The Possibility of the Christianised Japan?

If I remember correctly (I don't recall much of my undergrad Japanese History Course), but by the end of the 16th century, Japan had one of the largest Christian communities outside of European rule. In fact, the Christian community in Japan was a vibrant community, until it was crushed and driven underground by the Tokugawa shogunate. Today, only one percent of Japanese in Japan are Christian.

But what would have happened if Christianity was more successful in Japan? To the point that either Japan or a large part of Japan was Christianized by Christian missionaries? How would that change Japan and its relationship with the world?
 
Interesting if the Japanese decide on Crusade, think that the Europeans have been slacking on retaking the Holy Land, an error that needs to be rectified.

The Christian Emperor decrees that Japan will become a Naval power, so that they can reach the Middle East sooner, than trying to fight thru all of China and the rest of the Silk road
Funding will be accomplished by taking over the old Venetian and new Portuguese (and others) Trading Routes for Spices, and soon, Tea
 
Interesting if the Japanese decide on Crusade, think that the Europeans have been slacking on retaking the Holy Land, an error that needs to be rectified.

The Christian Emperor decrees that Japan will become a Naval power, so that they can reach the Middle East sooner, than trying to fight thru all of China and the rest of the Silk road
Funding will be accomplished by taking over the old Venetian and new Portuguese (and others) Trading Routes for Spices, and soon, Tea
The sacred duty of the Japanese people to lead the new crusade and make the rising son rise again on the holy land.
 
Interesting if the Japanese decide on Crusade, think that the Europeans have been slacking on retaking the Holy Land, an error that needs to be rectified.

The Christian Emperor decrees that Japan will become a Naval power, so that they can reach the Middle East sooner, than trying to fight thru all of China and the rest of the Silk road
Funding will be accomplished by taking over the old Venetian and new Portuguese (and others) Trading Routes for Spices, and soon, Tea
"Christian" doesn't necessarily mean "Deus Vult-yelling crusading brute" in this context. Japan does not and would not have any geopolitical interests in the Middle East besides trade connections. Their primary focus would be the Pacific and East Asia instead.
Any Christian Japanese Emperor making overtures at "conquering Jerusalem" would likely be doing so out of romantic feeling or anti-Ottoman rhethoric in alliance with some Christian power. They can't project power that far, and China is a more pressing issue.
 
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Japan has a higher chance of being colonized ITTL, since a Kirishitan ruling class would be much less insular.

What happens to the Chrysanthemum Throne in this scenario?
 
They can't project power that far, and China is a more pressing issue.
Can say the same thing about Great Britain, nearby France was the main problem, but that didn't stop a small Island with almost no natural resources from making most of the Globe Pink, with no land gained on the nearby continent
 
Japan has a higher chance of being colonized ITTL, since a Kirishitan ruling class would be much less insular.
I would not believe that would be the case. In fact, I would think Japan would become more modernized due to closer connections with Christian Europe.
 
In OTL situation, this is not possible. But if a Korean Analogue is used, with the Manchus invading Japan and warfare for years as a result with the Christian Europeans giving weapons to the Japanese, there might be some kind of sympathy. But until then, Christianity can not be banned. And even this is no guarantee yet...
 
Can say the same thing about Great Britain, nearby France was the main problem, but that didn't stop a small Island with almost no natural resources from making most of the Globe Pink, with no land gained on the nearby continent
Large deposits of iron and coal aren't 'almost no natural resources' and Japan has historically lacked much of a naval tradition (the Imjin War saying as much) whereas the UK's naval tradition enabled its long-distance conquests.

Plus, India is a massive market with plenty of desirable natural resources and a key point in controlling trade with China, which is another massive market with desirable natural resources, and can be reached by sea relatively easily. The Holy Land has a relatively small population, requires either going around the Straits of Gibraltar or going through land until the Suez is built, and isn't exactly full of resources Japan is dying to get at.
 
I don't think converting all of Japan is possible, but vaguely possible, but that would require intense restructuring the traditional social and religious (in the eastern sense) structures Japan has up to this day to accommodate to Catholic values. A Catholic Kyushu and Ryukyu Islands would be more likely than all of Japan though with all of the Portuguese influence that came from the Kyushu before the Sakoku edict, though there is little European contact with the Ryukyu Kingdom at the time (Portugal being the most likely to interact with them).

In fact, my future Portuguese Asia TL that's still on draft will feature a Catholic Kyushu under Portuguese influence and either a non-expansionist but open Oda or Ishida shogunate (If Nobunaga survives the Honno-ji attack or Ishida's forces win at Sekigahara) tolerates their activities, and creates an overseas community similar to the OTL Chinese in Southeast Asia. Portugal will also grab the Ryukyu Kingdom as a protectorate shortly after the Ming collapse. And yes, Portuguese Northern Luzon (one of kasumigenx's favorite tropes) will be there so the Portuguese can get the best trade routes.
 
I don't think converting all of Japan is possible, but vaguely possible, but that would require intense restructuring the traditional social and religious (in the eastern sense) structures Japan has up to this day to accommodate to Catholic values. A Catholic Kyushu and Ryukyu Islands would be more likely than all of Japan though with all of the Portuguese influence that came from the Kyushu before the Sakoku edict, though there is little European contact with the Ryukyu Kingdom at the time (Portugal being the most likely to interact with them).

In fact, my future Portuguese Asia TL that's still on draft will feature a Catholic Kyushu under Portuguese influence and either a non-expansionist but open Oda or Ishida shogunate (If Nobunaga survives the Honno-ji attack or Ishida's forces win at Sekigahara) tolerates their activities, and creates an overseas community similar to the OTL Chinese in Southeast Asia. Portugal will also grab the Ryukyu Kingdom as a protectorate shortly after the Ming collapse. And yes, Portuguese Northern Luzon (one of kasumigenx's favorite tropes) will be there so the Portuguese can get the best trade routes.
That would be interesting. Especially if the rest of Japan successfully modernizes and begin demanding the territory back.
 
That would be interesting. Especially if the rest of Japan successfully modernizes and begin demanding the territory back.

Demanding the territory back as in?

Well, for my TL, under a peaceful but open Japan under either the Oda or the Ishida (probably the Tokugawa would be merely tolerating too since I read an earlier thread saying Ishida Mitsunari would persecute Christians harder than the OTL Tokugawa Shogunate), Portugal has Tsushima, Tanegashima, Hirado and Nagasaki as concessions until a Meiji counterpart under a Luso-Japanese friendship treaty, returning the said concessions with Japan and a Western ally they can look up to, with Portugal being powerful due to retaining Brazil, with Portugal still keeping the Ryukyu Islands and Formosa as colonies. Then my alternate WW2 will feature an Allied Democratic Japan against a right-wing Statist China led by Wang Jingwei allied with the Nazis.
 
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