The Persecution of the Kirishitan (Christian) Faith in Japan  In Japan, for 250 years, there were people who hid their Christian faith for more than seven, eight, or nine generations, without being noticed even by their neighbors or the local government.Those who used to be called as Kakure (Hidden) Kirishitan (Christian in old Japanese), are now called Senpuku Kirishitan (潜伏キリシタン), Underground Christian.  I first heard the name during a junior high history class about 30 years ago. At that time, I did not have any impression on them and only acknowledged their past existence. However, as the time passed, I found that the story of these underground Christian is not about the past but rather a dynamic drama that continues to live even now.      There is a statement that shakes the thought lurking under unconsciousness:  “Priests from Portuguese and Spain continue to preach against the government order, speaking ill of Shinto, blaming Buddhism, and lacking righteousness and goodness. Kirishitans…