(xii) After arriving, the two priests realized the secretive lifestyles of the Christian converts and the limited role in society to which they played. The people who practiced the Christian faith were not powerful in political or financial terms. Because of this lack of power, the new ideas were embraced by the peasants, thus giving them a sense of importance. "For the first time they have met men who treated them like human beings. It was the human kindness and charity of the fathers that touched their hearts." (32) It was this treatment which craved the curiosity of the peasants, but it was also this treatment which threatened the established political power of the samurai, daimyo, and emperor. And the establishment used their own power to counter the missionary work, often providing rewards to those who turned in the priests. "Anyone who informs on us priests receives a reward of three hundred pieces of silver." (33) Officials came into the villages on a daily basis to search out and discover any signs of Christianity or missionary work. This constant bombardment on the villagers made the priests work difficult and their goals unrealistic. The structure of Japanese society was one of the walls protecting the area from conversion to the Catholic faith and one of the reasons why Christianity failed in Japan.
The difference of ideologies of the east and west is best demonstrated through the relationship of Japan with Buddhism and Japan with Christianity. Buddhism adapted to the lifestyle of the Japanese people because it was introduced early in the history of the area. Buddhism came from China, an area from which Japan borrowed many traditions, and merged with Shinto well to develop a polytheistic approach to faith. With centuries of practice and understanding, Buddhism became a part of the "swamp" of Japan. Christianity, on the other hand, was not introduced to the area until much later.