Japan: Expulsion of Missionaries

Did it result in change?

Yes, the missionaries and padres were now expelled from Japan and Christianity needed to be practiced in secret after this notice was announced

What does it look like?

A digitized version of an older document

An announcement in a form of a numbered list

How does this author communicate ideas?

A list of statements

The statements were firm - not up for argument

What ideas are left out?

I don't have any background knowledge on this topic, so I am not sure what ideas the writer could have left out

Whose perspectives are omitted/questioned/challenged?

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was publicly challenging the missionaries and the Japanese citizens who were converting

What does it reveal about the values and beliefs of the past?

This reveals how popular Christianity was becoming, and how big announcements, decisions, and new laws needed to be put in place to stop it

Who wrote it? Why?

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Japanese ruler

Known as the second "Great Unifer" of Japan

To condemn and expel the Christian missionaries from Japan

What are the big ideas?

Christian teachings from other countries will "not be tolerated"

The destroying of shrines and temples was an "outrage"

The illegal action of commending part of your land to the Church

The tenants doing this are meant to consider their land as a only a temporary asset

Anyone who is negatively effecting Buddhism in Japan is no longer welcome in the country

Whose perspective does it reflect?

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

A firm believer in Buddhism, and tried to preserve the traditional Japanese culture; the faith was wavering because of Christianity and Western colonization

Which questions can this source help me answer? Which can it not?

How much influence did Japanese rulers have over religion in the country?

This document shows us how a ruler could simply ban certain religions in their country

We don't know if the expulsion of missionaries worked. Who was still practicing Christianity in Japan after this?

We don't know how the people of Japan felt about this. How strongly were the Japanese connected to their faith and traditions in this time period?