| 1 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fumie_07a.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:300:A fumi-e stone. 17th-century Japanese Christians (or people suspected of being Christian) were forced to stamp on such objects to abjure their faith and prove they were not Christians.]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | ->'''Shirou:''' So what the hell is a big-ass church doing all the way out here? Isn’t only like two percent of Japan Christian anyway?\ |
| 5 | '''Rin:''' Yes, and it just so happens that he and I each make up a percent. Well, three percent if you count Saber. So hell if I know where he gets his money from. |
| 6 | -->-- ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight Abridged'' |
| 7 | |
| 8 | UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} is rare enough in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} that a character being explicitly labeled as such is rather unusual[[note]]How unusual? There are only 1-2 million Christians in Japan, comprising a ''very'' small fraction of the population (1.5 percent)[[/note]]. This was not always the case. Christianity arrived in the Japanese islands during their first decades of sea trade with the Kingdoms of UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} and UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}, producing a fairly substantial Christian base. The first Jesuit mission to Japan started evangelizing the region in 1548, and by 1589, when Spain and Portugal became a dynastic union under UsefulNotes/PhilipII, there were about 200,000 Japanese Christians (amongst a total population of no more than twenty-four million). This was probably the largest overseas Christian community (yes, even more than China or Latin America, despite the substantially higher monetary investment and slight head-start in the latter region) and was unique in that it was mostly staffed and run by ethnic Japanese. Initially, this evangelization effort was allowed and even endorsed by UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga (in a bid to neutralize/strip away the Buddhist temples' influence and opposition to his conquests--[[MoralityKitchenSink not helped by these temples' ties to his]] ''daimyo'' opponents--in a form of {{Realpolitik}}). |
| 9 | |
| 10 | This was partly because of pre-Tridentine Catholic practice, which was lax and didn't care much for orthodoxy (the priority was on conversion), and Japan's cultural-religious tradition. Like UsefulNotes/{{Taoism}} or UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} is a polytheistic system of belief without set doctrines or leadership, and is home to several different schools of both. UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, for instance, was almost seamlessly integrated into Shinto within just a century or two of its arrival in the Japanese Islands (at least partly because Orthodox, Chinese-style Buddhism was regarded with suspicion and semi-exterminated). Today, many Buddhist temples coexist with Shinto shrines, and many Japanese people practice both Shinto and Buddhist rituals. The phenomenon of Japanese [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun "martial" Shinto-Buddhism]] is quite notable in comparison to the pacifistic Indo-Chinese strains of Buddhism. The former arguably -- fused with a twisted form of neo-Bushido doctrine -- saw something of an apotheosis in the Tokubetsu Kogeki/"[[SuicideAttack Special Attack]]" units of the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo final, desperate months]] [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan of the military's period in power]]. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Christianity, however, was increasingly seen as a threat to the existing social order. This was exacerbated by the Protestant Dutch, who hoped to undermine their trade rivals by spreading rumors of Spain' and Portugal's previous conquests, driving the paranoia and laying the groundwork for anti-Christian prejudice. It didn't help that diplomatic tension rose between the Iberian ambassadors and UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi, who were initially friendly enough to each other to entertain a joint invasion of China. When the thing proved unfeasable from the Spanish and Portuguese side, Hideyoshi rumoredly considered attacking the Spanish Philippines to forcefully obtain their help in his upcoming invasion of Korea, which quickly soured the relationships, leading the Iberians to consider an alliance with China against Japan in turn (the rapidly growing commerce between China and Spain, frowned upon by the Japanese and constantly threatened by Japanese piracy, was another point of contempt). The destruction of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples by overzealous missionaries was only the icing on the cake. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Thus, with the ascent of UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu and his devout Buddhist family line (not to mention retainers), Catholic Christians were harshly persecuted during the Edo period (the early 1600s) and driven underground out of fear that Japanese peasants and samurai would feel more loyal to a foreign Pope than their own lord. What followed was a bloodbath, with all priests (Portuguese or otherwise) being expelled or crucified (and yes, they did do that on purpose). Converts were hunted (one practice being that soldiers would go to villages and demand they stomp on a fumi-e, a picture of Jesus or Mary -- any which showed hesitation were branded Christians) and sent to Nagasaki to be tortured. If they refused to recant, they were also crucified. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | The surviving underground religion became greatly influenced by Buddhism, Taoism, and Shinto. In modern days, with the advent of globalization and the reopening of Japan, it's no surprise that most major Christian sects have a presence (if small) in Japan, although in times of political turmoil they are still often subjected to distrust and persecution, especially churches like the Anglicans and Baptists with ties to foreign countries. This was particularly the case during late UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, when the Japanese government tried to nationalize the country's Protestant sects into a single church, the United Church of Christ in Japan (''Nihon Kirisuto Kyōdan''). Those priests and their followers who refused to cooperate were imprisoned by the government during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Allied bombings further devastated the community, destroying much of the country's churches and cathedrals. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | After the war, the ''Kyōdan'' allowed other Protestant sects to break off and reform their prewar organizations, and [[OldShame apologized for and disavowed]] its role in their persecution. It still remains the largest Protestant sect in Japan with 200,000 followers, although groups like the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan (''Nippon Sei Ko Kai'') and the Japan Baptist Convention (''Nippon Baputesuto Renmei'') retain respectable congregations. Even so, Catholics remain by far the largest Christian group with an estimated 440,000 followers in 2014. Today, although Japanese Christians are still very much in the minority, the religion is generally more tolerated than has traditionally been the case. