Shimabara Rebellion

Shimabara Rebellion (Shimabara no ran) was an armed rebellion in the early Edo period. This rebellion involving peasants, Christians and ronin in the Shimabara Peninsula, Hizen Province. Shimabara Rebellion took place from 1637 until early 1638. Shimabara Rebellion is the first major rebellion since the unification of Japan by the Tokugawa clan. There are two reasons behind the emergence of the Shimabara Rebellion, the excessive tax burden and oppression of the Christianity.

Background

In the Sengoku period Shimabara was the Arima clan’s territory. Arima clan and most of the population in the Shimabara had embraced the Christianity spread by the Spanish missionaries. In 1615, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the Toyotomi clan, his last rival in the Battle of Osaka. As a result, the Arima clan which supports the Toyotomi lost their territory. Shimabara then given to Matsukura Shigemasa. Initially, Shigemasa act softly toward Christians in Shimabara. However, to ensure his loyalty to the shogun, Shigemasa began oppressing the Christians.
Shimabara Castle is a 5-story white castle that was completed in 1624.
To impress the shogun, Shigemasa submitted a proposal containing a very ambitious plan of the invasion of Luzon Island, Philippines. At that time, Luzon became the base of the Spanish to spread Christianity to Japan. Shigemasa proposal approved. Shigemasa immediately made preparations. He borrowed the capital from the merchants in Sakai, Hirato, and Nagasaki to finance the war. In addition, he built the castle and construction projects with large cost. People are suffering because of high tax burden. Soon, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to cancel the plan to attack Luzon. He was not ready to do war with the Spanish.
Shigemasa died in 1630 and was succeeded by his son, Matsukura Katsuie. Matsukura Katsuie inherited his father’s debts. To pay these debts, he raises taxes and act crueler than his father. Many poor farmers were tortured to death because they were unable to pay taxes. The persecution of Christians becomes even more-so. People in the Karatsu region also experienced a similar fate, they were suppressed by Terazawa clan. In the depressed condition, rumors spread among the people who say that a savior will emerge to free them from the suffering. The ronin who were former followers of the daimyo who controlled the region, gather and planned a rebellion against the ruling tyrant.

The Rebellion

In the fall of 1637, 16 farmers were arrested and sentenced to death. This is because they were pray in Christian way. This incident aroused the anger of the people. They attack and kill a tax collector called Hayashi Hyozaemon. The riot quickly spread to the surrounding area. The rebels attacked government offices and Buddhist temples. They are also killing the officials and monks. The heads of the victims were carried to the Shimabara castle owned by Matsukura Katsuie. The rebels raised Amakusa Shiro, who was still a teenager, as their leader. Amakusa Shiro was the son Masuda Jinbei, a former follower of daimyo Konishi Yukinaga.

Buddhistic statues of Jizō, beheaded by rebelling Christians. Image via Wikipedia

In Karatsu, people take up arms and surrounded the two Terazawa clan’s castle that is, Hondo and Tomioka. When these castles are in critical condition, government troops brought in from other areas in the Kyushu island. The government troops repulsed the rebels successfully. The siege led by Amakusa Shiro on Shimabara Castle was also successfully broken. They retreated and consolidated power in the ruins of Hara Castle. Hara Castle is a former castle of Arima clan while they are still in power. Until December 3, 1637, the number of rebels gathered at Hara Castle reached 35,000 people. They consist of the ronin, farmers, and the civilians, including women, children, and old people. They built a solid defense at the Hara Castle. They have adequate weapons, ammunition, and food supplies. Most of their supplies come from the warehouses owned by Matsukura.
On December 27, 1637, the rebels defeated the governor of Nagasaki, Terazawa Katataka. Of 3000 people Katataka’s troops, only about 200 people remaining. Katataka retreat and ask for help from the central government to crush the rebels. On January 3, 1638, government forces under the command of Itakura Shigemasa arrived in Shimabara. This force consists of more than 30,000 people. They managed to defeat the rebels in a battle. The government troops continued to chase and surrounded the rebels in Hara Castle. However, Hara Castle defense was very strong. The first attack causes many casualties in the government’s side, including Shigemasa himself.
The Shogun was aware of the seriousness of the situation in Shimabara. He sends 120,000 troops equipped with Arquebus and cannon to reinforce his troops in Shimabara. Matsuidara Nobutsuna was appointed to replace Shigemasa. However, Matsuidara Nobutsuna frustrated because he still cannot defeat the rebels. Matsuidara Nobutsuna then asks for help from the Dutch merchant ships to bombard the Hara Castle from the sea. Nicolas Koekebakker, head of the Dutch trading post in Hirado, provides assistance in the form of gunpowder and cannon to the Japanese government. Koekebakker even lead his own ship called de Ryp to shore near the Castle Hara. Hara castle was bombarded from the land and sea. Unfortunately, this bombardment did not work, even the two Dutch scouts shot by the rebels.
The rebels are making fun of the government. They say that the government forces have no capable man and should ask for foreign aid only to face a weaker opponent. The government asked the Dutch ship to be pulled back and the siege continued without foreign aid. Furthermore the government sends some ninjas to infiltrate the castle for reconnaissance missions and killing the rebel leader, but nothing worked. Their disguises revealed because they cannot speak the local dialect and did not understand Christianity.

The End of the Rebellion

Entering the mid-February 1638, the rebels have started entering hard times. Their food and ammunition are running low. Some daring rebel forces infiltrate into the government camp to steal food. Unfortunately, they were caught and sentenced to death. Matsuidara ordered an autopsy of their bodies. In their stomach was found only grass and leaves. Matsuidara felt it was time to launch a large-scale attack. He decided to launch the raid on February 29. However, the day before the troops led by Nabeshima Katsushige already begun to attack.
On March 10, 1638, all government troops have been concentrated in Shimabara. In April, a heavy battle broke out between 27,000 rebels and 125,000 government troops. The rebells suffered defeat and had to retreat. On 12 April 1638, troops from Hizen under Kuroda Tadayuki successfully penetrate the outer defenses of Hara Castle. Amakusa Shiro was killed in battle. The rebellion was put down on April 15, after a fierce battle and much bloodshed.

Statue of Amakusa Shirō at the site of Hara Castle Image via Wikipedia

After the rebellion was put down, as many as 37,000 rebels and sympathizers decapitated massively, including women, and children. The head of Amakusa was taken to Nagasaki and displayed in public. Hara castle burned with the corpses of the rebels in it. Christianity was banned in Japan and Christian followers were persecuted and hunted. The Portuguese, Spanish and other Western nations expelled from Japan. However, the Dutch was rewarded with a trading post on Dejima for their help during the war. Later, from this small island Japan opened his eyes to the outside world after isolating themselves during the Edo period.