Nagasaki / UNESCO Hidden Christian sites one-day tour

 

Japanese Christianity has a long history of continuing faith while coexisting with Japanese

traditional religion Shinto and General society.

 

Japan’s unique practice of the Christian faith continued even during the ban on Christianity.

Hidden Christian Site in Nagasaki-city ,  Shimabara  and  Amakusa regions bear unique

testimony to the tradition of people and their communities who secretly transmittraryed their

faith in Christianity while surviving in the midst of the conventional society and its religions

during the time of prohibition.

 

The tour introduces how Christians have been continued their faith since Christianity was

propagated to Japan, by visiting Hidden Christian sites in Nagasaki-city.

 

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Travelling route 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tour conditions

 

The tour is the private tour exclusively for your group.

・Minimum number : 2 person

・Maxum number : 30 person

・Tour date : please specify the date

・English speaking tour attendant escorts your journey to produce a pleasant trip.

・Chartered vehicle is utilized as per number of person.

 

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Itinerary

 

8:00 Depart Fukuoka-city

Transfer to Nagasaki-city using Kyushu Expressway and Nagasaki highway, 2hours 

Exlore Unesco World Heritage sites and related sites in  Nagasaki-city

  Sotome area Hidden Christian Site  

  Urakami Cathedral 

  Lunch at Nagaaski Wharf

  Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan     

  Oura Cathedral  

Transfer to Fukuoka-cuty using Nagasaki Expressway and Kyushu Expressway, 2hours 

18:00 Arrive at  Fukuoka-city

 

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Where to visit

 

Sotome area Hidden Christian Site  / UNESCO World Heritage 

When he discovered the underground Christians, Petitjean realized that there were many

other Christians hiding in the Sotome region.

He appointed de Rotz as the parish priest of the Shitsu and Kurosaki districts.     

 

Shitsu Church

Former Shitsu Aid Centre

The Statue of Mary

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Urakami Cathedral

Originally constructed in 1895 as a brick Romanesque building, after a long-standing ban on

Christianity was lifted. When completed in 1914, it was the largest Catholic church in East Asia.

The atomic bomb dropped on August 9, 1945 explored in Urakami, only 500m from the

cathedral, which was completely destroyed. What remained of the cathedral is now on display 

in the Atomic Bomb Museum.

 

A replacement the Cathedral was built in 1959

Ruins of destroyed Urakami Cathedral are displayed

Ruins of destroyed Cathedral, displayed nearby Ground Zero

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Nagaaski Wharf   lunch

Made up of around 20 unique shops and restaurants lined up at the water front, offering

various choices such Japanese, Western, and Italian cuisine, to beauty salons, outdoor

shops and more. It is quite the popular spot for people who want to relax while viewing the

sea beyond as they dine outdoors.

 

Restaurants lined up at the water front

Featured typical Japanese Restaurant

Viewing the Nagasaki Port

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Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan     

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

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Oura Cathedral  / UNESCO World Heritage

Basilica of Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan. Built in 1865 under the supervision of the French

priest Bernard Petitjean.  It was designated as a National Treasure in 1933 for its value as Japan’s 

oldest Gothic-style Cathedral.

 

Entrance gate of Oura Cathedral

Japan’s oldest Gothic-style Cathedral building

Statue of Mary, at entrance of Cathedral, installed in 1867

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Tour results

We are offering various types of tours, and the tour results up to now are shown links below. 

Tailor-made tour    Study tour     Golf tour

 

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Kitakyushu / UNESCO Industrial Revolution one-day tour

 

Kitakyushu-city is the birth place of Steel Making Industry in Japan and contributed

greatly to the development of the Japanese industry modernization.

The four sites of Yawata Steel Works in Kitakyushu area have been inscribed on

UNESCO World Heritage as Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution in 2015.

 

This tour introduce how Kitakyushu-city contributed to Japan’s industrial modernization

with unprecedented speed in the world and also the history to Environmental Future

City can be learned while visiting World Heritage sites and related Industry Heritages.

 

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 Location of Kitakyushu-city

 

 

 

 

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Tour conditions 

 

The tour is the private tour exclusively for your group.

・Minimum number : 2 person

・Maxum number : 30 person

・Tour date : please specify the date

・English speaking tour attendant escorts your journey to produce a pleasant trip.

・Chartered vehicle is utilized as per number of person.

 

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Itinerary  

 

8:00 Depart Fukuoka-city

Transfer to Kitakyushu-city using Kyushu Expressway, 1 hours 

Visite World Heritage and related site in Kitakyushu

 Kitakyushu Innovation Gallery Studio   →　Higashida No.1 Blast Furnace

 First Head Office the Steel Works  UNESCO World Heritage

Lunch at Otani-kaikan Hall

Kawachi Reservoir  →　Minami Kawachi bridge

Onga River Pump Station　UNESCO World Heritage

Transfer to Fukuoka-cuty

18:00 Arrive at Fukuoka-city

 

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Where to visit  

 

Kitakyushu Innovation Gallery Studio

Museum of Industrial Technology, in April 2007, based on this theme of “innovation,

” the Kitakyushu Innovation Gallery & Studio (KIGS) opened in Yahata, Higashida, 

where Japan’s mordern steel industry operation was started. 