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Nowadays, if a Japanese Christian does appear in anime and manga or even Western media, they will typically be from Kyushu, especially Nagasaki, which has a historically significant Catholic population, or occasionally another area like Tokyo. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | '''Note:''' This page is for actual Christianity and its followers in Japan. No FantasyCounterpartCulture, no CrystalDragonJesus. For the sake of keeping things simple, Mormons count as Christians on this page. The same goes with other Abrahamic religions like Judaism and Islam. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Related tropes: |
| 25 | * AnimeCatholicism -- The fact that Christianity is both unfamiliar and exotic in Japan means that Japanese portrayals of the Roman Catholic Church (and, rarely, other churches; see "Christianity Is Catholic" below) often contain reflections of Japan's own native religions or otherwise distort aspects of Christian beliefs and practices in ways that Western cultures wouldn't. |
| 26 | * UsefulNotes/ChristmasInJapan -- Almost always secular (except when this trope comes into play), and with some different traditions. One of which is that Christmas is considered a couples' holiday, the family holiday being New Year's. |
| 27 | * ChristianityIsCatholic -- Since Roman Catholicism was the only denomination to ever seriously take root in Japan, it makes sense that most of their portrayals of Christianity as a whole would be influenced to some degree by Roman Catholic practice. |
| 28 | * ChurchMilitant -- These get their own page, so don't list them here unless they have something more to contribute. |
| 29 | * FauxSymbolism -- Christian symbols simply being used for their exotic factor, much like Eastern religious symbols being used in the West for that purpose. |
| 30 | * NunsAreMikos -- Because of the mixing of traditions, lack of information, etc. nuns in Japanese fiction are more likely to act as though they were shrine maidens than actual nuns. |
| 31 | * WeddingsInJapan -- Conspicuous by being done in the Christian style. Whatever religion they follow, most Japanese aren't strict enough to mind doing another faith's tradition, and Christian weddings are comparably inexpensive and pretty. The usual adage about the Japanese's tendency to mash up religious practices is: "Born Shinto, marry Christian, die Buddhist".[[note]]Japanese parents usually hire Shinto priests to bless their newborns. Meanwhile, Shinto is so anathema to death (which it considers impure) that for the longest time, the only religious community willing to conduct funerals in Japan were the Buddhists, and a ''butsudan'' (Buddhist altar) is used to honor the dead.[[/note]] |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Japan Here's]] Website/TheOtherWiki's page on the matter. See also the UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod. |
| 34 | ---- |
| 35 | !!Examples: |
| 36 | |
| 37 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 40 | * ''Manga/Amakusa1637'': ActionGirl Natsuki Hayami, her boyfriend Masaki Miyamoto and their friends are students from a Catholic school who get TrappedInThePast... and arrive to the Nagasaki of few before the tragic rebellion by Shiro Amakusa. Natsuki, being a {{bifauxnen}} and Amakusa's genderflipped IdenticalStranger, sets out alongside her friends [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong to change history and avert the massacre.]] [[spoiler: They sort-of succeed.]] |
| 41 | * ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'': [[BadassPreacher Father Nitani]] helps out LaResistance from his Church in Kabuki. He's also a close personal friend of UsefulNotes/ThePope. |
| 42 | * ''Manga/AkumaNaEros'': Miu Sakurai and Shion Amamiya attend a Catholic school and are Japanese Christians. The manga starts with Miu praying in the school chapel, and then Amamiya walks in and talks to her. [[spoiler:There's a major subversion, though: Amamiya is actually ''an angel'' under the disguise of a Christian boy.]] |
| 43 | * ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal'': There is a half-Portuguese underground Christian character, Isaku Yasonokami. |
| 44 | * ''Anime/BloodTheLastVampire'': Saya's teacher is a Christian and wears a cross necklace, which pisses off Saya because crosses and references to Jesus are either her weakness or they draw in the bigger, more beastly-looking vampires she's trying to fight. |
| 45 | * ''Manga/BlueExorcist'': It is implied that the two main brothers Rin and Yukio Okumura are Christians considering their adoptive father was a priest and raised them in a monastery. And many other exorcists are presumed to be Christian, though many are not, such as Rin's classmates who are clearly Buddhist. Also, there is an irony to Rin being Christian considering he is also the son of Satan, though he isn't happy about that. |
| 46 | * ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': |
| 47 | ** [[ChurchMilitant Kaori]] uses how Christianity in Japan had to go underground and blend with the dominant religions in Japan as justification for why she (a Christian) is able to fight an archangel. |
| 48 | ** The Amakusa Catholics (named for UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro) also show up. Kaori used to belong to them, before striking out on her own. |
| 49 | * ''Manga/Cyborg009'': Joe Shimamura is raised in an orphanage run by a priest, in the 2001 anime adaptation. It never is specified if Joe himself identifies as Christian, although the priest himself would fit. |
| 50 | * ''Franchise/D4DJ'': The DJ unit Lyrical Lily consists of four students from Arisugawa Academy, a private all-girls Christian academy that prohibits its students from engaging in activities deemed hedonistic, heretical, or not traditionally feminine, which causes trouble when the nuns catch wind of the unit's secret parties [[spoiler:until the headmistress of the academy (who had donated old DJ equipment in memory of her late brother who owned it in hopes that it would see use again; it then discovered by the unit and put to use like she hoped) pardons all four members, encouraging them to go beyond the old customs of the academy if it means their activities will bring happiness to others.]] |
| 51 | * ''Manga/DescendantsOfDarkness'': We're introduced to [[BigBad Muraki]] in Nagasaki's famous Oura Catholic church (which Tsuzuki ran into while chasing a vampire). Later, while dragging Tsuzuki around town after [[spoiler:kidnapping Tsuzuki's partner, Hisoka]], Muraki mentions ways the persecuted Japanese Christians would disguise their worship (i.e using statues of Kannon to represent the Virgin Mary). This has lead to the idea of Muraki being raised Catholic becoming minor fanon. |
