Amakusa travel guide

Amakusa, is located in a southern part of Kumamoto-city, and consists of Shimo-jima,Kami-jima

and many other islands varied in size, which belong to Unzen-Amakusa National Park

along with Unzen.

It provides ideal spots for viewing the saw-toothed coast line of Amakusa and

the small islands scattered across the sea.

Amakusa has the UNESCO World Heritage / Hidden Christian Sites.

Exploring Amakusa

Amakusa Gokyo / Pearl line

Amakusa Gokyo or Amakusa five bridges, is a general term for five bridges which connects

from Misumi at the Udo peninsula to the Oyano island, the Nagaura island, Ikejima, Maejima,

and Amakusa Kamishima, was built in 1966. The area on the National road route 266 called

as the Pearl Line.

First Bridge

Second Bridge

Fourth Bridge

Amakusa Cruise

Connecting the islands of Amakusa with the inland of Kumamoto via the Uto Peninsula are

Amakusa Gokyo or Amakusa Five Bridge. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Amakusa

from the sea on a cruise.

World Heritage of Hidden Chrisrian Sites and related site

Oe Cathedral / UNESCO World Heritage

The oldest Catholic Church in Amakusa and was one of the first churches built right after the ban

on Christianity was lifted. The and Romanesque-style architecture and the chalky white structure

was rebuilt in 1933 by a French missionary priest named Father Garnier using his own money and

contributions from local Christians living in the area.

Sakitsu Village / UNESCO World Heritage

A Gothic-looking church is located on a cove of a fishing village. In 1934, a French priest

Augustin Halbout MEP purchased the premises of the former village headman and built a

wooden and concrete finished church, with Tetsukawa Yosuke’s design and construction.

He placed the altar at the very site where fumie or a test to ensure non-allegiance to

Christianity had been conducted.

Amakusa Shiro Memorial Hall

The theme Museum shows History of Christianity in Amakusa and Shimabara Rebellion

which was a peasant uprising agaist bakufu’s persecution of Christians under the leadership

of Amakusa Shiro in 1637.

Tomioka Castle Ruins

Tomioka Castle was built in 1602, one year after Terasawa Shimanokami hirotaka came

to Amakusa. Although Amakusa ruled by proxy for Terasawa from Tomioka Castle,

he revelled with his army in the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. After the rebellion, Yamasaki

Kainokami Ieharu ruled from the castle, and which was restored and enlarged to its

present form.

Featured sites

Sengan moutain Observatory

Ariage Octopus Street

Oppai Stone or breast stone

Location of Amakusa

General information

Access

by Airplane	35 minutes from Fukuoka airport to Amakusa airport 25 minutes from Kumamoto airport to Amakusa airport
by Ferry	45 minutes from Mogi port in Nagasaki to Takaoka port 30 minutes from Kuchinotsu port in Minami-Shimabara to Oniike port
bY JR	40 minutes from Kumamoto Station to Misumi Station
by Car	From Kumamoto-city 60 minutes to Misumi 70 minutes to Oyano 85 minutes to Matsushima 100 minutes to Ariake 125 minutes to Hondo 180 minuted to Shimoda Onsen 200 minutes to Oe