This book tells the story of the Catholic missionaries who came to Japan in the 16th century, and the persecution they faced at the hands of the ruling authorities. The author focuses on the lives and martyrdom of several Franciscan saints who were canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1862, including Paul Miki, John Goto, and James Kisai. The book provides a valuable insight into the history of Christianity in Japan and the courage and devotion of those who spread the faith. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.