| 52 | * The Makimuras in ''Anime/DevilmanCrybaby'' are portrayed as Christians, given the abundance of Biblical imagery in the show. |
| 53 | * ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'': Inori "Buki" Yamabuki goes into a Christian private middle school which apparently has its own chapel. |
| 54 | * Father Karasu in ''Manga/GhostSweeperMikami''. Even though he was excommunicated from the church (for unauthorized practice of exorcisms) he seems to retain his faith. |
| 55 | * ''Manga/KaitouSaintTail'' has many Catholics, and that means ''every single character'', including one-shot ones. The only characters who ''may'' be non-Christians are one-shot characters who come from out of town (even if one of them, being American, is most probably a Protestant Christian). The series, [[WriteWhatYouKnow whose author Megumi Tachikawa actually is Catholic]], is mostly accurate, aside for [[NunsAreMiko assuming some things about nuns that are only true of miko]] (Tachikawa found out late in the series and admitted it). |
| 56 | * ''Manga/KidsOnTheSlope'' is fairly accurate in its portrayal of Christians living in 60s Japan. Both Sentaro and Ritsuko are explicitly shown as practicing Christians (probably Catholic), and they are seen in church together, Ritsuko with her head covered, while singing the hymn ''"Jesus Paid It All"'' in Japanese. Sentaro wears a rosary around his neck, which is acknowledged to not be the correct use, but according to Ritsuko their priest allows him to do so as an exception - we see in a flashback that when Sentaro first received it he didn't know the purpose of a rosary and assumed it was a necklace. Ritsuko also owns a rosary, and uses it in the traditional manner. |
| 57 | * ''Anime/KnightHunters'': Ken was raised Catholic, even spending a period of time in a Church orphanage, and it ''shows''. In later canon, Aya also shows interest in the faith -- it's arguable whether or not he actually ''practices'' it, and in any case he doesn't hold with its doctrine of forgiveness, but a conversation with a nun in ''[[RadioDrama Fight Fire With Fire]]'' reveals that he's worn out a Bible reading it every night before he sleeps. |
| 58 | * ''Manga/TheKurosagiCorpseDeliveryService'': The protagonist is a student at a Buddhist university, but one of his friends catches him absentmindedly making the sign of the cross when making a Shinto prayer. Then again, given that the premise of the series is fulfilling the unspoken last wishes of the recently dead, they may have a broader approach to religion. |
| 59 | * ''Franchise/LoveLive'': Eli Ayase is an Orthodox Christian as her School Idol Diary says she goes to church on Sundays. |
| 60 | ** In ''Anime/LoveLiveSunshine'', the protagonists attend to a Catholic high school, so it's possible that they may be this. Ruby herself wore a crucifix necklace in episode 7, and Riko mentioned her believing Aqours coming together as an act of God in VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestival. |
| 61 | * ''Manga/LoneWolfAndCub'': One of the stories deals with the persecution and martyrdom of Christians during the Tokugawa era. |
| 62 | * ''Manga/LuckyStar'': Kagami and Tsukasa sing in a Church at Christmas time and play "Joy to the World" on their recorders. Their comment is that they were taught to be respectful to all gods. (Shinto is about animism. Why not!) Although, they and their two older sisters wonder whether it's all right for them to [[WeddingsInJapan marry in a Western wedding dress]]. |
| 63 | * ''Literature/MariaWatchesOverUs'': It appears that most of the cast are Catholic. The subject of the actual faith of the characters is only brought up a few times, surprisingly. One character ([[spoiler:Shiori]]) wants to become a nun, and another is revealed to be both Christian and belongs to a Buddhist family (Shimako). Also, many of the characters can be seen praying before the Virgin Mary statue. There's also the school trip to Rome, where the characters visit the Vatican. Finally, most of the students are seen in Church, praying and singing. Although, it's mentioned outright at one point that one does not have to be a Christian to attend Lillian. There's only one character so far that is mentioned to not be Christian. |
| 64 | * ''Anime/Metropolis2001'': Shunsaku is a Christian and hails from Japan. This is an interesting contrast from the people of Metropolis who seem to be polytheistic. |
| 65 | * ''Manga/MidnightSecretary'': Japanese vampires are specifically said to be weak against the piety of Christians. Luckily for him Japan is pretty secular, even on Christmas, but at one point Kyouhei is at a business dinner held by a Japanese family who were devout Christians and it made Kyouhei very sick. |
| 66 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Ibara Shiozaki of Class 1-B is heavily implied to be one. Her first choice for hero name was "Maria" ([[ASaintNamedMary as in Virgin Mary]]), her hero costume clearly evokes the VirginInAWhiteDress image, and her attacks' names have religious connotations ("Via Dolorosa" or "Crucifixion"). Even her hair evokes somewhat Jesus' crown of thorns, and she's often seen in a PrayerPose when not in action. |
| 67 | * ''Anime/MyHime'': Fuka Academy has its own small church, staffed by a priest with a Western name and a Japanese nun. Like just about everything about the school, both are not what they seem. |
| 68 | * ''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': That cross pendant she wears is at least a strong hint that Misato was a Christian. This, however, may not actually be the case considering: 1) the cross is a keepsake from her father who died saving her life, and thus she wears it in his memory rather than for any specific religious reasons and 2) this is a series that is infamously heavy on Christian FauxSymbolism, especially CreepyCrosses. |
| 69 | * ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'': A few characters are seen wearing crosses (in the manga, anyway). While it's doubtful they are Christian, there's a possibility that Tamaki is: he was born and raised in France until he was fourteen before being shipped off to Japan. Chances are his French mother Anne-Sophie is Christian, but it's not really relevant to the story and therefore never brought up. |
| 70 | * There's a bit of {{fanon}} about Choutarou Ohtori from ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' being a Japanese Christian or at least raised Catholic, based on his silvery cross pendant. In canon, Ohtori says that he sometimes sneaks into a local chapel since he feels at peace there, but is not exactly a believer. |
| 71 | * ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': |
| 72 | ** The character [[{{Jerkass}} Kyouko Sakura]] is one, given that her father was a preacher. (Likely a Protestant minister, for obvious reasons.) On the other hand she no longer seems to be practicing the religion in any fashion. [[spoiler:It's appropriate, since the story has numerous references to Myth/{{Faust}}... and Kyouko made a DealWithTheDevil that went ''[[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor very wrong]]'' and finished in a PaterFamilicide.]] |
