Catholicism introduced in Japan in 1549, with the arrival of Francisco Xavier, Cosmes de Torres, and Juan Fernandez. All of them were important figures in the history of Catholicism in Japan. In the first stage, the catholic missions had success and many people converted to the new religion. The Jesuits were the main order that developed in this period.
The next two centuries were complicated for Catholics. They were persecuted and this religion was banned from Japan.
For many centuries, there was no notice about Christianism in Japan. After four centuries, in the 19th century, new missions arrived in Japan. In the 19th century, Japan opened to the influence of foreign countries. Therefore, in 1853 arrived from America the Comodoro Perry. The new missions were mainly evangelists, and the different evangelical creeds introduced and they spread throughout Japan.
When Japan opened to external influence, it linked the higher technology of western countries with their religion. For that reason, they were interested in this creed. It was well accepted, especially in the high class.
Although the percentage of Christians in Japan has never been important, it had an important influence on the culture of modern Japan.
Thanks for this valuable information
Thank you so much for sharing this information. It's a nice summary. Do you know any reasons Catholics were persecuted or banned in Japan?
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Because religion is a trojan horse for politics, the Japanese rightfully feared the influence of European powers in the area who -effectively- used religion as a crowbar to pave the way for colonialism. Islam teaches well: first come the "harmless" merchants and sweet sufis who preach deepities and build communities. Sooner than you think, armed forces arrive and enjoin you to convert. Indonesia was composed of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms: it is today a Muslim State.
FWIW