Located on the lower slopes of the Kirishima Mountain with a distant view over Kagoshima Bay and Sakurajima below.  The area is made up of over a dozen Onsen, of which the largest and best know is Maruo Onsen. With its high  concentration of hotels and central location, Maruo Onsen is the representative resort town of the entire Kirishima Onsen area. The hot spring towns around Kirishima Onsen are dotted with Ryokan and hotels of various sizes

Kirishiama…の続きを読む

  Oppression against Christians began with the Tokugawa shogunate’s ban on Christianity. The missionaries were expelled to oversea countries, and those who remained secretly in Japan were also captured and martyred. Konishi Mansho who was the last Priest during the ban on Christianity, was also martyred in 1644. In the absence of priests, believers pretended to be Shinto or Buddhist ostensibly in order to protect their faith. The Christian organizations were created in each village to continue the Christian faith and the faith was passed down from parents to children and from children to grandchildren.     Hidden Christian Even after lifted ban on Christianity, people who continue to practice their faith in the same way as before are called “Hidden Christians”. Hidden Christians in Nagasaki have been passed down since the ban on Christianity in Hirado, Ikitsuki, the Goto Islands, Sotome, and around Nagasaki.  

Hidden Christians…の続きを読む