# Ban on Christianity in Japan (1614)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1614-ban-on-christianity-in-japan
Location: Japan
Themes: Persecution

The shogunate bans Christianity; believers go underground as Hidden Christians. At this point in the timeline (1614), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Paul V (16 May 1605 – 28 January 1621).

## Why it matters
Ban on Christianity in Japan mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Paul V](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-paul-v)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Kakure Kirishitan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakure_Kirishitan)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Ban on Christianity in Japan](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Ban+on+Christianity+in+Japan)
- [Wikipedia — Reformation (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation)