"Jesus calls the disciples," woodcut by Sadao Watanabe, Japan, 1970

By 1858 political changes inside Japan, together with international pressure, led to some opening of Japan to westerners; not since the persecutions in Japan (1614-1630) had missionaries been allowed there. Japanese response to the gospel was more restrained than, for example, the Batak people of Indonesia. However, in 1876 under the leadership of an American teacher, many students in Hokkaido converted to Christianity. Several years later 200 students in Kyoto converted and were baptized. Shimita Niishima (d.1890) was drawn to Christianity and left Japan illegally to seek an education in the U.S. Baptized and ordained, he returned to Japan in 1874 as a missionary. He founded Doshisha University, a Christian school for higher education in Kyoto. This school sought to integrate many Japanese traditions with a central commitment to Christ. Japanese Christians early sought to make the church independent and Japanese in character.