Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan

 

Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki is the site where 26 Catholics, including Paulo Miki,

were crucified on February 5, 1597. Arrested in Kyoto and Osaka by order of

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, they were forced to march 800 km in the snow to their

execution

 

 

Then, they all ascended to heaven with the happiness of giving their lives

to Christ.

 

Nishizaka hill, the site of Martyrdom in 1597

The martyrs said that  ” All people, bless God ! ”

The 26 Japanese martyrs have  been canonized in 1862

 

 

The 26 Martyrs Museum

 

 

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The museum behind the monument is devoted to the memory of the martyrs and

the history of Christianity in Japan. Its interior is reminiscent of a church, complete

with beautiful stained-glass windows that create a serene atmosphere for viewing

the exhibits. On display are various artifacts related to early Japanese Christianity,

including historical documents, statues, and religious items.

 

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Oura Cathedral

 

The cathedral is one of the most significant Christian pilgrimage sites in Japan.

Established in 1865, this church is officially known as “Oura Cathedral, the

Church of the 26 Martyrs.” It was built by Father Bernard Petitjean, a French

priest from Fier, who had been dispatched by the Paris Foreign Missions Society

to offer prayers for the 26 saints martyred on Nishizaka Hill. For this reason,

the cathedral directly faces Nishizaka Hill. It was designated as a National

Treasure in 1933 in recognition of its historical value as Japan’s oldest

Gothic-style cathedral.

 

On March 17, 1865, a group of peasants from Urakami visited the church and

professed their secret faith to Father Petitjean, revealing that Christianity had

survived through centuries of intense persecution. The white marble statue of

the Holy Mother at the entrance was erected to commemorate this dramatic

discovery of the “Hidden Christians.

 

Peace Park

 

The Peace Park was established in 1955 near ground zero, where an atomic bomb

was dropped at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945. The Peace Memorial Ceremony is

held in front of the statue on August 9 every year, during which the Mayor of

Nagasaki delivers the “Nagasaki Peace Declaration” to the world.

 

Peace Fountain

The Peace Fountain reminds us of the tragic scene unfolded shortly after America 

dropped the Atomic bomb in Nagasaki at 11:02 am on Aug. 09, 1945.

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Bell of Nagasaki

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Peace Statue

The Peace Statue was completed in 1955, ten years after the atomic bombing.

The 9.7-meter-high statue sits on a 4-meter-tall pedestal and was created by

the renowned sculptor Kitamura Seibo, who was born in Minami-Shimabara,

Nagasaki Prefecture, in 1884. Its raised right hand points to the threat of nuclear

weapons, while the outstretched left hand symbolizes eternal peace.

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Monuments Donated from Around the World

 

 

Ground Zero

 

Such a disastrous war must never be repeated. At 11:02 a.m. on August 9,

1945, a plutonium atomic bomb detonated approximately 500 meters above

the central monument. Most of Nagasaki was destroyed, and a tremendous

number of lives were lost; about 70,000 out of Nagasaki’s 240,000 residents

died instantly, and up to 60,000 others were injured.

 

The radius of total destruction was approximately 1.6 kilometers, with subsequent

fires spreading across the northern part of the city and extending up to 3.2

kilometers south of the hypocenter.

 

 

 

 

Atomic Bomb Museum

The museum exhibits numerous photographs and artifacts that depict the

devastation caused by the atomic bomb. Its displays also cover the history leading

up to that tragic day, the development of nuclear weapons, and our enduring

desire for peace.

 

 

 

Glover Garden

 

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Tram in Nagasaki

 

The Nagasaki Electric Tramway provides a convenient and affordable way to travel around

the main attractions of Nagasaki City.

 

No matter how far you travel, the adult fare for a single journey is always 150 yen.

A one-day pass offering unlimited rides for 600 yen is also available for purchase at major

information centers, hotels, and through a smartphone app (but not on board the trams).

 

Announcements and signs both on trams and at the stops are available in English, making

it easy to find which tram you need to take and where to get off.

 

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Kazagashira Park

 

Magnificent and panoramic view of Nagasaki-city. Kazagashira Park is located on the summit

of Kazagashira with 152 m high, and is on the other side of Inasa Mountain across Nagasaki

Harbour.

 

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At the observatory, there is the statue of Sakamoto Ryoma who greatly contributed

to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and make a new era.

 

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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.

 

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.