Blessed Adam Arakawa in Shimoshima, Amakusa

IN MEMORY OF ADAM ARAKAWA. This monument and park were made in the name of Adam Arakawa, the only Beatus from Amakusa.

Very few locals of Amakusa know that there is a blessed martyr in their area. Adam Arakawa was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in November 2008 and became the only “Beatus” from Amakusa. During the early days, he was a samurai who served the church at Shiki in Amakusa. When the church’s priest was expelled from Japan, Adam Arakawa was assigned to protect and oversee the church and its people. He refused to renounce his faith and persisted in believing the Catholic Church. He was tortured for days, stripped naked, and was paraded through streets. He was beheaded at the age of 70. Adam Arakawa was a true Christian who put Christ’s teaching above his own life.