Talk:Arima Harunobu

A different account of circumstances of his death

The emperor had deposed and exiled him, in consequence of an odious intrigue concocted against him by his own son, named Michael. In his exile King John led a very penitent life, to repair all the bad example that he had given, and he desired nothing so much as to expiate by his death his past iniquities. God soon brought about the accomplishment of his desires.

Prince Michael, not content with having thus humbled his father, and with seating himself on his throne, wished also to deprive him of life. He had him accused to the emperor of several supposed crimes. The latter, taking counsel only of the hatred that he bore him, condemned him without trial to be beheaded, and sent one hundred and fifty soldiers to carry out the sentence. It is the custom in Japan that when it is desired that a prince should die, the persons of his court defend him till death. But John begged his servants not to oppose his execution, and through affection for him they obeyed most reluctantly. Moreover, he made them swear not to open his body after death.... He then wrote to his unnatural son a letter full of tenderness, and asked his pardon should he ever have offended him. He afterwards had the Passion of Jesus Christ read to him, praying with tears that the many sins of his past life might be forgiven him. Having had a crucifix put before him, he went on his knees and calmly awaited the death-blow. The good Princess Justa, his wife, who was present, took the head of her husband between her hands and kissed it. Then she withdrew to her apartments, where she cut off her hair, indicating thereby that she renounced the world.

The new king of Arima, the infamous parricide Michael, after having taken possession of all the goods of his father, declared war against the Christian religion....

--Cor martyr (talk) 06:26, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The Arima Harunobu Article

The article is very confused. Chock with info, but some quite misleading, such as his statement that Shimazu "invaded Kyushu." Shimazu's domain was itself a part of Kyushu. The Arima/Omura/Otomo embassy to Rome had four ambassadors, not just Mancio Ito. (Incidentally, the Christian baptismal name comes first, even in Japanese.) The other three were Martin Hara, Julian Nakaura and Miguel (or Michael) Chijiwa. Miguel Chijiwa's tombstone was recently discovered in a village on the western shore of Omura Bay, not far from the city of Nagasaki. He was from Chijiwa, a coastal village on the northwestern coast of the neck of the Shimabara Peninsula. Tomioka Joe (talk) 02:41, 11 July 2008 (UTC)