Xavier's preparations for his visit to Japan

The next portion of Xavier's history which comes under review is his Mission to Japan. India had lost its charm as a Mission field. The Spice Islands presented but a limited sphere. Japan was unexplored. No Portuguese officials were there to discredit the Christian name, or to impede the progress of the Gospel. The intelligence which Xavier received from merchants, respecting the character of the Japanese, was most encouraging. The providence of God, also, had brought to Xavier a native of Japan, whose story presents one of the most remarkable illustrations which the history of Missions affords of a living “man of Macedonia,” and his invitation, “Come over, and help us.”

Xavier's first mention of Japan occurs in his letters from Cochin, after his voyage to the Spice Islands, January 1548. He says, “I met in those islands a Portuguese merchant, a man of deep religious feelings and strong faith, who spoke much about certain very large islands, lately discovered, called Japan, and assured me that much more success would attend the propagation of the Christian religion there, than in any part of India, because the whole race inhabiting those islands were eager for knowledge beyond all other people. With this merchant, a native of Japan arrived, named Anger, who had determined to seek an interview with me ; for he had opened to the Portuguese traders the grief of a wounded conscience, and had besought them for some remedy, and means of appeasing the wrath of God : upon which they proposed that he should come to me at Malacca. He consented, and sailed with them in their ship.”