My pilgrimage to Japan begins in Nagasaki
Travel | Sacred Travel | Japan
10 April 2024
My Japan pilgrimage begins not where Xavier landed, but in Nagasaki — the Rome of the East, home of the 26 Martyrs, and where the atomic bomb fell in 1945. Two days of extraordinary pilgrimage, Xavier cake included. (6 min read)
In 2015 I began research for a book about St Francisco Xavier to complement the books on St Ignatius of Loyola and St Francis of Assisi. What I had in mind was another combination of biography and travel narrative. I visited sites connected with Xavier in Spain, Italy, India and Malaysia but felt I could not complete the book without also visiting Japan and Macau. And now, almost 10 years later, I’m revisiting this project.
I will be visiting most of the places in Japan related to Xavier but, ironically, I start my pilgrimage in a place he never visited — Nagasaki.
Nagasaki is really important in the history of Christianity in Japan. It was gifted to the Jesuits in 1580 and became known as the Rome of the East — initially because of all the churches and later because of all the Christian martyrs.
And then we have the atomic bomb… which is where I think Xavier’s teachings come to the fore — the people of Nagasaki turned the tragedy into something sublime by seeing themselves as martyrs for peace — that, because of their suffering, there would never be an atomic bomb used on earth again.
My preparation for this trip led me to a wonderful local project to educate the world about Christianity in Japan, as well as a book called “The Bells of Nagasaki” by Takahasi Nagai — a doctor who witnessed the atomic bomb, got irradiated, lost his loved ones and yet worked to save others. And guess what, he’s in the line to become a saint!
I have had a very busy couple of days in Nagasaki and yesterday I took some photographs of very moving things connected to deep, deep pain. My first stop was the 26 Martyrs Museum and the first object I saw was a statue of Xavier called “The Eternal Pilgrim”. The museum includes first and second class relics of Xavier, Ignatius and Borgia, as well as some of the 26 Martyrs.
Everywhere else I visited, from the Museum of History and Culture, to the Art Museum, to the Museum of the Atomic Bomb, to various churches, as well as the hypocentre of the bomb itself and even the market, gave some prominence to Xavier. It seems like there is affection for him in Japan.
As I write this I’m eating a sweet Xavier Cake from the market. The box says: “Francis Xavier gave happiness to many people and taught our country the light of civilisation and God’s teachings. In commemoration of him, have a confectionary, please from the Sweet Shop”.
The highlight of Nagasaki is, by far, the 26 Martyrs Museum. I visited it twice. Today I met the museum director (a Jesuit, of course) and commended him on the museological approach. I also picked his brain about a few issues because he’s also a scholar who has written about Xavier’s legacy. An excellent contact for the book. He wrote an excellent forward to the museum’s catalogue that summarises the history of Christianity in Japan and I’ve asked him for a copy.
We discussed Juan Fernandez, the layman (Brother) who assisted Xavier during his time in Japan. I am very interested in his story and the museum director agreed that it needs to be told. While Juan died in Hirado, no one knows where he is buried — so I tasked him with finding out so I can go there on my next visit. There will be something about Juan in my book.
Apart from all the Christian business, I’ve been immersed in Japanese culture… and literally immersed in the Onsen at my hotel for 3 nights in a row. This country is so clean and so civilised and everyone is nice to me. You can soak in the onsen while your laundry gets done in the adjacent room. I’ve been eating very well and you can see the beautiful, healthy, vego meals on instagram.
Tomorrow I travel by train to another harbour city called Kagoshima in the very south of Kyushu — the place where Xavier arrived in 1549. I will keep you posted.
Namaste.
PS, I have a second box of Xavier sweets to give away.
© Paul McCarthy & Iluminar.au
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