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.   “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. Pope John Paul II visited here in 1981, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta commonly known as Mother Teresa visited in 1982.  

Oura Cathedral, in Nagasaki…の続きを読む

  Christian missionary activities in Japan began after Francis Xavier came to Hirado in 1550. The Jesuit missionaries who accompanied Francis Xavier carried out missionary activities in Hirado, Omura, Nagasaki, Goto, Kuchinotsu, Shimabara, Iki, Amakusa, Bungo, etc. And then many people converted to Christianity.   Main missionaries; Cosme de Torres (Spanish), Juan Fernandes (Spanish), Luis de Almeida (Portuguese), Gaspar Vilela (Portuguese), Luis Frois (Portuguese), Melechor de Figueiredo (Portuguese), Alessandro Valignano (Italian)       Home  Our Services  Tailor-made guided tour   Christian Pilgrimage tour　Golf tour         Kyushu Travel Guide  Kyushu Photo Collection  Off the beaten path  What our Customers have to say       About us   Contact us  Terms and Conditions   Privacy Policy   Staff Blog      

St. Francis Xavier…の続きを読む

  Nagasaki Port was opened in 1570 by Omura Sumitada, the first Japanese feudal lord to be baptized as a Christian. At that time, a group of Christian families immigrated to the area along with Father Figueiredo. Many of them were fleeing persecution in regions such as Shimabara, Iki, Goto, Hirado, and Yamaguchi. Their arrival marked the beginning of Nagasaki as a Christian town.    Omura Sumitada donated the territories of Nagasaki and Mogi to the Jesuits to protect his domain from neighboring enemies. In 1580, the Society of Jesus in Japan established its headquarters in Nagasaki.  

Opening the port created Christian town …の続きを読む

  In 1582, four young boys boarded a ship at Nagasaki Port bound for Europe. They were dispatched as representatives of the Japanese Christian feudal lords, departing with Alessandro Valignano, the Jesuit missionary who organized the mission. The four youths—Mancio Ito, Miguel Chijiwa, Martino Hara, and Julian Nakaura—were all around 13 years old at the time.     The purpose of the mission is to show the four people who studied at Arima Seminario about Europe and to convey the greatness of Europe to the Japanese people. By introducing the boy raised by the Jesuits to Europe, the mission was to highlight the achievements of Japan’s missionary work and gain support from the Pope and the King of Portugal.   Two years and six months after leaving Nagasaki, they finally arrived in Europe. He first had an audience with Philip II at Rispon, and was subsequently welcomed in various places. On March 23, 1585, Japan had an audience with the Pope and made its grand d ebut on the world stage. After that, they also visited various parts of Italy.   When they returned to Nagasaki in 1590, Christianity was being prohibited. Therefore, their achievements were suppressed due to the ban on Christianity. It was not until 1858, when religious freedom was recognized, that their activities were evaluated.  

Tensho youth mission to Europe in 1582…の続きを読む

  In 1596, the Spanish ship San Felipe, heading from the Philippines to Mexico, washed ashore on the Tosa-Urato coast due to a typhoon. Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi confiscated the ship’s vast cargo. At that time, the navigator said that Spain first send Christian missionaries to increase the number of believers, and then eventually conquer the country. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi heard this, he was shocked and ordered the capture of Spanish Franciscan missionaries who were actively carrying out missionary activities in Kyoto.   Then, he ordered Ishida Mitsunari to execute Franciscan missionaries and Christians. This was the beginning of the Martyrdom of 26 Saints in Nagasaki on February 5, 1597.  

