The Swamp of Japan

The metaphor of Japan as a swamp that kills Christianity.

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Ferreira's Swamp

Ferreira's Swamp The Analogy Ferreira said Japan is a swamp where the sapling of Christianity rots. The Japanese twist the faith into something else. The Butterfly in the Web He compared Christianity to a butterfly caught in a spider's web: only the skeleton remains. Significance

Inoue's Explanation

Inoue's Explanation The Root Cut Inoue said the roots of Christianity were cut. The sapling withered. The God of the peasants had changed. The Swamp Prevails He claimed that Japan cannot absorb Christianity. The cultural swamp defeats the foreign religion. Significance

Meeting at Saishoji, September 1638

After Rodrigues' apostasy, 1638