Arima Harunobu
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Arima Harunobu (有馬晴信?) (1567-1612) Arima Harunobu was the second son and successor of Japanese daimyo Arima Yoshisada. Harunobu was born in the castle of Arima and controlled the Shimabara area of Hizen province. After Harunobu's father's death, he began the persecution of Christians in his region. With Ryuzoji Takanobu expanding into his domain, Harunobu turned to the help of the Jesuits. Due to this fact, Harunobu became baptized by Alessandro Valignano in 1579. First he took the name João, which he later changed into Protasio. As a result of his christianization, Harunobu now started getting supplies of weapons from the Portuguese, which stengthened that of the Arima clan. He also founded a seminary and training center for novices in his domain, where apart from the ordinary instructions given was also taught European style music, painting and sculpture and the manufacture of organs and watches.
In 1582 Harunobu teamed up with the Kyūshū Christian daimiyos Otomo Sorin and Omura Sumitada to send a Japanese embassy to the Pope in Rome, led by Valignano and represented by Mancio Ito. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi expelled the Catholic fathers and outlawed the teaching of christianity in 1587, the Arima domain became a refuge for many Christian missionaries and believers.
During the year of 1582, Harunobu ended up losing his important Shimabara Castle and was reduced to holding a thin strip of the peninsula. Harunobu in desperate stands, called for the help of the Shimazu, were currently in battle with the Ryuzoji. The Shimazu however assisted them by sending Shimazu Iehisa to Shimabara. During the year of 1584, the combined forced of the Arima and the Shimazu with over 3,000 troops, ended up defeating that of the Ryuzoji. The battle that they fought was known as the Battle of Okitanawate. During that battle, Takanobu ended up getting killed. Afterwards, Shimazu Yoshihisa suggested the Arima renounce Christianity, but this was only refused by Harunobu.
After the latter invaded Kyūshū during the year of 1587, Harunobu allied with the likes of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During the year of 1593, the allied force led some 2,000 men to Korea under Konishi Yukinaga. During the Battle of Sekigahara during the year of 1600, Harunobu supported Tokugawa Ieyasu, and thus didn't lose any land during the end result of the battle.
In 1608, a trading ship Harunobu had sent to Champa was attacked by the Portuguese while stopping at Macao. Harunobu retaliated this the following year by attacking the Portuguese tradingship Madre de Deus coming to Nagasaki from Macao.
During the year of 1609, Harunobu was tasked to scout out a potential trade center for Japanese, Chinese, and that of Western ships. When they arrived, many of the islanders attacked Harunobu's men, and many ended up being killed. During the year of 1616, this same attack was led, but only by the Omura. This event also ended in failure. That event took place four years after Harunobu died.
[edit] References
- The Christian Century in Japan 1549-1650 C.R. Boxer, ISBN 1-85754-035-2
- Biographical Dictionary of Japanese History Iwao, Seiichi (Tokyo 1978)
