Paul Miki was martyred in Nagasaki during the 1597 execution of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan.
Born around 1562 in Japan, Paul Miki joined the Society of Jesus and became a successful preacher. He was arrested during the persecution of Christians under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who viewed the growing Christian presence as a political threat.
Miki and the other prisoners were forced to travel from Kyoto to Nagasaki, a journey of roughly 1,000 kilometers. On 5 February 1597, they were crucified on a hill later known as Nishizaka. According to accounts, Miki preached from the cross.
Pope Pius IX canonized the group in 1862. Their number included Japanese and foreign-born Christians, as well as Jesuits and Franciscans. Paul Miki is commemorated on 6 February, the feast of the martyrs of Japan.