南蛮寺京都In downtown Kyoto is a mostly-forgotten historical marker commemorating a long-gone church.
In the 1500s, Spanish and Portuguese missionaries began arriving in Japan. For a brief period, they were allowed to proselytize and build churches.
Houses of worship were constructed in various cities and locations in Japan.
In 1561, a small chapel was built in Kyoto.
The missionaries who built the church were from Spain, and were referred to in Japanese as "Nanban" - southern barbarians.
The chapel was thus referred to locally as "Nanban Dera," or Barbarian Temple. The missionaries themselves called it St. Mary's.
In 1576, according to records, the Kyoto church was in need of repair and rebuilt.
In 1587, however, Toyotomi Hideyoshi - alarmed by the spread of Christianity - issued the Purge Directive Order to the Jesuits, which banned the missionaries and their activities.
The church was soon thereafter torn down and never rebuilt.
Today, the historical marker is in front of a Wako Corporation building, and was surrounded by employee bicycles.
© CycleKyoto.com
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