| 73 | ** Additionally, the witch Elsa Maria has a bit of Christian symbolism to her. [[spoiler:She ''might'' have been a Japanese Christian [[WasOnceAMan when she was human.]]. Some fans speculate that she either was Kyoko's little sister Momo or a member of the Sakura family's cult.]] |
| 74 | ** Homura mentioned having gone to a Catholic school prior to transferring though it's [[AmbiguouslyChristian left vague]] if she is Catholic herself. |
| 75 | * ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': A fairly surprising amount of fanon in the fanfic community grew from one single (non-story) image of Kasumi Tendo wearing a cross on a chain. However this probably reflects nothing more than Takahashi's habit of creating promotional images depicting her characters wearing whatever happened to be fashionable at the time. Creator/RumikoTakahashi actually did put out some manga based around Japanese Christianity. ''Manga/OnePoundGospel'' featured a boxer named Kousaku... who [[HotForPreacher was attracted to a beautiful nun named Angela.]] She initially was trying to befriending him to break his gluttony. |
| 76 | * ''Anime/RoninWarriors'': [[spoiler:Suzunagi and her parents]], which is why they were killed. |
| 77 | * ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': |
| 78 | ** One of Kenshin Himura's strongest opponents was Shougo Mutou aka Amakusa, a Christian ReligiousBruiser trying to end the persecution of his fellow believers by helping a "holy man" overthrow the Japanese government, and basically an {{expy}} of UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro. Kenshin essentially ended up fighting ''[[KungFuJesus Samurai Jesus]]''. And ''winning''. |
| 79 | ** Not only that, but Shougo and his younger sister Sayo were the leaders of a small Japanese Christian colony hiding in Shimabara, a rural area near to Nagasaki. [[spoiler:And several years before, they barely managed to survive a major massacre in the same Shimabara area, in which their parents and ''everyone'' in their DoomedHometown were killed for their beliefs.]] |
| 80 | * ''Manga/SailorMoon'': Rei (Sailor Mars) attends a Catholic school (modeled after a very high-class RealLife Catholic school), and in the live-action adaptation her mother Risa is buried in a Catholic cemetery. She's also a {{Miko}} at a Shinto shrine, which could just be an example of how the Japanese don't mind mixing religions. |
| 81 | * ''Manga/SaintSeiya'': Cygnus Hyoga. He inherited it from his mother Natasha (and only parent he got to know), who was Russian; he owned a rosary as a TragicKeepsake from his MissingMom [[spoiler:which [[PocketProtector saved his life]] at some point]], and in one of the movies his friends asked him about Christianity in itself since they're dealing with Lucifer. Especially weird in that, like all characters in the story, he acknowledges Athena, and the other Greek gods, and even follows her as a WarriorMonk of sorts. Maybe another example of how the Japanese are fine with mixing religions, this time with two foreign ones? |
| 82 | * ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'': The persecution of Christians is part of the background, which is touched upon in the episode showing the Dutch East India Company, as well as one revolving around a supposed descendant of Francis Xavier who's manipulating Japanese Christians. Japanese Christians ultimately are part of a reveal at the end of the series, [[spoiler:namely that Fuu's DisappearedDad (the "Samurai who smells from Sunflowers") was one, and he left the family to prevent their persecution]]. |
| 83 | * ''Manga/SchoolLive'': SenseiChan Megu-nee is heavily implied to be Christian. In the manga there was a minor background character during Miki's backstory who was a Christian senior. In the anime she received a [[AscendedExtra slightly bigger role]] as Taroumaru's owner and is [[RelatedInTheAdaptation related to Megu-nee]], which only supports Megu-nee being Christian more. |
| 84 | * ''Anime/{{Superbook}}'' is about a Japanese family who travel to important Biblical moments. |
| 85 | * ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Yuuki is heavily implied to be a Christian. Her ALO avatar may be [[DarkIsNotEvil darkness-aligned]], but she has a cheerful personality. It later turns out that she got her faith from her mother, who remained fairly devout in the face of [[spoiler:the entire family being infected with HIV]]. While Yuuki initially wished her mother would talk to her with her own words, not the Bible's, Yuuki took her mother's words to heart. |
| 86 | * ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': Amon Kotarou was raised in a Catholic orphanage, and continues to wear a crucifix as a TragicKeepsake. Whether he's remained religious or not is never addressed, though his memories of his childhood show him to have been very devout. |
| 87 | * ''Anime/TokyoGodfathers'': At the start, Gin and Hana attend a Christian church service just so they can get a free handout of some food. Hana at least seems to be a believer, to some degree, at least enough so that she muses about how, if God could impregnate a virgin woman, He could almost certainly get a transsexual such as herself with child. |
| 88 | * ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'': Zakuro Fujiwara is a practicing Christian in the original anime, going to church regularly and using a [[CrossAttack cross]] as the handle for her weapon. (Unusually for a Japanese Christian, she appears to be a Protestant.) This was [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bowdlerised]] in the dub; all crosses were changed to sticks without sides, leading to the fandom joke that [[DubNameChange Renee]] venerates toothpicks. |
| 89 | * ''Manga/WanderingSon'': |
| 90 | ** Early into the series, Saori Chiba converts to Christianity. Whether she does this out of true conviction or out of some misplaced feeling of guilt is not quite clear. In any case, she's not very diligent in attending Church. |
| 91 | ** She met a boy, Fumiya, at Church. He seems rather casual about being Christian though, even smoking in church (he seemed around eleven to thirteen too). |
| 92 | * ''Literature/WelcomeToTheNHK'': Misaki's aunt is one and forces Misaki to attend church groups as a condition of taking her in. |
| 93 | * ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'': Karen Kasumi. Her mother converted both of them to it, though it seems that it was only to hide from cults who wanted to use Karen's fire powers for their own ends. |
| 94 | * ''Manga/ZombieLoan'': The first zombie we see getting killed is a nun at the school that Shito, Chika and Michiru attend, and they all wear crosses somewhere on their uniforms. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 98 | * ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'' takes place in Tokugawa-era Japan, Christianity has come up in a few arcs. |