 

Museum Building

World Heritage, Meiji Japan’s Industry Revolution

Introducing Industry innovation history of Japan

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Higashida No.1 Blast Furnace

The only one in the world, the Blast Furnace which was actually used until 1972, is preserved

as it was.   This place is the birth place of Japan’s modern steel industry began in 1901 and It

contributed greatly to the development of the Japanese steel industry.

 

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First Head Office of the Steel Works

Built in 1899, ahead of production facilities.

It is an architectural fusion of Japanese and European design, a two story red brick building

with bilateral symmetry and a central dome set in a Japanese tile roof.

 

World leading rails producing in the Steel Works

First Head Office building registered on the World Heritage

Observation deck of the World Heritage

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Otani-kaikan Hall

Built in 1927, opened as an employee club of the then-owned Yawata Steel Works

The western-style building of Art Deco style architecture. 
The Hall building received the Kitakyushu City Architectural Culture Award in 1989. 

 

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Kawachi Reservoir

The reservoir for supplying water to Yawata Steel Works; the construction took 8 years and was

completed in 1927.  The concept of the designer Hisanori Numata was “Civil engineering is an

eternal monument”. The Dam in harmony with nature, is imaged European Castle and  

the volume 7milion cubic metre reservoir.

 

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 Minami Kawachi-bashi bridge

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Onga River Pump Station

Built in 1910 on the east bank of the Onga River.
It served, and still serves, to deliver industrial water to Yawata via an 11.4 km pipeline.

This supply is integral to the steel production process and was necessary to cope with the 

1st phase expansion of the Imperial Steel Works.

 

Onga River

Onga River Pump Station

Water piping to the Steel Works

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Tour results

We are offering various types of tours, and the tour results up to now are shown links below. 

Tailor-made tour    Study tour     Golf tour 

 

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Kitakyushu UNESCO World Heritage / Industrial Revolution

Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding, and Coal Mining, are a grouping of historic sites that played

an important part in the industrialization of Japan in the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods.

History of Industrial Revolution  

The buildings of the Imperial Steel Works, Japan at Yawata Works are the surviving

components of Asia’s first successful integrated iron and steel works: the State-run

Imperial Steel Works opened in 1901. 

It is located in the northernmost part of Fukuoka Prefecture, the north end of Kyushu, 8 km

south of Hibiki-Nada Seashore close to the continent of China. 

 

Japan’s Steel Industry     Steel Works operation has commenced in 1901

Kawachi Reservoir     Triggered the registration of World Cultural Heritage

Higashida No.1 Blast Furnace     Contributed to the development of the Japanese steel industry

Their present-day setting is still a working industrial landscape set in the southeastern

section of Yawata Works which, for over a century, has consistently maintained a leading

role in the Japanese steel industry.

 

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World Heritage Sites  

 

First Head Office of the Steel Works 

Built in 1899, ahead of production facilities.

It is an architectural fusion of Japanese and European design, a two story red brick building

with bilateral symmetry and a central dome set in a Japanese tile roof.

 

World leading rails producing in the Steel Works

First Head Office building registered on the World Heritage

Observation deck of the World Heritage

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Onga River Pump Station

Built in 1910 on the east bank of the Onga River. It served, and still serves, to deliver 

industrial water to Yawata via an 11.4 km pipeline. This supply is integral to the steel 

production process and was necessary to cope with the 1st phase expansion of the 

Imperial Steel Works.

 

Onga River

Onga River Pump Station

Water piping to the Steel Works

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General information 

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Contact us  

Study tours to Kyushu

 

We are offering the Study tours for Schools, Universities, companies and any other groups.

Furthermore, we are also providing the excursion tours for the customers of International

conferences and company visit.

 

The places for the Study tours are Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka-city and Nagasaki-city.

We have various themes of study such as Environment, Solid Waste management, Industry,

Science, Geography, Architecture, Economy, Christianity in Japan as well as World Peace. 

We are providing the Study tour as a package including the planning, arrangement of visiting

places, tour conductor and interpreter, transportation and accommodations.

  

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What to learn

We are offering various type of study tour utilizimg the following learning resources, environment

requirement of learning.

 

There are a lot of Museums and facilities where Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics can be learned.

 

Environmental Museum

Kitakyushu Manga Museum  and Aru Aru City

Kitakyushu Innovation  Gallery Studio

Gunkan-jima island

First Head Office of the   Steel Works

Giant Cantilever Crane

 

West Japan Industrial   Club

Minami Kawachi-bashi   bridge

Kawachi Reservoir

 

Oura Cathedral

Harajo Castle Ruins

Tabira Church

 

Peace Statue

Ground Zero

Atomic Bomb Museum

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Tour results

 

Glover Garden

 

Glover Garden is located on Minami-Yamate hill in Nagasaki-city, Glover Garden has nine

Western style buildings including the Glover’s Residence built in 1863 by Japanese carpenter

Koyama Hidenoshin.

