26 Martyrs of Japan

The 26 Martyrs of Japan were Catholic missionaries and Japanese Christians executed on February 5, 1597, during Japan’s early Christian persecution. They included Jesuit missionaries and Japanese converts who refused to renounce their faith amid government suppression of Christianity. Their martyrdom symbolized resistance against religious oppression and became a significant event in the history of Christianity in Japan. Canonized as saints by the Catholic Church in 1862, their sacrifice highlights the clash between local authorities and foreign religious influence during Japan’s period of isolation.