| 99 | ** [[spoiler:In one arc, a sect of secret Christians heroically sacrifice their lives for a single crucifix.]] |
| 100 | ** Usagi learns of Christianity's existence in the 2018 arc "The Hidden" when the shogunate attempts to root them out of a town. He's not particularly impressed by what he hears, especially as he learns that they worship an executed criminal, but his friend Inspector Ishida is investigating the murder of a samurai who wore a cross under his kimono. [[spoiler: And the final page shows to the reader that Ishida is himself Christian.]] |
| 101 | [[/folder]] |
| 102 | |
| 103 | [[folder:Fan Fiction]] |
| 104 | * In the ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'' ContinuationFic ''FanFic/ShadowOfTheDragon'', Sakura mentions at one point that Tomoeda has a larger Christian population than is normal for Japan and that she herself was baptized, though she identifies more as Shinto. |
| 105 | * ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'': Asuka is of Japanese descent and Christian. When she finds out that some people worship her and her fellow pilots, she states that there's only one true {{God}}, and she isn't Him. |
| 106 | * ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'' makes the implied backstory to Misato's cross pendant explicit; WordOfGod states she hasn't been to church since Second Impact. Asuka also turns out to have gone through a similar experience in the wake of her mother's accident, though she's ''slightly'' reevaluated her relationship with God since the whole PeggySue thing happened. |
| 107 | * In ''Fanfic/WhereTalentGoesToDie'', Momo Iwasawa, a girl who hails from a remote farming village, is a Christian of an unspecified denomination. She does her best to be a good person and live by the tenets of her faith, but admits that she isn't always sure about the right thing to do in the killing game. |
| 108 | * The Death Note fanfic ''FanFic/SilentPartnerUnfinishedBusiness'' shows that Misa Amane's haphazard use of Christian symbolism is because she didn't decide how much she believed in her mother's Catholicism. The existence of shinigami kind of make that an important issue for her to sort out. |
| 109 | * Deespite being an immigrant from the Pokémon World, the ''Fanfic/TokimekiPokeLiveAndTwinbee'' version of [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Hilda]] is a Christian of the Protestant denomination who lives in Japan. |
| 110 | ** Just like Eli Ayase, as mentioned above, [[OriginalCharacter Charlotte "Anya/Nastya" Thompson]] is an Orthodox Christian. |
| 111 | ** Like her Canon counterpart from ''School Idol Festival'', ''[=PokéLive=]!''Christina is a Catholic. |
| 112 | * ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' crossover ''Fanfic/InheritanceOfCardsAndDemons'', it is made explicit that Rin and Yukio are Catholic. Rin makes commentary on how differently he and his family in Southern Cross Monastery celebrate Christmas compared to the commercialized romantic holiday. |
| 113 | [[/folder]] |
| 114 | |
| 115 | [[folder:Film]] |
| 116 | * ''Film/FatalFrame'', a film adaptation of the [[VideoGame/FatalFrame video game series with the same name]] (though the game series never features Christian themes, instead Shinto and Buddhist ones) takes place at a conservative Catholic all-girls school in Japan. |
| 117 | * ''Film/{{Silence}}'', adapted from a novel by Shūsaku Endō, about the repression of Japanese Christians by the Tokugawa Shogunate at the beginning of the Edo period. |
| 118 | * ''Film/BigTitsZombie'': The main character (played by Japanese AV model Sora Aoi) ' is heavily implied to be a Christian. She prays to "the Lord" a few times, crosses herself while standing over the body of one of her friends, and when it comes time to make a grave for said friend, she places a cross over it. She lived in Mexico for a number of years, which could be the explanation. |
| 119 | * ''Film/LoveExposure'' focuses on a very DysfunctionalFamily of Japanese Christians. |
| 120 | * ''Film/{{Kagemusha}}'' features a couple of Japanese Catholics in the realms of the Oda clan. |
| 121 | * ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_Your_Enemy:_Japan Know Your Enemy: Japan]]'' gives an overview of how the Bushido warlords reacted to Christian missionaries and emerging Christian churches in Japan. |
| 122 | * In ''Film/PrisonersOfTheSun'', a 1990 Australian film about the trials of Japanese soldiers for war crimes against Australian [=POWs=] during World War Two, one accused soldier is a Christian. He doesn't seem to be popular with his superiors as a result, and they test his loyalty by having him behead two captured Australian airmen (over alleged spying). Later he is convicted of murder and shot for this, because they hadn't actually been spying at all. A reporter notes the irony how of all the defendants, an English-speaking, Christian Japanese was the only one put to death (it's made clear he had little choice, making this seem unfair) while his superior who ordered it (played by Creator/GeorgeTakei) manages to escape any punishment by collaborating with the Allies. |
| 123 | [[/folder]] |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 126 | * ''Literature/{{Shogun}}'': This plays a major part, with the Protestant protagonist Blackthorne out to destroy [[EvilJesuit Jesuit]] influence in feudal Japan, and with several of the major players not trusting Christianized daimyo, fearing the influence the Jesuits have over them. |
| 127 | * ''Literature/TheGhostInTheTokaidoInn'' deals with underground Christians a lot. |
| 128 | * ''Literature/TalesOfTheOtori'': The plights of medival Japanese Christians, referred to as "The Hidden," is a recurring theme throughout the series. As one warlord explains it, if the peasant class believes in a God who already considers them valuable rather than considering their poverty a matter of divine providence, the poor could eventually rebel and destroy the ruling class. The main character, Takeo, loses his faith after the death of his mother and destruction of his village, but its ideals of mercy and sympathy to the poor remain with him. |
| 129 | * ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'': Gabriel Goto is a Catholic {{ronin}} in a rare example by a non-Japanese author. His descendant Goto Dengo in ''Literature/{{Cryptonomicon}}'' converts to Christianity at the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo. |
| 130 | * ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has Knight of the Cross Shiro, who was born and raised in Japan, and was accidentally baptized while attending an Elvis Presley concert (a misunderstand helped along by Shiro's imperfect English lead him to think that some Baptists were talking about going to meet Elvis when speaking about "The King"). His conversion was accidental, he still did his best to be the best Christian he could be. Considering he was good enough to become a Knight of the Cross and stay one long enough to grow old, it's safe to say he succeeded. Of course being "Good" is a much more important requirement that being Christian for the job, as one other Knight is Agnostic and the newest one is [[spoiler:Jewish]]. |
