Speaker: Chisato Straumann (Business Intercultural Trainer and Consultant)
Date & Time: October 5, 2019 (Saturday) 14:00-17:00
Venue: Nishinomiya Daigaku Koryu Center (ACTA East Tower 6F, Room 2) 2 minutes from Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station (0798) 69-3155 Venue Info
Language: English
Social event: Optional dinner after the session at a restaurant. Reservations for dinner required by Oct 1, 2019. Contact: fujimotodonna@@gmail.com
Fee: Free for members and students; 500 yen for non-members
Description of the program:
Christianity was first introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in 1549. However, Christian practice was banned, and starting in 1587 the Japanese Christians living in the rural coastal area north of central Nagasaki (Sotome, 外海) faced one of the fiercest Christian persecutions in church history. They were either martyred or forced to give up their religion.
Father Marco Casquilho is a Portuguese priest currently living in the Kansai area, and he will talk about the Portuguese missionary who brought Christianity to Japan and will provide us with some of the historical background. Then Chisato Straumann will speak about the complex past of Hidden Christians. She will talk about those who became part of the Catholic church and about others who chose not to, and about those who opted to continue hiding even after the ban on Christianity was lifted. She will also share the story of her own ancestors who kept their faith silently even under the brutal Christian persecutions. Chisato was the organizer and guide for the Living within Diversity (LiDi) retreat held in Nagasaki in February this year; and thus, she will give a brief report on this event.
Profile of the speakers: Chisato Straumann, M.A. is an independent business intercultural communication trainer, coach, and consultant with 30+ years of international experience, including living and working in Japan, the USA, Germany, and Switzerland. Currently she works with several multinational corporations in Japan and Europe for leadership training and change management. She also teaches at Doshisha Women’s College and Ritsumeikan University as a part-time lecturer.
Father Marco Casquilho holds a degree in Philosophy from the Universidade de Coimbra, and a Masters in Theology from the Universidade Catolica Portuguesa. He worked for two years in Maputo, Mozambique, and he has lived in Japan for the last nine years. He currently oversees Sennan, Kinokawa, and Misaki churches. He also teaches Portuguese at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.
