IKITSUKI, Japan — On this small island in rural Nagasaki, Japan’s Hidden Christians gather to worship what they call the Closet God. In a special room about the size of a tatami mat is a scroll ...

Spanish and Portuguese missionaries arrived in Japan in the 1500s, but Christianity was later banned and Christians disguised their faith with a... Driven Underground Years Ago, Japan's 'Hidden ...

On this small island in rural Nagasaki, Japan, a community of Hidden Christians gathers to worship what they call the Closet God. In a special room, barely larger than a tatami mat, hangs a scroll ...

Yoshitaka Oishi and others chant "Orasho" prayers during their annual performance at the Ikitsuki Island Museum "Shima no Yakata" in Ikitsuki Island in Hirado, southern Japan, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

Christians in Japan should keep alive the memory of the persecution their ancestors endured for their faith and should also pray for Christians suffering persecution around the world today, Pope ...

Catholics in Japan have endured centuries of persecution. The currently small — but devout — presence of the Church in Japan is built upon the witness of untold numbers of martyrs, many of whom died ...

Now that Shogun (review) has debuted, we're resurfacing our chat with the new series' showrunners. Based on James Clavell’s bestselling classic novel, Hulu and FX’s upcoming 10-episode limited series ...

IKITSUKI, Japan — On this small island in rural Nagasaki, Japan ’s Hidden Christians gather to worship what they call the Closet God. In a special room about the size of a tatami mat is a scroll ...

IKITSUKI ISLAND, Japan (Reuters) - One by one, the sacred relics -- a medal of the Virgin Mary, a crucifix and other revered objects -- are taken from a cupboard and placed on an altar for a Christmas ...