The Last Missionary: Requiem for Father Sidotti

Story of a missionary
who disguised himself as a samurai.

For Father Sidotti, it was a great pleasure to have been able to baptize Chosuke and Haru. He was convinced that the missionaries would return to Japan to preach the gospels, and that Japanese society would have freedom of religion.
– Father Mario T. Canducci

Human beings can connect with each other when they overcome differences in culture and ideas. I think that is the message that Father Sidotti gave to us when his remains were found 300 years later.
– Tomoko Furui, Author of “L’ultimo missionario: La storia segreta di Giovanni Battista Sidotti in Giappone” , Edizioni Terra Santa 2017

Story
In 2014, the skeletal remains of three people were found among a construction site for condominium in Tokyo. After the DNA analysis, researchers concluded that one of the remains was that of Father Sidotti, who came to Japan 300 years ago and died a martyr.
“I want to go to Japan no matter what. Japan will be accepting.” Father Sidotti told Pope Clement XI about his dream and spent 5 years of his life making the long journey from Italy to Yakushima Island in Japan. But soon after landing, he was arrested by the island’s officials and sent to the capital city of Edo. There he encounters Arai Hakuseki, a great scholar and powerful figure of the shogunate government.

Special thanks to
Father Mario Canducci
Akio Tanigawa
Tomoko Furui
Yasuhide Tochio
Makoto Saito
Akira Sakai
Daniel Calvert
Cristiano Verardo
Fabio Romanato
Barbara Vitale
Valentina Pagani Donadelli

Arai Hakuseki lab in Kimitsu, Chiba prefecture
Yakushima Catholic Church
Bunkyo Ward Board of Education, Tokyo
Studio Neighbors
Studio Eion Kukan, Shibuya
Waterland Studio Venice
People of Koshima, Yakushima

llustrative material:
“Il Martirio dei 70 giapponesi ed europei a Nagasaki”, Chiesa del Gesu, Roma (from Wikipedia)
“Portrait of Arai Hakuseki”, Arai Hakuseki lab in Kimitsu, Chiba, Japan
“Dividing water from Heaven”, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Sistine Chapel (from Wikipedia)
“Creation of Adam”, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Sistine Chapel, Vatican (from Wikipedia)
“Dividing water from Heaven”, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Sistine Chapel (from Wikipedia)
“Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat”, Simon de Myle (from Wikipedia)
“Resurrection of Jesus Christ”, Raffaello Sanzio (from Wikipedia)

Music:
“Slowmotion” from Bensound.com
“How Great Thou Art”, Prolificarts (from Pond5.com)
“Sunset Hues”, Swan Productions (from PremiumBeat.com)
“Touch Your Soul”, Peter Mclsaac Music (from PremiumBeat.com)
“Pause For Thought”, Dan Phillipson (from PremiumBeat.com)

“Requiem per Padre Sidotti”
Composed and played by Hiromu Motonaga

Producer: Hirofumi Taniguchi
Coordinator Shoko Miwa
Translatior Yuki Yamazawa
Translatior Roberto Lachin
Adviser Izumi Kabasawa
Sound designer Barni Sparkes
Director Jiro Kumakura

Produced by YAKUSHIMA HEART TV
Chuoh Publishing Co., Ltd.