| 131 | * ''Literature/AfterTheQuake'': Yoshiyo is a Japanese Christian (this is why he told his girlfriend that he couldn't marry her; he's a son of God and can't ever marry). His mentor and his mother, as well. |
| 132 | * Creator/ShusakuEndo is Japanese Christian writer whose work shows clear influence from his faith. He wrote about many subjects, but many draw from his experience as a Japanese Christian, perceived as an outsider by both Japanese and Westerners alike but with a different perspective on Christianity built on traditional Japanese view of the world and humanity. The most famous among these is ''Film/{{Silence}}'' (''Chinmoku'' in Japanese), about a 17th-century Portuguese missionary in Japan who has to shepherd his flock through the initial Tokugawa persecution. He also wrote numerous short stories and various other novels on the topic, including ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A Life of Jesus]]''. And, of course, ''Literature/DeepRiver'', a.k.a. ''Japanese Christianity: The Book.'' It served as a very personal account of what it means to be a Christian in a country that's 99% atheist/Buddhist/Shinto and extremely suspicious of outside influences. |
| 133 | ** Complementing ''Silence'' is another of Endo's novels, ''The Samurai'', which is based on the life of Hasekura Rokuemon, a real life Japanese Christian emissary from UsefulNotes/DateMasamune who visited various nations of Europe at the beginning of 17th century, only to return to a Japan where his religion is being actively persecuted. |
| 134 | * Award-winning author [[http://web.mac.com/dosankodebbie/iWeb/Site/Miura%20Profile.html Ayako Miura]] wrote several books that elaborate on her trip from nihilism to Protestantism, as well as several novels with Christian themes such as ''Literature/ShiokariPass'' and the better-known ''Literature/Hyoten'', the latter being adapted as a television drama series |
| 135 | * ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'' deals with Japan in one of book. Being set shortly before an OT Christian insurrection against the then-rulers, the topic of how to deal with Japanese Christians comes up. The ingenuous solution? [[spoiler: Have them settle in California]] -- thus killing two birds with one stone: Japan gets new territory and the rebellion is averted. This is somewhat similar to the way the real life colonization of the East Coast of North America went. |
| 136 | [[/folder]] |
| 137 | |
| 138 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 139 | * In ''Series/TheNakedDirector'', Kaoru Kuroki is from an ultra-conservative Catholic family and she defies her mother's wishes by becoming a porn star under Toru Muranishi. |
| 140 | [[/folder]] |
| 141 | |
| 142 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 143 | * In ''VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2'', Christianity might play a serious role in the game, especially if you're playing as the Otomo clan (which historically was the first Japanese feudal clan to convert to this faith). Being a Japanese Christian clan means you can access European/Portuguese guns and cannons, plus your Christian citizens will put up serious resistance against non-Christian clans who occupy their cities. Of course, since embracing Christianity means the rest of Japan will hate you, it's best taken by clans which are not based on the main island. |
| 144 | * ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'': The [[CorruptChurch Messian Church]] is the "endtimes-crazy" type of Christian {{flanderiz|ation}}ed to such an extreme that they are willing to ''launch nukes'' to bring about their "Thousand Year Kingdom". Though the one that did said action was American [[spoiler:(or claimed to be)]], the majority of Messians you encounter are Japanese. They represent the Law Faction -- the one representing archetypes such as justice, charity, and unity. Also, brainwashing, totalitarianism, and intolerance. The other side's not so hot, either. CrapsackWorld, gentlemen. |
| 145 | * In ''VideoGame/TheCaligulaEffect'', there are implications that the Musician Ike-P is either Christian or at least finds the faith inspirational. His theme song talks about going [[ScrewDestiny beyond the intended fate]] through the help of an angel's song -- and μ is an {{ethereal|WhiteDress}} woman that calls out to people in reality and brings them to the harmonious Mobius -- and includes dropping the Virgin Mary. The anime also altered his design slightly by adding a necklace with a cross as a pendant. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' features Amakusa Shiro Tokisada, based on the real life Christian activist. Except here he's an androgynous AntiVillain NobleDemon sorcerer with a magic sphere. |
| 147 | * ''VideoGame/Persona5'': |
| 148 | ** One of the locations the player can visit in their free time is a Catholic church, where they can hang out with shogi player Hifumi Togo (the Star arcana) and use the confessional booth to re-learn forgotten persona abilities. Hifumi never states whether or not she is Christian, simply that the church works well as a quiet location for her to concentrate on developing new strategies, and the priest is a fellow shogi enthusiast whom she regularly plays with. Ironically, the persona fusion the player unlocks for maxing Hifumi's confidant is Lucifer, of all things. It's heavily implied that both Hifumi and playable character Yusuke go to a Catholic School. This would explain why she spends time in the Church and why Yusuke is familiar with the anguish of Christ and Adam and Eve, as demonstrated in his confidant link. |
| 149 | ** The ending of Sojiro's confidant involves the protagonist accompanying him and Futaba to the aforementioned church in order to visit Wakaba's grave. While it could just be the game reusing different locations and not wanting to make a new location for this scene, it does create the implication that Wakaba had a Christian burial and thus could have been a Christian during her lifetime. |
| 150 | [[/folder]] |
| 151 | |
| 152 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 153 | * ''VisualNovel/EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'': Yuuko Amamiya is born Christian, but she sometimes doubts her faith due to the pain and misery surrounding her. However, [[spoiler:she affirms her beliefs once she was made an angel after she shed her mortal coil in a car accident]]. |
| 154 | * ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': Dr. Hifumi Takano isn't one, but he uses the story of Jesus' resurrection as a metaphor for attaining a metaphorical immortality by building a legacy. Also, one of the Yamainu improvises vaguely Christian prayers before [[spoiler:giving the order to execute emergency manual 34]]. Ironically, even though her character is surrounded by Christian subtext, Miyo herself is a NayTheist; she also quotes one of the Gospels in a ''totally'' inappropriate situation, which is even lampshaded. |
