Unzen

The very beginning of this short story had a lot of history behind it. Unzen is a big touristy place in Tokyo but back in the 1600's it was actually where Nagasaki Magistrate Takenaka's killed 60-70 Christians a day. It was called the Valley of Hell because it was a hot spring. Now in the 2000's people walk the streets playing popular music and have no idea what happened in this barbaric city. But this history lesson was short lived because Suguro was on a bus to another city.
Suguro is a Christian so right away he is thought of differently because most Japanese people worship Buddha, or false idles. He is on the bus regretting he did not bring his book "Christian Confessions" to keep him on task. It is hard for him and admits to sinning by agreeing with people of different beliefs. The magistrate came into his house one day and demanded that he, being a Christian, abandon his beliefs, and he had to so he could save his family.
Suguro went into more details about the torturing of Christian mentors in the Valley of Hell. As the bus drove down in, a grey fog hung in the air from the hot springs. He recalled 7 priests who were chained together and if they did not renounce their faith, buckets of boiling water was poored all over them. In thirty three days, the seven were tortured that very way atleast six times. He got off the bus to walk around this sacred place. He came to the place where the Christians were tortured; it was a huge bubbling hot spot. After he could not bear the sight he got back on the bus and headed for Shimabara where the prisoners stayed. Suguro had heard Shimabara was the place where Christians were finally executed, but when he asked the women beisde him, who were clearing Buddhist, they denied ever hearing such a thing. When he arrived at the market, he asked a man where the execution land was, and he told Suguro it was right beside the nursery school. He had read in his book that the Christians were drug through the town and then tied to stakes. Beneath the stakes were twigs for a fire and a little bit a water so the prisoners would have a slow and painful death. After standing on the grounds for awhile. Suguro sulked back to the bus while others danced and shopped in the streets.

It was remarkable to me that some people can have such strong faith that they would go through all of that torture for their God. I find it sad to read about how Christians were treated in Japan and China. I wonder if I would do all of that becuase I too am a Christians. I think it is easier to say "yes I would die for my religion" than being held at gunpoint and actually saying it. I did like this story a lot because it gave me interesting and tragic history.