Digital Collage: Amakusa Shirō

Made from bits of "DIY". When I saw this character almost finished, it reminded me of the Japanese historical figures who were Christians in an anti-Christian (at the time) country of Japan. I think the most famous figure is Amakusa Shirō who was a samurai lord from the Kyūshū region during the Edo period. There was also a group of 4 young Christian men called the Tensho Embassy who travelled to Europe before the Edo Period as the first official emissary to Europe from Japan. I thought Amakusa Shirō was one of the 4 young men, but actually wasn't, but what they share in common is that they had to endure a strictly anti-Christian nature of Japan at the time and their lives were met with tragical ends. I am not Christian at all, but it's disheartening to hear about these people who fought for religious freedom in the past. I don't know if this character I made looks anything like the actual Amakusa Shirō, but it was an image which I thought might look like him with the semi-Japanese samurai like haircut, but wearing Western styled clothing which was quite unusual at the time.

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