Show HONOR MARTYRS OF NIPPON japanese catholics have set aside february 5 as the holiest hollest day in titar C glende glen dr the catholics of japan havo have get fet aside february 5 as the festival of the martyrs of nippon this day Is their holiest hollest day of the year st francis xavier introduced christianity 5 japan early IP in the sixteenth century but it has not made much progress among the population of people who follow shinto ond and buddha there are about christians la in japan of whom are catholics and protestants A number of jesuit missionaries followed st francis to the east and no opposition to christianity was encountered until 40 years after the plo pioneers death then a rigid persecution was begun and thousands of christians were murdered all christian rites were forbidden japanese converts 0 ko together zether in a confraternity of martyrs for the it tae of deylii for or christ many little children the organization all or as many as were caught were put to death noblemen is s well as the poor shared the same fate some were buried alive and left to die of starvation while others were be headed the festival of nippon commemorates these martyrs deaths |