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A diplomatic mission to negotiate with the Pope to open a new trade route leads to “A Samurai in the Vatican” on Secrets of the Dead – March 15 at 10 pm


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Secrets of the Dead: A Samurai in the Vatican

Premieres Wednesday, March 15 at 10 p.m. on WOUB

A Samurai being blessed by priestIn 1613, feudal lord Date Masamune sent a Japanese diplomatic mission to Europe to negotiate with the Pope and the King of Spain in hopes opening a new trade route.

Led by samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga and Franciscan monk Luis Sotelo, the expedition spent seven years traveling one-third of the globe. Discover the fate and legacy of these men caught up in the first stages of globalization and facing religious and political tensions.