Amakusa cruise

Amakusa, is located in a southern part of Kumamoto, and consists of Shimo-jima,Kami-jima

and many other islands varied in size.

Connecting the islands of Amakusa with the inland of Kumamoto via the Uto Peninsula are

Amakusa Gokyo or Amakusa Five Bridge.

Amakusa cruise

You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Amakusa from the sea on a cruise.

Approximately 300 wild Dolphins live in the sea between the Shimabara Peninsula and Amakusa.

The dolphin watching cruises have become increasingly popular for all ages, especially because

it is possible to see the dolphins so close that you could almost touch them.

Amakusa Gokyo

Amakusa Gokyo or Amakusa five bridges, is a general term for five bridges which connects

from Misumi at the Udo peninsula to the Oyano island, the Nagaura island, Ikejima, Maejima,

and Amakusa Kamishima, was built in 1966. The area on the National road route 266 called as

the Pearl Line.

Panoramic View

First Bridge

Second Bridge

Third Bridge

Fourth Bridge

Fifth Bridge

The Church is a Pilgrimage site and is the oldest Catholic Church in Amakusa and was one of

the first churches built right after the ban on Christianity was lifted. The Romanesque-style

architecture and the chalky white structure was rebuilt in 1933 by a French missionary priest

named Father Garnier using his own money and contributions from local Christians living in

the area.

The museum is a Christian Pilgrimage site shows History of Christianity in Amakusa and

Shimabara Rebellion which was a peasant uprising agaist bakufu’s persecution of Christians

under the leadership of Amakusa Shiro in 1637.

Sakitshu is a Christian Pilgrimage site and has been registered on UNESCE World Heritage

A Gothic-looking church is located on a cove of a fishing village. In 1934, a French priest

Augustin Halbout MEP purchased the premises of the former village headman and built a

wooden and concrete finished church, with Tetsukawa Yosuke’s design and construction.

He placed the altar at the very site where fumie or a test to ensure non-allegiance to

Christianity had been conducted.

Tomioka Castle was built in 1602, one year after Terasawa Shimanokami hirotaka came to

Amakusa. Although Amakusa ruled by proxy for Terasawa from Tomioka Castle, he revelled

with his army in the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. After the rebellion, Yamasaki Kainokami

Ieharu ruled from the castle, and which was restored and enlarged to its present form.