Catholic Unzen Church, built in 1982

The Church is dedicated to Antonio Ishida and others who were martyred in the

Unzen jigoku from 1627 to 1632 and was built in 1982 to commemorate Pope

John Paul II’s visit to Nagasaki.

The number of believers in the church is small, but many pilgrims visit, since it is

also a place of martyrdom.

Hidden Christian sites registered on World Heritage in 2018

Hidden Christian sites in Nagasaki regions is registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage in 2018. 

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,  Shimabara , Hirado and Amakusa Regions bear unique 

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

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

during the time of prohibition.