Kirk here with something for history buffs. I’ll append a ChatGPT 4.0 translation, which I think is pretty good.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/874059?display=1
— ChatGPT 4.0 translation of article — New Documents Discovered Related to Hidden Christians: “Retaliation against the Village Headman for Leading Christian Hunts” Described December 4, 2023, Monday, 15:24
New documents related to hidden Christians, previously unexplored, have been discovered in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
The newly found documents pertain to hidden Christians following the “Amakusa Collapse” (Amakusa Kuzure). The Amakusa Collapse refers to an incident in the late Edo period where many Christians were captured.
The documents reveal that, six years after the Amakusa Collapse, there was turmoil in a village where the community sought the dismissal of the village headman of Imatomi Village (current Imatomi, Kawaura Town, Amakusa City). The headman is believed to have led the search for Christians, and the turmoil was considered retaliation against him for these actions.
From these documents, it can be understood that the faith of the hidden Christians was preserved even after the Amakusa Collapse. It also sheds light on how the village headmen, including other locals at the time, perceived the existence of hidden Christians. The discovery of these private documents, apart from official records, is said to be very rare.
Professor Keimei Ando, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kumamoto University: “A comprehensive analysis of these documents may reveal a new image of hidden Christians in Amakusa.”
Starting December 7, an exhibition interpreting these ancient documents will be held at the Amakusa Christian Museum and Amakusa Rosario Museum.
