What if Japan became Christian?

Patreon:   / videntishistory   Discord:   / discord   Christianity was introduced to Japan by Portuguese Jesuits in 1549. The faith spread rapidly, particularly in Kyushu, where many daimyo embraced it, seeking advantageous European alliances. Missions flourished, with Jesuit schools and churches offering charity and education. However, the rise alarmed the ruling elite. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, fearing foreign influence and loyalty to Rome, issued a 1587 edict banning missionaries, though enforcement was lax. The turning point came in 1597 with the martyrdom of the 26 Jesuit missionaries, crucified in Nagasaki. Under Tokugawa Ieyasu, persecution intensified; the 1614 edict expelled all missionaries and forced Christians to apostatize or face death. Fed up with the fierce persecution, Christian peasants led the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637, but were brutally crushed as Christianity was driven underground while the Tokugawa shogunate isolated Japan. Today we explore what could've happened if Christianity continued to flourish in Japan before eventually taking over as the main religion of Japan. YT CODE: TLLVH1N3QQL2U07E #alternatehistory #althistory #history #japan #japanesehistory #samurai #shimabararebellion #JustoTakayama #kirishitan #mapping