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Amakusa "Francisco" Shirō | |
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 Amakusa Shirō | |
| Born | Masuda Shirō c. 1621 |
| Died | 12 April 1638 (aged 17) |
| Occupation(s) | Samurai, Revolutionary |
Masuda Shirō Tokisada (益田 四郎 時貞;c. 1621? – 28 February 1638), also known asAmakusa Shirō (天草 四郎), was a JapaneseChristian of theEdo period and leader of theShimabara Rebellion, an uprising ofJapanese Roman Catholics against theShogunate. HisChristian name was Geronimo and was later known as Francisco.
The uprising led by Shirō was defeated, and he was executed at the age of 17. His head was displayed on a pike near Nagasaki as a warning to Christians. His failures were reflected in the 1962 movieAmakusa Shirō Tokisada [ja] (shown in English-speaking countries asThe Christian Revolt orThe Revolutionary),[1] by the Japanese movie directorNagisa Oshima.
Shirō was born in 1621 as the son ofCatholic parents, Masuda Jinbei (益田 甚兵衛), a former Konishi clan retainer, and his wife. Urban legend speculates that Shirō could have been the illegitimate son ofToyotomi Hideyori, but these claims have little credibility.[citation needed]
Portuguese Jesuit missionaries had been active in Japan since the late 16th century. By the age of 15, the charismatic youth was known to his Japanese Catholic followers as "Heaven's messenger". Miraculous powers were attributed to him.[2]
Shirō was among Japanese Catholics who took overHara Castle in a rebellion against the Shogunate. They mounted a coordinated defense that held off attackers, but the rebel force had no logistical support, and their resolve was weakened. Shirō was said to display posters in the castle to raise morale and said:
"Now, those who accompany me in being besieged in this castle, will be my friends unto the next world."[3]
One of the rebel soldiers,Yamada Emosaku [ja], betrayed Shirō. He got a message to the Shogunate that rebel food supplies were running low. The Shogunate forces made a final assault, taking Hara Castle in the process. The Shogunate forces massacred almost 40,000 rebels. Yamada was the only recorded survivor.[citation needed]
Shirō was taken captive and executed after the castle was overtaken. His head was displayed on a pike inNagasaki for an extended period of time as a warning to potential Christian rebels.
This article incorporates text from OpenHistory.
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