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Francis Xavier was a Spanish [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] priest who traveled around Asia and helped found the Jesuit mission in Japan.

Francis Xavier was a Basque co-founder of the [[Society of Jesus]], who traveled in Asia and helped found the Jesuit mission in Japan.

==History==

==History==

Originally from the Basque region of Spain, Xavier left Portugal for Asia in [[1541]]. In December of [[1547]], while he was living in Malacca, he became acquainted with [[Anjiro|Anjirō]], a Japanese living abroad who converted to Christianity.

Originally from the Basque region of Spain, Xavier earned a master's degree and taught at the University of Paris before becoming one of the founding members of the Jesuit order.<ref>William Theodore de Bary, Carol Gluck, and Arthur Tiedemann (eds.), ''Sources of Japanese Tradition'', Second Edition, vol 2, Columbia University Press (2005), 144.</ref> He left Portugal for Asia in [[1541]], and in December of [[1547]], while living in Malacca, Xavier became acquainted with [[Anjiro|Anjirō]], a Japanese living abroad who converted to Christianity.

He then journeyed to Japan in [[1549]], along with two other Jesuits, [[Cosme de Torres]] and [[Juan Fernandez|Juan Fernández]], arriving in [[Kagoshima]], where he received permission from [[Shimazu Takahisa]] to proselytize. After forming a friendship with [[Ninshitsu]], head of the [[Shimazu clan]] [[bodaiji|temple]] of [[Fukusho-ji|Fukushô-ji]], he helped found the first Catholic mission in Japan, and converted roughly one hundred local people. Roughly a year after arriving in Kagoshima, he relocated to [[Hirado]] in the spring of [[1550]]. He then moved on to [[Choshu|Chôshû]], where he assisted his fellow Jesuits preaching in the streets.

He then journeyed to Japan in [[1549]], along with two other Jesuits, [[Cosme de Torres]] and [[Juan Fernandez|Juan Fernández]], arriving in [[Kagoshima]], where he received permission from [[Shimazu Takahisa]] to proselytize. After forming a friendship with [[Ninshitsu]], head of the [[Shimazu clan]] [[bodaiji|temple]] of [[Fukusho-ji|Fukushô-ji]], he helped found the first Catholic mission in Japan, and converted roughly one hundred local people. Roughly a year after arriving in Kagoshima, he relocated to [[Hirado]] in the spring of [[1550]]. He then moved on to [[Choshu|Chôshû]], where he assisted his fellow Jesuits preaching in the streets.