Bones found in Tokyo believed to be of Italian missionary who helped change Japan's view of the world

A set of bones found in Japan is believed to have belonged to an Italian missionary who came to the country in the 1700s, at a time when Christianity was banned. He had been recognized as someone who helped change how Japan viewed the world.

According to Agence France-Presse, three sets of bones were found in July 2014 at a construction site in Tokyo, formerly called Edo, where the prison Kirishitan Yashiki or Christian Mansion was located. For six months, researchers at the National Museum of Nature and Science pieced the bone fragments together, and the museum's chief of anthropology Kenichi Shinoda conducted a DNA analysis. He discovered that one set was of the same genetic type as present-day Italians.

Since historical records show that only two Italian missionaries were held at the prison -- and one of them, Giuseppe Chiara, died at 84 and was cremated -- it was then concluded that the one found likely belonged to then-47-year-old Giovanni Battista Sidotti.

The report says that Japan was in national seclusion from 1639 and banned foreign religion because it was deemed as a threat to national identity, but Sidotti disguised himself as a samurai in 1708 in order to enter the country. He was captured, imprisoned, and interrogated by Arai Hakuseki, Japan's top Confucian scholar.

The missionary earned the respect of the scholar because of his knowledge in different matters, including global affairs, geography, and languages. Arai reportedly wanted to help Sidotti, but the latter was put in the dungeon for allegedly baptizing the couple who attended to his needs. The two sets of bones found with the Italian's could have belonged to the couple.

While no one really knew how Sidotti died, there were later accounts that he was treated with respect even though he refused to give up his faith. Following the discovery of the bones, researchers believe that he was accorded what could have been a burial "in a Christian way."

"His body was laid flat in a casket, a luxurious one as far as I can tell by the brackets," said lead researcher Akio Tanigawa, professor of archaeology at Tokyo's Waseda University. "People did not bury human bodies like this."

In 18th century Edo, the traditional way of burial was to arrange remains in a sitting position and place them in a small tub, just like one found next to the casket.

Sidotti has been given credit for helping shape Japan's view of the world. Arai, who was an adviser to Japan's rulers, wrote a study on the Western world, and he cited the Italian missionary as his primary source.

"The knowledge shared by Sidotti surely changed Japan's view of the world," said Tanigawa.

The Kirishitan Yashiki prison no longer stands -- in its place is parking lot of an upscale condominium -- but a stone marker had been placed to commemorate the historical spot.