[K-Women Talk] Ota Julia: The Joseon Saint Revered in Japan

Losing Her Family to the Imjin War and Taken Prisoner
Helping Others Despite a Life of Hardship

When the Imjin War broke out, the people of Joseon were swept up in the conflict, resulting in death or separation from their families. Konishi Yukinaga, a daimyo (Japanese warlord) who led the vanguard of the Japanese invasion, captured Dongnae and was the first to occupy Hanyang. As a result, Konishi became notorious in Joseon, often appearing as a villain in folk tales, historical novels, and dramas such as the Imjinrok.

However, he was a devout Catholic and even took in and raised orphans from Joseon who had been caught up in the war. One of them was Ota Julia, who had been the eldest daughter of a noble family in Seoul but was separated from her family due to the war and was taken in by Konishi.

It was truly a tragic fate. Although Julia survived thanks to Konishi, the cause of her misfortune was the Japanese invasion. Later, Julia was sent to Japan, where she became a lady-in-waiting to Konishi’s wife, and she became proficient in both Chinese characters and Japanese. Julia converted to Catholicism and received the baptismal name Julia.

After the Imjin War ended, Julia faced new hardships. In 1600, following the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Konishi was executed and his clan destroyed after losing the civil war (the Battle of Sekigahara). Julia, who was about 20 years old at the time, became a lady-in-waiting to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most powerful man in Japan. As a Joseon native and an orphan, her intelligence likely enabled her to survive.

But her tribulations did not end there. Tokugawa demanded that Julia serve him as a concubine, and a ban on Christianity was also imposed. Julia refused both and held fast to her faith. As a result, she was exiled to remote islands such as Oshima and Niijima. Even in exile, she was known to have helped the poor and the sick, and it is said that she passed away on Kozushima, near Kyushu.

However, a few years ago, three letters written by Julia herself were discovered, shedding more light on her life. The letters were written after she heard rumors that a Joseon man resembling her was being held captive in Yamaguchi. In the letters, written in Japanese, she described her brother’s name and physical features as she remembered them, asking, “Are you really my brother?” The phrase, “I thought at least you would remain by our parents’ side...” reveals her deep longing and the pain of war. Fortunately, the recipient of the letter was indeed her younger brother, and the siblings were reunited in an emotional meeting.

This event appears to have taken place before Julia was exiled. After meeting his sister, her brother received a gift from Tokugawa Ieyasu. Later, her brother was given the Japanese surname Murata and settled in Hagi, Yamaguchi, Japan, where his descendants continue to this day.

Meanwhile, it is unclear exactly when Julia passed away, but according to letters from Jesuit missionaries who corresponded with her, she was released from exile in her later years and traveled to places such as Nagasaki and Osaka.

Julia truly led a tragic life. She was caught up in war at a young age, separated from her family, forced to leave her homeland and live in Japan, and witnessed the death of the person who was both her enemy and benefactor. She became a lady-in-waiting to the very ruler responsible for his death, living a life she neither wanted nor chose.

However, instead of submitting to her fate, Julia resisted by holding fast to the only freedom allowed to her?her own heart. Despite her difficult and painful life, Julia helped others and stayed true to her beliefs, leaving a strong impression on many. Jesuit missionaries called her “the rose among thorns,” she was respected by the Japanese, and she is remembered to this day in both Korea and Japan.

Lee Han, historical writer