The Miya-no-mae Incident

"It must have been more than thirty years ago when Wang Zhi came to Hirado. He fled from Ming as a pirate and came to Hirado. Lord Takanobu received him as an honored guest in this very mansion. Wang Zhi continued his trade using Hirado as his base, bringing great wealth to Hirado. In the process, Wang Zhi came to have dealings with Portuguese merchants from your homeland. The Portuguese heard about Japan and Hirado from Wang Zhi and wished dearly to go there. So Wang Zhi decided to introduce them to Lord Takanobu."

Having said that much, Tagawa poked the hearth with fire tongs and turned over the charred firewood. Ash danced in the air, and the embers crackled.

"Lord Takanobu was greatly pleased when he met the Portuguese through Wang Zhi's mediation. The southern barbarian artifacts and curiosities were unlike any trade goods we had seen before. And above all, there were firearms and gunpowder. Delighted, Lord Takanobu showed them great tolerance and gladly permitted the propagation of Christianity. He believed this would lead to expanded trade. In no time, thousands of people on Ikitsuki Island and throughout Hirado's islands and towns became Christians. I too, at Lord Takanobu's behest, received baptism. I was also ordered to learn Portuguese. For several years thereafter, I studied Christian doctrine at the Jesuit mission, mastered Portuguese, and sometimes even engaged in missionary work."

Raquel filled her own tea bowl with hot water and listened intently to Tagawa's story while sipping the plain hot water. It was largely the same story she had heard from Pereira. However, she could not help but be amazed at the speed with which conversion to Christianity had progressed.

"But then, as the number of Christians increased, various problems began to arise in Hirado. The first clash was with the temples. Incidents of domain subjects who had converted to Christianity attacking Buddhist temples and destroying Buddha statues occurred repeatedly. You understand, don't you? From a Christian perspective, worshipping human-shaped Buddha statues was clearly idolatry. This wasn't necessarily led by the Jesuits. I know this well because I also served as an interpreter for the Jesuits. The missionaries could easily imagine that if Japanese Christians engaged in such destructive acts, relations with Lord Takanobu would deteriorate and adversely affect their missionary work. However, among the Japanese who had converted, there were repeatedly those who became fervent in their faith and engaged in destructive acts in their zeal."

While listening to Tagawa's story, Raquel felt a slight fear. Was it a Japanese characteristic that once they became fanatical, they would follow their beliefs and engage in surprising collective actions? Ignoring the silent Raquel, Tagawa continued his story.

"Such destructive acts by Japanese Christians began to be reported frequently to Lord Takanobu. Buddhist leaders pressed him to expel the missionaries immediately. The Buddhist forces were strong, you see. Their appeals could not be ignored. However, if he expelled the Jesuits, Portuguese trading ships would stop coming. Since the Portuguese arrived, battles in Japan had increasingly become contests of firearms. Without lead bullets and gunpowder, it would be difficult to stop formidable enemies like the Ryuzoji in land battles. I could clearly understand Lord Takanobu's dilemma. But the situation did not improve in the least. Eventually, the Christians' destructive acts extended to shrines as well. Shrines have no idols. But to the fanatical Christians, praying to anything other than Deus must have seemed entirely immoral."

"The intolerance toward non-believers shown by fanatical Christians has also disrupted my life."

Raquel's true feelings inadvertently slipped from her lips.

"Indeed. I would like to hear your story as well. But first, let me tell you how things ended."

Tagawa shifted his posture, slightly favoring his injured leg. He sat down again and continued speaking.

"The incident occurred at Miya-no-mae, where you saw the summer festival. It happened more than ten years ago. That place is called Shichiro-miya Shrine. It has long been a place where Chinese sea gods are enshrined. Maritime trade cannot succeed without the protection of sea gods. Miya-no-mae is a sacred place where transactions are conducted before the gods. Commerce conducted there must be fair and honest. Transactions between Japanese and Portuguese merchants also took place at Miya-no-mae for business negotiations. While negotiations are part of commerce, perhaps due to the sea god's power, things generally concluded amicably."

Having said that much, Tagawa looked up slightly as if remembering something.

"But that day was different. Japanese and Portuguese merchants got into a fight over a silk transaction. It was a dispute about pricing. The Japanese had already harbored resentment against the Christians who destroyed shrines and temples. The commercial dispute became the spark that ignited a melee between both sides. We samurai, called by the townspeople, immediately intervened to mediate. We desperately tried to persuade them. However, the enraged Portuguese returned to their ship and came back armed. They seemed to think that we samurai had sided with the Japanese. That was never our intention."

"So an unsatisfactory transaction was forced upon them in the sacred place of Miya-no-mae. That poured fuel on the fire of Japanese anger that had been building up from having their shrines and temples destroyed."

"Exactly. Of course, the southern barbarian merchants had their own arguments. Rough seas had continued, making navigation difficult and disrupting procurement. Scarcity drives up prices. That was their reasoning. However, when the Portuguese returned with weapons and began attacking unarmed townspeople, we samurai could not sit by and watch. At first, we responded with restraint, using the flat of our blades and body blows. But when one townsman had his wrist cut off by an excited barbarian, a young samurai flew into a rage and cut down that barbarian before we could stop him. Once that happened, the fighting could not be stopped. As a result, we ended up cutting down more than ten Portuguese, including their captain. I have cut down countless men on battlefields. But never have I hesitated so much in wielding my sword as I did that day. And never will again."

