As Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and later the Tokugawa shōguns, issued repeated bans on Christianity, many fled the country. A significant portion of those settled in Catholic Manila.
As Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later Tokugawa shōguns imposed bans on Christianity, many Japanese people fled their country. A significant number of these refugees settled in the city of Manila, which was under Spanish control at that time and had a strong Catholic presence.