Skip to main content

HASEKURA TSUNENAGA, SAMURAI - 7 AUGUST

 

HASEKURA TSUNENAGA
 (PHILIP FRANCIS FAXICURA)


Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga was born 1571 of Japanese imperial descent and chose the name Francisco Felipe Faxicura when he was baptised a Christian in the Catholic Church in Spain in 1615.

He was the son of Yamaguchi Tsuneshige, who was a descendant of Emperor Kanmu. A mid-level noble samurai in the Sendai Domain in northern Japan, Hasekura served as a samurai during the Japanese invasion of Korea under the Taikō Toyotomi Hideyoshi, for six months in 1597. In 1612, Hasekura's father was indicted for corruption, and was put to death in 1613. His fief was confiscated, and his son should normally have been executed as well. Date, however, gave him the opportunity to redeem his honour by placing him in charge of the Embassy to Europe, and soon gave him back his territories as well.

Hasekura headed the Keichō Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V and Europe. This mission, which took place from 1613 to 1620, was the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the Americas and Europe, marking a significant milestone in the history of international relations. The planning and preparation for the trip were extensive. Masamune commissioned the construction of the San Juan Bautista, a Western-style galleon, to carry Hasekura
 and his entourage across the Pacific. The delegation included around 180 people, including samurai, merchants, and Christian missionaries.

Their journey began in Sendai, from where they sailed to Acapulco in New Spain (modern-day Mexico), the first recorded voyage of a Japanese-built ship crossing the Pacific. They visited various other ports-of-call in Europe on the way. On the return leg, Hasekura and his entourage re-traced their route across New Spain in 1619, sailing from Acapulco for Manila, and then continuing northward to Japan in 1620.

In Spain they had been received by King Philip III. Hasekura's audience with the Spanish king had been significant event, demonstrating the growing interest in and recognition of Japan on the global stage.
They had arrived in Rome on September 20, 1615 and had been received by Cardinal Burgecio; the delegation had met Pope Paul V on November 3. Hasekura handed to the Pope two gilded letters, one in Japanese and one in Latin, containing a request for a trade treaty between Japan and Mexico and the dispatch of Christian missionaries to Japan. These letters are still kept in the Vatican archives to this day.

What became of Hasekura after finishing his travels is unknown and accounts of his last years vary. He definitely did return to his native Japan, but the political atmosphere had changed drastically, and Christians began to experience one most relentless persecution after the other. His date of death is recorded as August 7, 1622. The fate of his descendants and servants, who were later executed for being Christians, suggests that Hasekura remained strongly Christian and transmitted his faith to the members of his family.

Sources:
https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-8/hasekura-tsunenaga/?srsltid=AfmBOop3OCTc3ojbWFtYByXnDyHJg0B-__7rESCYiyJhVm7FxYynlYKy
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/hasekura-tsunenaga/m04gnk0?hl=en
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasekura_Tsunenaga
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/jun/07/hasekura-rokuemon-tsunenaga-japan-samurai-charmed-courts-europe


















Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WELCOME

  Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31   February - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17 18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...
Post a Comment
Read more

BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR Richard Newport, alias Smith , was born in Northamptonshire and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college of Rheims (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Douay diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome, where he was made priest. From thence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute.  He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the apostles, in behalf of thi...
Post a Comment
Read more