who took over from the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, initially continued in this vein and several thousand people were exiled (Urakami Yoban Kuzure). After Europe and the U.S. began to vocally criticize the persecution, the Japanese government realized that it needed to lift the ban in order to attain its interests. In 1873 the ban was lifted. Numerous exiles returned and began construction of the Urakami Cathedral, which was completed in 1895. It was later revealed that tens of thousands of Kirishitan still survived in some regions near Nagasaki. Some officially returned to the Roman Catholic Church. Others remained apart from the Catholic Church and have stayed as Kakure Kirishitan, retaining their own traditional beliefs and their descendants asserting that they keep their ancestors' religion. However, it became difficult for them to keep their community and rituals, so they have converted to Buddhism or Shinto eventually. When John Paul II visited Nagasaki in 1981, he baptized some young people from Kakure Kirishitan families, a rare occurrence. Christian view of Kirishitan history Those who participated in the Shimabara Revolt are not considered to be martyrs by the Catholic Church since they took up arms for materialistic reasons. Drawn from the oral histories of Japanese Catholic communities, Shūsaku Endō's novel "Silence" provides detailed accounts of the persecution of Christian communities and the suppression of the Church. Kirishitan daimyōs Ōmura Sumitada, first Christian feudal lord (1533–1587) Ōmura Yoshiaki (1568–1615) Arima Harunobu, Christian name Dom Protasio, Lord of Shimabara (1567–1612) Arima Naozumi (1586–1641) Kuroda Yoshitaka, Dom Simeao, a chief strategist of Hideyoshi's (1546–1604) Kuroda Nagamasa (黒田 長政, December 3, 1568 – August 29, 1623) Konishi Yukinaga, Dom Agostinho, chief member of Hideyoshi's field staff (1555–1600) Dom Justo Takayama Ukon, daimyō of Akashi, chosen life of exile in Manila, Philippines (1552–1615) Gamō Ujisato (1556–1595) Ōtomo Sōrin (大友 宗麟) (1530–1587), also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige (藤原 義鎮) and Ōtomo Yoshishige (大友 義鎮). Christian name Dom Francisco; referred to as the "King of Bungo" by the Jesuits Ōtomo Yoshimune (大友 義統), Constantino Ōtomo Chikaie (大友 親家), Dom Sebastin (1561–1641) Ōtomo Chikamori (大友 親盛） Oda Hidenobu, Christian name Peter (1580–1605) Tsugaru Nobuhira (1586–1631) Kirishitans Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan Paulo Miki (1563–1596) Amano Motonobu Petro Kasui Kibe (1587–1639) Itō Mancio (伊東マンショ Itō Mansho), 伊東祐益 (1570–1612) Julião Nakaura (中浦ジュリアン Nakaura Jurian) Martinão Hara (原マルチノ Hara Maruchino) Miguel Chijiwa (千々石ミゲル Chijiwa Migeru) Akashi Takenori Leonardo Kimura (1575-1619) Hasekura Tsunenaga (支倉常長)