The Glover Residence is Japan’s oldest wooden Western-style building and is the

UNESCO Wlorld Heritage registered in 2015 as Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution

 

Tomas Glover Residence, World Heritage

Former Mitsubishi second dock house

Overlooking of Nagasaki harbour

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Glover’s arms-importing operations played an important part in the Meiji Restoration, he built the 
first train line in Japan and he even helped establish the first modern Mitsubishi ship yard.

 

Inside of the residence

 

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Nagasaki harbor view from Glover Gargen

 

Venus Bridge

Mitsubishi Heavey Industries,  repair dock

Giant Cantilever Crane,  World Heritage

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Golver Residence is generally believed to have been the scene of Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly.

Inside the park is the life-size statue of the famous opera singer, Tamaki Miura, who received

international acclaim for her performance as Cho-Cho-san in Madam Butterfly.

 

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Location of Nagasaki-city

 

　 

 

 

Higashida No.1 Blast Furnace

 

 

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Shoko Shuseikan

 

UNESCO World Heritage, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution

Shoko Shuseikan Modern Industrial Complex

The museum of the Classics located here exhibits a various of objests related to the Shimazu

family and the Satsuma domain, introducing a Shimazu family tree chart and many other belongings.

 

Reflectance furnace foundation

Base of Reflectance furnace

Reflectance furnace

The stone buiding which houses the collection has been desighnated on the World Heritage, 

Meiji Japan’s Industrial Revolution.

 

World Heritage

Shoko Shuseikan

Shoko Shuseikan entrance

Starbucks Coffee

Satsuma facet factory

Suzumon gate

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 Location of Kagoshima

 

　　

 

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Kawachi Reservoir

 

The first-class civil construction heritage, the triggered the registration of World Cultural 

Heritage of Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution 

 

The Kawachi Reservoir was constructed for the industrial water supply to Yawata

Steel Works. The dam was constructed at the Okura River and upper stream of the

dam was expanded and making the 7milion cubic metre reservoir.

 

 Specification of the dam  

・completion year : 1927

・height : 43.1 metre 
・Width : 189 metre

In the construction of the dam, the unprecedented design in the world has been applied 

in order to harmonize with nature and to save the construction cost. The stones come

out from the mountain when the river was expanded have been utilized for construction

of the dam.

 

All stones are cut into sizes and shapes by the stone technicians  according to the

place of use.  The large size stone were used at the main construction of the dam

and the small size stones were used for other places as per size and shape.

Construction was started in 1919 and was completed in1927 by 900 thousand total

number of workers.

 

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Minami Kawachi-bashi bridge

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 Location of Kitakyushu-city

 

 

 

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Kagoshima travel guide

Sengan-en is the most famous garden in Kagoshima-ken, made by Shimazu lord in the 19th century

at the beautiful bayside Kinko bay. The garden contains many historic artifacts that tell of its long history.

 

Mount Sakurajima

Shimazu family residence

Suzumon gate

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Shoko Shuseikan Modern Industrial Complex   / UNESCO World Heritage

The museum of the Classics located here exhibits a various of objests related to the Shimazu

family and the Satsuma domain, introducing a Shimazu family tree chart and many other

belongings. The stone buiding which houses the collection has been desighnated on the

UNESCO World Heritage,  Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution

 

Shoko Shuseikan

Reflectaance furnace

Base of Reflectaance furnace

 

Shiroyama Park

The park is most famous for its Shiroyama Observatory with spectacular views over downtown Kagoshima, Kagoshima Bay and Sakura-jima.

 

Shiroyama Park

Stand at the Observatory

View from the top

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View from Yoshino Park

Yunohira Observatory

Arimura Lava Observatory

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Sakura-jima Ferry

The Ferry connects Kagoshima-city and Sakurajima in 15 minutes and is operated for 24 hours.

 

Kagoshima Port

To Sakura-jima Island

Sakura-jima Port

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Cape Sata

The southernmost Cape of main land Japan at 31′ 00″ latitude. Cape Sata is home to many sub-tropical

flowers. Visitors may board a semi-submersible glass bottomed boat called the “Sata Day Go” to enjoy

coral reefs marine creatures and the underwater world.

 

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 Location of Kagoshima

 

　　

 

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Tour results

We are offering various types of tours, and the tour results up to now are shown links below.     

Tailor-made tour     Study tour     Golf tour

 

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Gunkan-jima island cruise

 

The cruise ship take you exploring Tachibana bay from Nagasaki port and landing on

Gunkan-jima island.

 

Hashima coal mining island is an artificial reclaimed island and the site of Japan’s first major

undersea coal exploitation (1890) pioneered by Mitsubishi – and host to one of the world’s

most extraordinary former mining communities. Hashima Island is located 3 km southwest of

Takashima, and it was the success of Takashima that led Mitsubishi to purchase this island,

both islands giving access to the same undersea coal deposit.

Now Hashima is a ruin called “Gunkanjima”, so called after its resemblance to the silhouette.

 

 

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General information  

Address	Hashima Takashima, Nagasaki-city
Access	about 40 by a ferry from Nagasaki port

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