| 155 | * ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'': It's implied that the half-Scottish and Japanese raised Lilly is Christian. She wears a cross in several scenes and previously went to a Catholic school. |
| 156 | * ''VisualNovel/{{Narcissu}} ~Side 2nd~'': Himeko and Chihiro are Catholic, although the former has lapsed while the latter is very devout. Much of the story concerns Himeko's struggle to resolve her crisis of faith [[YourDaysAreNumbered before she dies.]] |
| 157 | * ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'': |
| 158 | ** The original founder of the Tousaka clan (Nagato Tohsaka) was a Christian, thus justifying his descendants' (Rin in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and her father Tokiomi in ''Literature/FateZero'') close relationship with the local church. However in Hollow Ataraxia Rin clarifies that she is an atheist, due a combination of both her line of work usually being unacceptable to most religions and her personal dislike of Kotomine Kirei. |
| 159 | ** Kotomine Kirei, a Japanese priest, although he's... [[SinisterMinister not exactly a sterling example of Christian values]]. |
| 160 | ** There's some implication that Shirou might be Christian, himself (though non-practicing) or at very least familiar with the Christian faith, since he muses to himself on his first visit to the Kotomine church that it's his first visit to a House of God in many years. Given that his adoptive father was a world traveller that had just spent the past 10+ years of his life married into a German family with confirmed church connections, this is not altogether unreasonable. |
| 161 | ** In ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'', Arcueid at one point suddenly asks Shiki if he's Christian, which might be related to why he was able to slice her apart. He has absolutely [[AvertedTrope no idea]] what she is talking about. |
| 162 | --->'''Shiki''': Chris-chan? What's with that question, all of a sudden? I don't know any girl who's got a name like that. |
| 163 | ** In ''Literature/FateApocrypha'', has Shirou Kotomine, the adopted brother of the previously mentioned Kirei Kotomine and like him a ChurchMilitant. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed he's actually [[UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro one of the famous Japanese Christians in history]].]] |
| 164 | ** ''VideoGame/FateSamuraiRemnant'' features among its Masters the TragicVillain Chiemon, explicitly described as a survivor of Amakusa's Shimabara Rebellion. His [[ThePowerOfHate burning hatred]] stemming from his SurvivorGuilt is such that he manages to corrupt the summoning of his own Servant, who just happened to be [[spoiler:[[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Jeanne d'Arc]], normally the BigGood of the franchise, being [[TheCorruption overridden into becoming an Alter]]]]. |
| 165 | * ''VisualNovel/PrincessEvangile'' is set in an exclusive all-girls Catholic school in Japan founded by French Catholic missionaries. While most of the students and faculty are there simply due to the high status of the place, a handful of them are shown to be practicing Catholics, such as Sister Mishima and Marika's grandmother. |
| 166 | * ''VisualNovel/DiesIrae'' is set in the fictional Japanese city of Suwahara with one of it's notable landmarks being a small church in the outskirts of town. It's inhabited by the kindly and somewhat bumbling priest Valeia Trifa and the nun Lisa Brenner, both German immigrants. Alongside them lives the girl Rea Himuro who's quarter German and technically has two names with both a Japanese name and her Christian name Theresia. From their behavior, it is clear that they are meant to be Catholics and it's made clear that people like them are not a common sight in the area. Neither Trifa nor Brenner are what one would call saints however as they are both members of a secret group seeking to fulfill a certain ritual to restore something that was lost to them. |
| 167 | * ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaAnother'' has Kinji Uehara, the Ultimate Priest and a member of Hope's Peak's 79th Class. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 171 | * Doki, as per [[http://akaichounokoe.deviantart.com/art/Madgie-what-did-you-do-XXX-Book-Cover-335471109 this image]] where she can be mistaken as a nun (but isn't, that's just what she's wearing.) and it been noted that she does pray to God there is a crisis [[http://akaichounokoe.deviantart.com/art/Under-the-Starry-Sky-as-you-sleep-338823246 as in this story]]. Likewise, she's heard reciting Bible verses in the 56th and 57th ''Literature/MadgieWhatDidYouDo'' stories, double the case in the former, as she's performing what she thinks are funeral rites, Psalm 21 being a common verse being said at funerals. |
| 172 | [[/folder]] |
| 173 | |
| 174 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 175 | * Manga creator Creator/YamahanaNoriyuki is a proud Christian. He tends to discuss his faith in the author's notes at the end of his manga volumes. In his series ''Manga/LittleHouseWithAnOrangeRoof'', scanlators translated these notes. Also, the maternal grandmother of the girls imparts Christian lessons to the children from time to time. Yamahana's faith does not prevent him from indulging in FanService, though; he's still a mangaka, after all. |
| 176 | * Yasuhiro Nightow, creator of ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', is a Christian convert, and lots of intentional symbolism can be found in his work (Nicholas Wolfwood, anyone?). |
| 177 | * Voice actor Kuwata Kong (who is known to voice characters in the SNK franchise -- more prominently [[VideoGame/FatalFury Geese Howard]] -- as well as LargeHam Kikuchiyo from ''Anime/SamuraiSeven''), is a Japanese Christian (his profile from Website/AnimeNewsNetwork also lists him as a "gospel singer"). |
| 178 | * Between 1885 and the start of 2012, there have been 58 unique Prime Ministers of Japan. Seven were Christians (three Catholic, four Protestant), a disproportionately high ratio compared to Japan's general population. |
| 179 | * Creator/ToshioFurukawa, voice of Piccolo in ''Manga/DragonBall'' and Kai Shiden in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', is a practicing Christian. |
| 180 | * Creator/EijiTsuburaya, creator of ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' and partly of ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'', was a Catholic, as the Tsuburaya family has been since then. By the way, the CrucifiedHeroShot in ''Series/UltraSeven''? AuthorAppeal. Seriously. |
| 181 | * Mitsuo Fuchida, also known as "God's Samurai", the lead pilot at Pearl Harbor, became a Christian after the war and even was a Protestant minister. |
| 182 | * A particularly noteworthy example is Creator/ToshiroMifune, who was a famous Japanese actor that professed the Methodist faith. |
| 183 | * Singers KOKIA and Chihiro Onitsuka are two of the more well-known RealLife Japanese Christians. |
