Foreign Missionaries and the Kaleidoscopic Development of Catholic Life 1945 to the Present Japan

This chapter explores the postwar rebirth of Catholicism in Japan with the returning of foreign missionaries and resurrection of Catholic institutions in cities such as Nagasaki amidst US occupation and the overhaul of Japan’s political system. In addition to exploring the impact of papal visits in 1981 and 2019 on Catholic life, the chapter discusses the contributions of Japanese clergy and Christian missions to the nation’s postwar recovery, intellectual life, women’s education and rights, and the importance of atomic shrines and miracles to the faith. Lastly, the chapter analyzes the political causes and activist movements that have defined relations between Japanese Catholic and their counterparts in Asia and Rome.