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| ^Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's figure. Locating at Junkyou Kouen (Martyrdom Park) in Hondo City of Amakusa Islands, Kumamoto Prefecture. | ||
The content in this page was mainly taken from Shinseisha's Samurai Spirits -Amakusa Kohrin Fan Book and additional information and images are taken from Chuukohbunko's Japanese History book.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was a real person and existed in Japanese history. In SS story, he is a interesting character that he is actually a spirit who inhabits Hattori Hanzo's son's body. Now let's see about his role in the history which SNK picked a part from. (Please be patient while the images are loading)
Thank Mika Sensei and Fr. Sakamoto for their kind help by explaining additional information about the uprising and translating of difficult words to me.
This area had been Christianized before the Tokugawa Shogunate, began its general persecution of the faith in February 1614. The Shogunate considered the rebellion as Christian-inspired, a critical factor in its final decision to cut off all contact with Catholic nations. Both Shimabara Peninsula and Amakusa Islands were originally ruled by Christian Daimyos, Konishi Yukinaga, together with Arima Harunobu.
Christian farmers were in high ratio. However, at that time, many Christian farmers were persecuted by Bakufu Government. The new ruler of Shimabara Territory, Matsukura Shigemasa and his son Katsuie, and the ruler of Karatsu of Amakusa Islands, Terasawa Katataka, tyrannically seized Christian farmers by increasing high tax level. If any farmers expressed his unsatisfactory, he would be accused a Christian and taken for torture. Especially Matsukura Shigemasa, he fixed very high tax level to gain money to use in Shimabara Castle construction as far as people died of starvation and many were tortured. Many methods of torture were recorded, such as loading naked body into hot acid pool at the top of Unzen Mountain, burning people wearing straw clothes alive; turtoring and drown people in water, and other horrific methods of torture. Moreover, when the productivity of Shimabara had decreased, the starvation expanded. The Christian farmers' anger increased more and more util it finally exploded.
On October 15,1637, The rebel assembled at Kuchi-No-Tsu Village at the southernmost of Shimabara Peninsula. The rebel included "Korobi Kirishitan" or people who were originally Christian but forced to change their religion, other farmers in nearby villages, masterless Samurai (Ronin), and also former vassals of Daimyo Konishi Yukinaga who had been defeated and executed by the Tokugawa in 1600.
The following day, the rebel army attacked and
ruined Amakusa Castle. Later, they were reported that Matsukura Katsuie could
escape and requested for helps from nearby region. However, Daimyos, who adopted
the rule of Samurai that they would not interface other territories' matter,
did not give him any helps. Anyhow, they were waiting for support from
Bakufu Government. In this chance, the rebel army stationing at the south of
Shimabara were also supported by people in Amakusa archipelago. The rebel army
reached approximately 37,000 participants, 86% of them respected their leader,
Mazuda Shirou Tokisada or another name, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
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| ^Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's figure. Locating at Junkyou Kouen (Martyrdom Park) in Hondo City of Amakusa Islands, Kumamoto Prefecture. | ||
At that time, Amakusa Shirou was only 16 years old. It is believed that he probably was born in 1622 (Genwa 8th year) in Higo Domain. His father, Mazuda Jinbei Yoshistugu, (Christian Name: Peter) lived in Ohyanoshima, had been a subordinate of Konishi Yukinaga and he might become a Christian due to this influence. Mazuda Shirou had the religious name as "Jeronimo" (some recent resources mentioned "Francisco"). He was well educated and got a chance to study in Nagasaki. He also was a very good looking young man with woman-liked beautiful face.
The reasons that made him become the leader of the rebel army were not only his appearance and knowledge, but because of his miracle power. He told people that he was "The Descendant from Heaven". Some of his miracle were recorded, such as walking on water surface, drifting on the sky, and calling pigeons to lay eggs and then picked up a bible from the eggs. Although his miracle power was doubtful, people still respected him as the person who was protected by holy power.
Mazuda Shirou and the Ronins who were renamed as the places in Shimabara and Amakusa Islands (See the map) : Chijiwa Sakusa-emon , Arima Gyobu , Arie Kenmotsu , Kuchinotsu Sahyoe , Ohyano Gensatsu , Mori Soui , Senzoku Zen-emon, Hondo Tajima , Shiki Tango , Sumoto Sakyo ; led the rebel army and stationed in Hara Castle which was originally Arima Clan's castle to oppose the enemy.
The
opposite, Bakufu Government by Shogun Iemitsu was daring and thought that
it was not too late to deal with the rebel. A Daimyo in Kyushuu, Itakura Shigemasa
was commanded to approach the uprising area on December 15, 1637; 2 months later
from the begining of uprising. On the new year day following year, Itakura made
mistakes on attack plan and he was killed in the battle field. Finally, Bakufu
Government realized that the uprising was in a serious situation and immediately
forwarded a command to a talent of Bakufu Government, "The Wisdom of Izu" (Chie
Izu), Matsudaira Nobusuna. He set up new government armies from fled soldiers
and began to attack the rebel army in Hara Castle on February 28,1638. Finally,
the rebel army were defeated and surrendered to the government army. Hara Castle
had nothing remain and everyone except a traitor was killed. Mazuda Shirou was
also killed by a Samurai of Kumamoto Hosokawa's army and his head was displayed
in public at Nagasaki for a long period of time.
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At the first time, it
was written as 
(Ki-Ri-Shi-Tan). After Shimabara Uprising, since
the fifth Shogun of Edo period, Tokugawa Tsuneyoshi (1646-1709) , it had been
changed into 
(Kiri-Shi-Tan).
The Christianity in Japan was first introduced by Francis Xavior in 1459 or in Muromachi Period. It had widly spread out, especially in port towns such as Nagasaki. Later, in Edo Period, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu realized that Christianity was politically dangerous to his regime, he issued his first Anti-Christian edict in 1612. The broken out of Shimabara Uprising pushed the Shogunate to its most extreme anti-Christian measures. All Japanese families required to register at a local temple and annually showed evidences that they were not contaminated by Christianity.
Amakuda Shirou's Battle Flag:
