Photo/Illutration Yuka Nishioka shows her new picture book, “The Pope and Nagasaki,” in Nagasaki on Oct. 25. (Mizuki Enomoto)

NAGASAKI--A resident here has given a soft touch to the turbulent history of Catholicism in this city in a recently released picture book ahead of a visit by the 82-year-old Pope Francis this month.

"The Pope and Nagasaki," by Yuka Nishioka, runs to about 40 pages in English and Japanese. It covers the past 450 years and includes pastel drawings by the artist.

The content focuses on the activities of the famed missionary Xavier, oppression during a period when Christianity was banned, and the devastation caused by the 1945 atomic bombing that leveled the Urakami district, where many followers lived.

Nishioka, 54, who aspired to become an illustrator of manga for girls, took part in a world cruise organized by Peace Boat, an NGO that promotes international exchanges.

At the time, she felt that Nagasaki was well-known around the world as one of the two Japanese cities devastated by atomic bombing. In 2008, she created a picture book called "A Summer's Afterimage" depicting that event.

For her book, Nishioka, who is not a Christian herself, has drawn on the history of Christians in Nagasaki who were oppressed because of their faith.

During her research, she visited many A-bomb survivors, among them Tsuyo Kataoka, who also appears in the latest book.

Kataoka, who died in 2014 at the age of 93, had keloid scars on her face due to the bombing and had withdrawn from society because of her appearance.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II visited Japan, and spoke in Hiroshima, saying, "War is the work of man."

His words resonated with Katoaka so strongly that she started sharing her experiences as an A-bomb survivor later in life.

Nishioka noticed that Kataoka had photos of the pope and Maria statues, and came to believe that the survivor's story-telling activities were part of her prayer process.

The book starts out with a mass held by John Paul II during snowfall in Nagasaki. The pages that follow feature a Christian missionary and Japanese youngsters that were part of the "Tensho mission" to Europe to meet the pope in the 16th century.

The book also depicts the execution of 26 missionaries and followers at Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki by the order of feudal warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1597. The broad night sky in the scene indicates that an about 250-year period during which the religion was banned was to come.

"Even though Nagasaki has a history of oppression, its temples, shrines and churches convey a message of coexistence," Nishioka said. "I hope my book will give readers a chance to learn about the history."

The picture book is priced at 1,000 yen ($9.20), excluding tax.