In 1635, the Tokugawa shogunate implemented the Sakoku policy, which effectively closed Japan to foreign influence and trade for over two centuries. This isolationist approach also led to the systematic persecution of Christians, who were seen as a threat to the shogunate's authority and social order. The resulting underground Christian communities preserved their faith in secrecy, shaping Japan's religious landscape and cultural identity, while also influencing Japan's eventual re-engagement with the world in the 19th century.

The Japanese Sakoku isolation policy and subsequent Christian persecution led to the emergence of a hidden Christian tradition, producing clandestine devotional texts and oral poetry. This unique blend of Buddhist forms and Christian themes would later captivate Western writers and missionaries in the 19th century, influencing cross-cultural literary exchanges.