Causes of the Martyrdom of 26 Saints…の続きを読む

  26 Christians arrested in Kyoto who were consisted of 20 Japanese, 4 Spaniards, 1 Mexican, and 1 Portuguese. They were forced to walk barefoot to Nagasaki for about a month. On February 5, 1597, all 26 Christians arrived at Nishizaka and were tied to Crosses.    Paul Miki said from the Cross All of you who are here, please listen to me. I did not com from the Philippines, I am a Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus. I have committed no crime, and the only reason why I am put to death is that I have been teaching the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am very happy to die for such cause, and see my death as great blessing from the Lord. At this critical time, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our enemies and who have wronged us. I must therefore say here that I forgive Taikosama (Hideyoshi).   I would rather have all the Japanese become Christians. (From Luis Frois’s Martyrs Records, 1597)  

26 Saints were the first martyrs in Japa…の続きを読む

  Todos os Santos Church, the first church in Nagasaki, was built in 1569. The feudal lord Omura Sumitada and the Jesuits reached an agreement in 1570 to develop Nagasaki into a port for Nanban trade (with Portugal and Spain). Nagasaki Port opened in 1571, the same year the first Portuguese ship arrived. Following this, the development of the “Town of the Cape” began as a Christian settlement, and the small Church of São Paulo was constructed at the tip of the cape.    Following the initial construction, several other churches were established: Misericordia Headquarters Church (1583) Santa Maria Church (1600) Santa Clara Church (1603) Santiago Church (1604) San Juan Bautista Church (1605) San Antonio Church (1606) San Pedro Church (1607) San Francisco Church (1611) San Agustin Church (1612) For 45 years after the first church was built, Nagasaki flourished as a Christian town. By 1614, the majority of its 25,000 residents were Christians, earning the city the nickname “Little Rome.”   However, following the Tokugawa Shogunate’s nationwide ban on Christianity in 1614, most of these church buildings were destroyed within a 15-day period starting from November 3rd.

Nagasaki was a small Rome in 1569…の続きを読む

  The number of Christians in Japan continued to grow, reaching approximately 300,000 by 1614. Fearing that this increasing influence could lead to rebellion, the Tokugawa Shogunate issued a ban on Christianity in Nagasaki in 1612, f ollowed by a nationwide ban in 1614.   After that, the history of martyrdom began in various places. ・in 1617, 4 missionaries were martyred in Omura ・in 1622, Genna great martyrdom (55 Christians) at Nishizaka ・in 1622-24, Ikutsuki and Nakae-no-shima island martyrdom ・from 1627, Unzen jigoku martyrdom ・1633, Nakaura Julian martyred in Nishizaka ・in 1637, Shimabara Rebellion ・in 1644, Konishi Manjo martyrdom, Domestic priests become absent ・in 1657, Persecution of Christians in Omura ・in 1790, Persecution of Christians in Urakami ・in 1839, Persecution of Christians in Urakami ・in 1856, Persecution of Christians in Urakami

Ban on Christianity in 1612…の続きを読む

  Twenty-five years after the martyrdom of the 26 Saints, the blood of Christians was once again shed on the hill of Nishizaka in Nagasaki.     A total of 55 Christians were martyred, having been arrested at Suzuta Prison in Omura and Kurusu Prison in Nagasaki.

Genna great Martyrdom in 1622…の続きを読む

  When Matsukura Shigemasa became the new federal lord of Shimabara in 1616, many people were Christians. Initially, he acquiesced in Christianity, because he needed people’s cooperation to build Shimabara Castle. However, this situation was known to Tokugawa Shogunate, and he strongly commanded Christians in Shimabara to convert.   From 1627, Christians who did not convert were persecuted using the boiling water of Unzen jigoku. Many Christians were taken to this Unzen jigoku and martyred. Unzen Church is dedicated to Father Antonio Ishida, a martyr of Unzen Hell, and martyrdom festival is held every May.    Unzen jigoku is a tourist spot in Unzen. Jigoku, means Hell, is the number one attraction of Unzen with a peculiar smell of sulfur emitted from the springs, and boiled hot water and white smoke rising from the ground over a wide area. This is a striking reminder that Unzen Volcano is still very much alive.  

Unzen jigoku Martyrdom…の続きを読む