Arima Harunobu Biography . Harunobu was born in Hinoe Castle , the Arima clan castle that controlled the Shimabara area of Hizen province . After Harunobu ' s father ' s death , he began the persecution of Christians in his region . With Ryūzōji Takanobu expanding into his domain , Harunobu turned to the help of the Jesuits . Harunobu was baptized by Alessandro Valignano in 1579 . He took the baptismal name Protasius , and later took the name John when he received Confirmation . As a result of his conversion to Christianity , Harunobu started to receive weapons from the Portuguese , which strengthened the Arima clan . He also founded a seminary and training center for novice s in his domain where , apart from the ordinary curriculum , students were also taught European music , painting and sculpture and the manufacture of organs and pocketwatch . In 1582 Harunobu teamed up with the Kyūshū Christian daimiyos Ōtomo Sōrin and Ōmura Sumitada to send a Japanese embassy to the Pope in Rome , led by Valignano and represented by Mancio Ito . In 1586 , he had a vision in which there appeared to him two persons of celestial exterior , who thus spoke to him : " Know that on the lands over which you rule , the sign of Jesus is found ; honor and love it much , for it is not the work of man . " Six months afterwards , it happened that a fervent Christian from the neighborhood of Arima sent his son to the woods to cut firewood . On his arrival the young man noticed a tree that was somewhat dried up ; he split it in two , and found inserted in the middle of it a cross of a brown color and of a regular form . As soon as Harunobu heard of this , he went to the place , and on seeing the cross he cried out : " Behold the sign of Jesus , that I was told was hidden in my dominions , and that was not made by the hand of man . " He then fell on his knees , and after having venerated it amidst many tears , he had it carried to Arima , where by his order it was formed in a magnificent crystal . This miraculous cross brought about the conversion of twenty thousand people . 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 1582 , Harunobu lost Shimabara Castle and was reduced to holding a thin strip of the peninsula . Harunobu called for the help of the Shimazu clan against the forces of . The Shimazu sent Shimazu Iehisa to Shimabara . During the year 1584 , the combined forces of the Arima and the Shimazu , with over 3 , 000 troops , defeated that of the Ryūzōji . The battle that they fought was known as the . During that battle , Ryūzōji Takanobu was killed . Afterwards , Shimazu Yoshihisa suggested that the Arima renounce Christianity , but this was only refused by Harunobu . After Kyūshū was invaded in 1587 , Harunobu allied with Toyotomi Hideyoshi . During the year 1592 , the allied force led some 2 , 000 men to Korea under Konishi Yukinaga . During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 , Harunobu supported Tokugawa Ieyasu , and thus did not lose any land after the battle . During the year 1609 , Harunobu was tasked to scout out a potential trade center for Japanese , Chinese , and Western ships . When they arrived at one point , many of the islanders attacked Harunobu ' s men , and many were killed . Later that same year , a trading ship Harunobu had sent to Champa was attacked by the Portuguese while stopping at Macau . Harunobu retaliated the following year by attacking the Portuguese trading ship " Madre de Deus " , bound for Nagasaki from Macau . Immediately follow this incident , the resulted in Arima Harunobu ' s death . Okamoto Daihachi Incident . A certain Okamoto Daihachi , who was a servant of Tokugawa Ieyasu ' s close advisor Honda Masazumi , was sent to Harunobu to congratulate him on his triumph again the Portuguese . Okamoto was also a Christian and he was entertained by Arima Harunobu with a feast . During the banquet , Okamoto told Arima that through his influence upon his master , he could help Arima recover three districts ( " gun " ( 郡 ) ) that were lost to the Ryūzōji clan over the preceding years . Arima believed him and sent him payments of gold and silver to lobby for him in the Tokugawa government . However , Okamoto pocketed the money and never did anything about the situation . When Arima Harunobu encountered Honda Masazumi during his obligatory visit to Edo , he learned that Honda was unaware of Harunobu ' s dealings with Okamoto . Furious with Okamoto , Arima presented the case to Tokugawa Ieyasu . Ieyasu immediately imprisoned Okamoto ; further investigation revealed that Arima had various other dealings with Okamoto and they were involved in a conspiracy to assassinate the Bugyo of Nagasaki . In the end , Okamoto was to sentenced to death by fire , while Arima was stripped of his holdings and exiled to Kai Province . Death . When Arima was ordered by the Shogunate to commit suicide , Arima refused based upon his Christian principles and instead ordered his retainers to behead him . St . Alphonsus Liguori wrote of his death as follows : The emperor had deposed and exiled him , in consequence of an odious intrigue concocted against him by his own son , named Michael . In his exile King John led a very penitent life , to repair all the bad example that he had given , and he desired nothing so much as to expiate by his death his past iniquities . God soon brought about the accomplishment of his desires . Prince Michael , not content with having thus humbled his father , and with seating himself on his throne , wished also to deprive him of life . He had him accused to the emperor of several supposed crimes . The latter , taking counsel only of the hatred that he bore him , condemned him without trial to be beheaded , and sent one hundred and fifty soldiers to carry out the sentence . It is the custom in Japan that when it is desired that a prince should die , the persons of his court defend him till death . But John begged his servants not to oppose his execution , and through affection for him they obeyed most reluctantly . Moreover , he made them swear not to open his body after death . . . He then wrote to his unnatural son a letter full of tenderness , and asked his pardon should he ever have offended him . He afterwards had the Passion of Jesus Christ read to him , praying with tears that the many sins of his past life might be forgiven him . Having had a crucifix put before him , he went on his knees and calmly awaited the death - blow . The good Princess Justa , his wife , who was present , took the head of her husband between her hands and kissed it . Then she withdrew to her apartments , where she cut off her hair , indicating thereby that she renounced the world . The new king of Arima , the infamous parricide Michael , after having taken possession of all the goods of his father , declared war against the Christian religion . . . His son Arima Naozumi married Tokugawa Ieyasu ' s adopted daughter Kuni - hime and as a result inherited the land that was confiscated from his father .