Ana-tsurushi (穴吊るし, lit. "hole hanging"), also known simply as tsurushi (吊るし, lit. "hanging"), was a Japanese torture technique used in the 17th century to coerce Christians ("Kirishitan") to recant their faith.^[1] The victim was hung head-down by the feet.^[1] Both Japanese and Western Christians are known to have been subjected to the torture.^[1] One of the victim's hands would be held tight with a rope, but the other would be left free so that he could signal his willingness to recant.

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The technique was said to be unbearable for those submitted to it, though some particularly resilient martyrs like Lorenzo Ruiz never broke under torture. The body was often lowered into a hole, itself often filled with excrement at the bottom.^[1] Typically, a cut would be made in the forehead around their temples in order to let blood pressure decrease in the area around the head.^[1] The aim was to "break their resolve" to renounce their faith or they would eventually die.^[1] Sometimes there was a doctor to resuscitate them only to be tortured again.^[1] An estimated 2,000 Christians died as martyrs.^[1] Christians were let go after apostatizing, and in this way the Shogunate practically purged Christianity from Japan.^[1]

A notable victim of this method of torture was Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino martyr to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

Ana-tsurushi was made famous in the novel Silence by Shusaku Endo, where it is referred to as "anazuri".^[2]