| 184 | * ''Bells of Nagasaki'' (''Nagasaki no kane'') is the account of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki from the Japanese Christian perspective, written by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takashi_Nagai Dr. Takashi Nagai]], one of the survivors who also helped treat other survivors in the immediate aftermath of the bombing (for which he has been declared "Servant of God" by the Vatican). The bells in the title are those of the Catholic Cathedral of Nagasaki, which was at the epicenter (which was also the site where Japanese Christians were tortured and executed during the Bakufu Era). While the Cathedral was destroyed utterly, the bells survived, and now hang in the bell tower of the rebuilt cathedral. Dr. Nagai, however, died of radiation-related illness in 1951. |
| 185 | * Another real life example is the diplomat [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiune_Sugihara Chiune Sugihara]], who helped Jewish (and other) refugees escape Nazi-occupied Europe through his posting in Lithuania between 1939 and 1940. Somewhat surprisingly, he was a devout believer in Eastern Orthodoxy, having converted when he was briefly married to a Russian woman early on in his diplomatic career. The marriage ended quickly, but his faith did not, and he recounted later how his actions were motivated by his Christian faith. |
| 186 | * St. Nicholas of Japan, an Orthodox missionary from Russia, in the 19th century started his mission from a chapel in the Russian embassy and founded a diocese, converting thousands of natives. His position during UsefulNotes/RussoJapaneseWar (not praying[[note]]By himself, while encouraging Japanese believers to.[[/note]] for the defeat of his native country while being the bishop of Japan) is still somewhat disputed. Even so, Nicholas is remembered with respect by even non-Christian Japanese. |
| 187 | * Daniel Nushiro, the Eastern Orthodox archbishop of Tokyo, was a highly respected and influential religious and social leader, both within the Orthodox religious community worldwide and in Japanese society in general, despite the small number of the Orthodox believers in Japan. He became somewhat of an internet sensation in 2009 when he came in first in an unofficial internet vote (organized by Russian laity) for the potential Patriarch of Moscow ahead of the man who actually became patriarch later, Kiril. This was attributed to Archbishop Daniel being the only leading "Russian Orthodox" bishop without any connection to USSR, either for or against. |
| 188 | * Some notable Japanese Christians during the UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod include: |
| 189 | ** The first known Japanese Christian was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anjirō Anjiro]], a student of Spanish priest Francis Xavier who formed the first Jesuit mission to Japan. |
| 190 | ** Bernardo the Japanese, the first Japanese person to visit Europe. Francis Xavier invited him and another Japanese convert, Mathias, to visit Europe, but Mathias died on the way in Goa. |
| 191 | ** The eponymous [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/26_Martyrs_of_Japan 26 Martyrs of Japan]], persecuted and executed in 1597 under Hideyoshi, include among their numbers Japanese Catholics--17 Franciscan tertiaries and 3 Jesuit seminarians. They are seen as casualties of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Felipe_incident_(1596) breakdown of trust between Hideyoshi and the Catholic orders]] evangelizing in Japan. |
| 192 | ** The Christian samurai UsefulNotes/DomJustoTakayamaUkon was once a respected Samurai, but when his lord decreed that Christianity is to be banned, he preferred to be stripped of everything from fiefs to his status, until eventually he's exiled to Manila. |
| 193 | *** Along with Takayama, several thousand Japanese Christians fled to Manila and formed a distinct community in early 17th century that lasted several decades, until they were assimilated into the local population. |
| 194 | ** Hosokawa Tama (baptismal name: Gracia), daughter of UsefulNotes/AkechiMitsuhide. She was baptized privately after UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi issued a proclamation forbidding Christianity in Japan. Was a casualty in the lead-up to the Battle of Sekigahara, when the castle she was in was besieged by the opposing side (since suicide is a sin in Christianity, instead of committing [[{{Seppuku}} jigai]], her retainers killed her before killing themselves). |
| 195 | ** UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro, the teenage leader of the failed Shimabara Rebellion, a Christian uprising during the 1630s. It was the largest civil war and one of the few period of unrest during the largely peaceful reign of the Tokugawa shogunate. [[PyrrhicVictory Both leaders of the opposing sides were executed]] and the event led to the further suppression of Christianity in Japan that wouldn't be lifted until the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration. |
| 196 | * Actress and singer Yuki Saito is a Japanese member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons). Holding to her beliefs, she refuses to work on Sundays and smoked fake cigarettes in the 1986 film ''Koisuru Onnatachi (Young Girls in Love).'' Saito is also known for singing the theme song in the anime ''Manga/HyougeMono'' and ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku''. |
| 197 | * Creator/MamoruOshii of ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' was raised Christian and even considered joining the seminary before eventually losing his faith. This may or may not have influenced ''Anime/AngelsEgg''. |
| 198 | * In an interview, ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' creator Creator/SuiIshida revealed one of his influences for the series was the isolation and "otherness" he experienced growing up in a Christian family. |
| 199 | * Creator/ChiakiKonaka was raised in a Christian home by Anglican parents (the "J" he adopted for the name he is commonly credited as, "Chiaki J. Konaka", comes from the name "John", a reference to his childhood faith), but he doesn't identify as Christian now. |
| 200 | * Creator/TomokoKawakami converted to the Catholic Church upon learning of her illness and took Cecilia as her baptismal name. |
| 201 | * Empress Michiko (née Shoda), wife of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and the first imperial consort to be a commoner, was born to a Catholic family, though she was never baptized. |
| 202 | * Creator/NobuhikoOkamoto is a practicing Catholic. |
| 203 | * Experimental musician Damo Suzuki, best known for his time as lead singer of {{Music/Can}}, once retired from music to do missionary work for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He now identifies as a non-denominational Christian. |
| 204 | * Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto, chief designer of the Ruby programming language, is a devout Mormon. |
| 205 | * Musician and conductor Masaaki Suzuki (founder of the [[Music/JohannSebastianBach Bach]] Collegium Japan) was raised in a Protestant household in Kobe; he is currently a member of the Reformed Church in Japan. |
| 206 | [[/folder]] |
| 207 |
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