Our Lady of Akita

Our Lady of Akita refers to a series of reported Marian apparitions and messages received in the early 1970s by Sister Agnes Sasagawa, a member of the Handmaids of the Holy Eucharist, in Akita, Japan. Beginning in 1973, Sister Agnes experienced visions of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by messages calling for prayer, repentance, and reparation for sin. Around the same time, a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in the convent was reported to have wept human tears on multiple occasions, events witnessed by many people and scientifically examined.

The messages of Our Lady of Akita strongly emphasized the seriousness of sin in the modern world and warned of grave consequences if humanity did not turn back to God. Mary urged frequent prayer, especially the Rosary, acts of penance, and devotion to the Eucharist as remedies for spiritual decay. One of the most striking aspects of the messages was a warning of widespread suffering, including divisions within the Church, if people continued to ignore God’s call to conversion.

After years of careful investigation, the local bishop of Niigata, Bishop John Shojiro Ito, declared in 1984 that the events of Akita were of supernatural origin and worthy of belief. While belief in the apparitions is not required of Catholics, Our Lady of Akita is widely regarded as a serious call to deeper faith, humility, and prayer, echoing themes found in other approved Marian apparitions. Its message continues to resonate with many faithful as a reminder of the urgency of repentance and trust in God’s mercy.