The Japanese Jesuit Decree of 1587 and Christian expulsions

Record summary

Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s 1587 order concerning missionaries and Christianity is preserved through Japanese and European documentary traditions and is central to debates about early modern religious policy. The decree did not immediately eliminate Christian communities, and its practical meaning varied with political circumstances, local alliances, and later enforcement. It matters for comparing official persecution narratives with missionary accounts and community-level adaptation. Researchers should consult the Japanese text, translations, and Jesuit correspondence rather than relying on simplified claims that a single edict created uniform nationwide suppression.