Silence/christianity in Japan

Religion forms the backbone of a nation; with this dutiful title governments may come to base many of there principles to coincide with the teachings of the nationally accepted religion. In some oppressive cases the government may even dictate the belief system that will be accepted though out the empire -- Leaving no tolerance for those who wish to practice a different religion. Furthermore some countries/faiths felt compelled to convert anyone who was a non believer in an attempt to expand the territory of their belief system. This plan was carried out through missionaries. At one point in history, Japan seemed the most fruitful destination for the Jesuit missionaries. In 1549 Francis Xavier, one of the seven original Jesuits, landed in Kagoshima harbor in Japan and proclaimed "the delight of my heart ...the country in the Orient most suited to Christianity."(Endo, Silence, viii) At first much initial success was experienced, the number of convert swelled to 300,000 within one generation.