Saturday evening, we visited the monument to the 26 martyrs.
They have a history of great suffering. During the reigns of Toyotomi and the Tokugawa regime, then later during the Meiji Restoration, they suffered great persecution. More recently the atomic bomb was dropped just 500 yards away, destroying the church and people there.
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:12-13