Having finished his long story in one breath, Tagawa sighed deeply. He drained the lukewarm water remaining at the bottom of his tea bowl.

"I can imagine what happened next. Lord Takanobu's relationship with the Portuguese merchants and Jesuits broke down over the handling of this disturbance. And they left Hirado."

"Indeed. Lord Takanobu was greatly troubled by how to handle the incident. If he did not punish the Japanese, the Portuguese would be dissatisfied and he would lose trade with them. But if he punished the Japanese arbitrarily, he risked losing the trust of his domain subjects. After deep consideration, Lord Takanobu chose to protect the trust of his subjects. He did not severely punish the Japanese. His own distrust of Christians, which had been deepening since the destruction of shrines and temples began, had grown stronger. However, the Portuguese merchants and Jesuits were greatly outraged by this treatment. About ten men including the ship's captain had been killed, after all. Their outrage was understandable."

Receiving Tagawa's words, Raquel shook her head slightly.

"But to easily cut down more than ten gun-armed Portuguese merchants... I too have seen sword wounds countless times in this land. However, the wounds I treat here are unlike any I've seen in my homeland or elsewhere in Asia. The wounds gape open, and some have had their spines severed completely. I cannot understand how such injuries occur."

"Some brought firearms, others wielded southern barbarian spears and swords. But firearms are useless in such close combat. Besides, those southern barbarian swords are mere ornaments. They're only useful against amateur townspeople. However, firearms are indeed fearsome. If aimed from a distance, there's no difference between samurai and townspeople. Everyone dies."

Tagawa muttered this and continued his story.

"Lord Takanobu wanted to appease the outraged Portuguese and somehow continue trade. However, if he allowed further Christian excesses, neither the Buddhist orders nor his subjects would be satisfied. Lord Takanobu's anguish was deep. Rather than completely prohibiting Christian missionary work, Lord Takanobu patiently negotiated with the Portuguese forces. Thanks to his efforts, several years after the incident, Portuguese ships were to come to Hirado again.

However, this time the Portuguese merchants trying to enter Hirado port came into conflict with the Jesuits. In the end, the Jesuits' will prevailed. That ship went to the port of Omura, a Christian daimyo. There's no doubt Omura was pulling strings behind the scenes. Having his honor greatly damaged, Lord Takanobu launched a naval attack on Omura. He tried to seize those goods by force. We had even paid deposits for the merchandise. Lord Takanobu's anger was justified. Unfortunately, the recovery failed. And relations between Hirado and Portugal were severed."

Having said that much, Tagawa again poked the ashes with the fire tongs and sent air into the embers.

"In this naval battle, I too lost several skilled retainers. One of them was my son."

Raquel received those words in silence.

"I now well understand Lord Takanobu's feelings in incorporating encouragement for Christians to abandon their faith into the Suko dance of Ikitsuki Island. His anguish. And the reason he showed such generous treatment without punishment even after learning we were Jews."

Just then, a baby's loud crying approached from outside. Rodrigo appeared from the medical office.

"Emergency patient. A baby has had a fever for two days that won't break."

"Understood. I'll be right there."

Raquel straightened her posture and prostrated herself on the tatami to thank Tagawa.

"Lord Tagawa. Thank you for sharing this important story about Hirado's Christians. I must go check on the baby. Would it be possible for you to wait a little? I believe I should tell you my story next time."

"Very well. I'm a bit tired from talking so long. I want to take time to listen to your story properly. Let's meet again another day."

Saying this, Tagawa took a lantern and departed into the darkness of night.

Raquel gave the baby's mother medicinal herbs for fever and saw them off from the gate. Her feet naturally carried her to beneath the cherry tree. She raised the paper lantern a little higher. She gazed vacantly at the cherry buds swaying in that light. The cherry buds had swollen even more in just a few hours. If they received tomorrow's abundant sunshine, they would immediately bloom and flourish.

While looking at the cherry blossoms, Raquel argued against Tagawa's story in her heart. The Catholic Inquisition pursuing her. Her life of continuous flight from them. And Takanobu, who accepted her and gave her life stability. The firearms Portugal brought to Japan. Pereira, who loaded saltpeter for them. And Tagawa's gunshot wound. Her medical skills that healed it. Points connected like thin silk threads. Those threads seemed like a strand in heaven's tapestry, weaving connections in greater time and space beyond Raquel's single life.

Raquel gently blew out the lantern's candle. The pitch-black darkness deepened further. Raquel looked up at the sky alone. Tonight was a new moon. In the infinite darkness that enveloped the heavens, the Milky Way flowed sparkling like scattered silver sand. Where was that great river's flow trying to take her? Raquel had no way of knowing. Even so, whether what lay ahead of that flow was a peaceful lake or roaring rapids, she would live each moment with all her strength. Raquel made that vow to the star-filled sky.

However, heaven would not allow Raquel's life to remain in tranquility. The turbulent current that would swallow Raquel's life would exceed one female doctor's lifetime and come to engulf the fate of Japan itself.