Japan’s Kakure Kirishitans are called the “hidden” Christians because they continued to practice Christianity in secret. They worshipped in secret rooms in private homes. As time went on, the figures of the saints and the Virgin Mary were transformed into figurines that looked like the traditional statues of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. The Bible and other parts of the liturgy were passed down orally, because printed works could be confiscated by authorities.
Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012.