamoto told Arima that through his influence upon his master, he can allow Arima to recover three gun (郡) territories that were lost to the Ryūzōji clan
Ryuzoji clan
The was a Japanese clan which claimed descent from Fujiwara Hidesato. It came to prominence in the Sengoku period, in the fighting in northern Kyūshū. Their descendants became retainers of the Matsudaira clan of Aizu, and remained there until the Meiji Restoration...
over the preceding years. Arima believed him and sent him many gold and silver to lobby for him in the Tokugawa government.
However, Okamoto pocketed the money but never did anything and when Arima Harunobu encountered Honda Masazumi during his obligatory visit to Edo, he learned that Honda Masazumi was unaware of Arima Harunobu's dealings with Okamoto. Furious with Okamoto, Arima presented the case to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu immediately imprisoned Okamoto, further investigation revealed that Arima had various other dealings with Okamoto and they were involved in a conspiracy to assassinate the Bugyo of Nagasaki. In the end, Okamoto to sentenced to death by fire, while Arima was stripped of his holdings and exiled to province of Kai. When ordered by the Shogunate to commit suicide, Arima refused based upon his Christian principles and instead ordered his retainers to behead him.
St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote of his death as follows:
The emperor had deposed and exiled him, in consequence of an odious intrigue concocted against him by his own son, named MichaelArima Naozumiwas the first son of the Kirishitan daimyo Arima Harunobu. He was baptized as a child with the name Miguel . He was born in Hinoe Castle in Shimabara but was sent by his father to work beside Tokugawa Ieyasu at the age of 15...
. In his exile King John led a very penitent life, to repair all the bad example that he had given, and he desired nothing so much as to expiate by his death his past iniquities. God soon brought about the accomplishment of his desires.
Prince Michael, not content with having thus humbled his father, and with seating himself on his throne, wished also to deprive him of life. He had him accused to the emperor of several supposed crimes. The latter, taking counsel only of the hatred that he bore him, condemned him without trial to be beheaded, and sent one hundred and fifty soldiers to carry out the sentence. It is the custom in Japan that when it is desired that a prince should die, the persons of his court defend him till death. But John begged his servants not to oppose his execution, and through affection for him they obeyed most reluctantly. Moreover, he made them swear not to open his body after death.... He then wrote to his unnatural son a letter full of tenderness, and asked his pardon should he ever have offended him. He afterwards had the Passion of Jesus Christ read to him, praying with tears that the many sins of his past life might be forgiven him. Having had a crucifix put before him, he went on his knees and calmly awaited the death-blow. The good Princess Justa, his wife, who was present, took the head of her husband between her hands and kissed it. Then she withdrew to her apartments, where she cut off her hair, indicating thereby that she renounced the world.
The new king of Arima, the infamous parricideParricideParricide is defined as:*the act of murdering one's father , mother or other close relative, but usually not children ....
Michael, after having taken possession of all the goods of his father, declared war against the Christian religion....
His son Arima Naozumi married Tokugawa Ieyasu's adopted daughter Kuni-hime and as a result inherited the land that was confiscated from his father.