Saint Kolbe Memorial Museum, at Hongouchi Church
Father Maximilian Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894 and was a priest of the Conventual
Order of St. Francis.
He had been active in promoting the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
He came to Japan in 1930 and began educating seminarians and publishing a monthly
magazine ” the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.”
After that, the number of Japanese people who understood God’s teachings increased,
and Hongouchi Church was established in 1931.
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After six years in Japan, he returned to Poland for health reasons.
And then, he volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the
German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland.
Saint Kolbe Memorial Museum was built to commemorate his canonization in 1986.
Oura Cathedral
The Cathedral is one of the significant Christian Pilgrimage site in Japan. Established 1865,
this church is officially known as “Oura Cathedral, the Church of 26 Martyrs.” It was built by
the French priest Bernard Petitjean of Fier who had been dispatched by the Foreign
Missionary Church of Paris to dedicate prayers to the 26 saints martyred on Nishizaka hill.
For this reason, the church faces Nishizaka hill. It was designated as a National Treasure in
1933 for its value as Japan’s oldest Gothic-style Cathedral.
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“On March 17, 1865, a group of peasants from Urakami came to the church and professed
their faith to Father Petitjean, thus revealing that Christianity had survived through the
centuries of persecution. The white marble statue of the Holy Mother at the entrance was built
in commemoration of the dramatic discovery of the “Hidden Christians.
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Kurosaki Church
The Church is located in Kurosaki district, where was place of the setting for Endo Shusaku’s
novel Silence. In 1897, the foundations were laid down according to Father de Rotz’s design.
Construction followed and in 1920 the church was completed.
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The followers built it brick by brick with their own hands. The modest design serves to bring out the
beauty of the bricks. Experience the depth when you come inside and see the rib vault ceiling.
The church’s stained glass also leaves a lasting impression.
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Sotome Pilgrimage sites
Sotome is located between Nagasaki-city and Saikai-city, and face to East China Sea.
During the ban on Christianity from 17 century to end of the 19 century, Sotome was
home to communities of “Hidden Christians”, many of whom emigrated there from
other parts of Nagasaki as the remote region allowed them to practice their religion
in secret.
French missionary Father Marc Marie de Rotz played a large role in reestablishing the
religion in the area. He established Shitsu Church on a hill overlooking the sea.
On an elevation commanding a view over the Sea of Goto, Father Marc Marie de Rotz
established a church at his own expense 1882. The building was extended and renovated
again and again. A statue of Mary that he ordered from France is standing in the bell tower.
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I want to save people in the Sotome from poor life. Former Shitsu Aid Centeris indispensable in
talking about the history and culture of the region.
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The setting of Endo Shusaku’s novel Silence. Sotome is blessed with a unique history and
culture of Christianity. In particular, the area in which the Endo Shusaku Literary Museum
stands is known as the site of a Christian village, one of Endo’s most notable work, Silence.
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The Church is located in Kurosaki district, where was place of the setting for Endo Shusaku’s
novel Silence. In 1897, the foundations were laid down according to Father de Rotz’s design.
Construction followed and in 1920 the church was completed. The followers built it brick by
brick with their own hands. The modest design serves to bring out the beauty of the bricks.
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The 26 Martyrs Museum
The 26 Martyrs Museum is dedicated to the 26 Christians who were executed here on
February 5, 1597. They included both foreign missionaries and Japanese laymen. Missionary
activities were prohibited at the time, and Japan’s ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi staged the execution
as a warning. The monument is located in a small park on a hill not far from Nagasaki Station
and offers nice views over the city.
A straight red line runs from the Monument across the park’s plaza in the direction of the Oura
Cathedral on the opposite side of the city. Oura Cathedral is also dedicated to the 26 martyrs.
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The museum behind the monument is devoted to the memory of the martyrs and to Christianity in
Japan in general. Its interior is reminiscent of a church with stained-glass windows, making for
atmospheric viewing of the exhibits. On display are artifacts related to Christianity in Japan,
including old documents, statues and jewelry.
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Nakamachi Church
Nakamachi Church is located near JR Nagasaki Station which was constructed
for Japanese Christians in 1986.
The church was dedicated to the 16 Saints of Nagasaki (St. Thomas and the 15 Martyrs)
in 1988, and the monument honoring them was erected in the premise.
The 16 Saints were martyred in Nagasaki from 1633 to 1637.
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The 16 martyrs became Saints in 1987, since 26 Saint.
Dominic Ibáñez de Erquicia Pérez de Lete, Spanish, 1633, Dominican Priest
Antonio Gonzalez, Spanish, 1637, Dominican Priest
Jordan Ansalone, Italian, 1634, Dominican Priest
Luke of the Holy Spirit Alonso Gorda, Spanish, 1633, Dominican Priest
Michael de Aozaraza, Spanish, 1637, Dominican Priest
Guillaume Courtet, French, 1637, Dominican Priest
Jacobo Kyushei Gorōbyōe Tomonaga de Santa María, Japanese, 1633, Dominican Priest
Thomas Rokuzayemon Nishi, Japanese, 1634, Dominican Priest
Vincent Shiwozuka, Japanese, 1637, Dominican Priest
Francis Shōyemon, Japanese, 1633
Matthew Kohioye, Japanese, 1633
Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipino, 1637
Marina of Omura, Japanese, 1634
Magdalene of Nagasaki, Japanese, 1634
Michael Kurobioye, Japanese, 1633
Lazarus of Kyoto, Japanese, 1637
Shitsu Church
Built in 1882 by Father de Rotz, this low-ceiling church features a brick exterior, wood interior
and stone entranceway. The roof itself is low in order to limit damage done by strong winds.
The church’s bell was brought here from France by a priest and rings out beautifully every
morning. The location is famous as the place where the movie “Gege” was filmed.
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St. Andrew Chistian Seminary
St. Andrew Christian Seminary building stands on the eastern end of Dejima
and features a light blue exterior and a tower with a cross.
It is the oldest surviving Protestant Seminary building in Japan.
It was built as a church school in 1878 and opened the following year as the Dejima
Shinbashiguchi English and Japanese School.
It later changed its name to Dejima Shinbashiguchi Anglican Seminary and offered
theological education. After closing in 1886, it was used as accommodation for foreign
missionaries.
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Megane-bashi bridge
The oldest stone arch bridge in Japan. Meganebashi or Spectacles Bridge, over the Nakashima
River was built in Nagasaki in 1634 by the Chinese monk Mokusunyoujo who is a second
generation of Chinese monks living at Kofukuji Temple. It is said to be the oldest stone arch
bridge in Japan and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property.
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Megane Bridge is also part of the first group of bridges built over Nakashima River. Megane Bridge is
made of stone and is a double arch bridge. It received the nickname “Spectacles Bridge” because its
two arches and their reflection in the water create the image of a pair of spectacles.
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Former Shitsu Aid Center
I want to save people in the Sotome from poor life. Former Shitsu Aid Centeris indispensable
in talking about the history and culture of the region. In 1879, Father Marc Marie de Rotz,
a French missionary who has been assigned to the Sotome, has a variety of farming,
fishing, medical, and educational programs to save local residents from plight. I did an activity.
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Former Shitsu Aid Center is a delivery facility for women, in 1883. It was founded with the
cooperation of members of the Church of St. Joseph, which was founded and trained by the
Father himself. In 2003 in 12, some of these facilities were designated as nationally
designated important cultural properties as the remains of valuable birth and welfare facilities
in the early Meiji period.