Christian Pilgrimage sites in Nagasaki Region
Hidden Christian site is registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage. 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.
Nagasaki & Sotome
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.
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Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan
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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.
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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.
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Shimabara & Unzen / Nagasaki-prefecture
Harajo Castle Ruins / UNESCO World Heritage
The Battle field of Shimabara Rebellion which was a peasant uprising agaist bakufu’s persecution
of Christians under the leadership of Amakusa Shiro in 1637. Christian farmers rose in a riot due
to their grievance about the oppression by Matsukura Shigemasa. The Shogunate regarded this
riot as Christian rebellion and sent its punitive force, therefore locked themselves in the castle and
with their leader Amakusa Shiro Tokisada fought against the Shogunate. On February 27, 1638,
he died in battle. The following day, the castle fell. 37,000 Christians including women and children
died a violent death.
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Jigoku, means Hell, is the number one attraction of Unzen with a peculiar smell of sulfur emitted
from the springs, and with white smoke rising from the ground over a wide area.
Unfortunately, this was once put into reality nearly 350 years ago during the time of religious
persecution in Japan. 30 Japanese Christians, failing to renounce their faith met their death
here in the scalding spring of Jigoku.
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Christianity in Hirado
When the religion was banned in the early Edo Period, and the Christians were forced to give up their
religion, a few believers, known as the “Hidden Christians”, continued to practice their religion in secret
for over two centuries. Some did so in the remote villages of Hirado Island.
In the late 1800s, the ban on Christianity was lifted, and many of the Hidden Christians rejoined the
Catholic Church and built new churches with the assistance of foreign priests. A few also refrained from
rejoining because their religious practices evolved quite a bit over the centuries to a degree where they
were not compatible with Catholicism anymore.
Nakae no Shima / UNESCO World Heritage
Located two kilometers off the coast of Hirado Island, Nakae no Shima is a small, uninhabited island
where religious leaders were executed during the persecution of Christians. The island is considered
sacred, and water collected there is used for baptism.
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Kasuga Village / UNESCO World Heritage
This idyllic, remote village was refuge to a small community of Hidden Christians who practiced here
for centuries, far from the prying eyes of the government. After the ban on Christianity was lifted, the
local villagers decided to continue practicing their own unique brand of the religion rather than rejoin
the Catholic Church. As a result, churches were not erected in the village, and the religion remains
outwardly invisible.
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The church was designed by Tetsukawa Yosuke, a famous architect of various churches in
Nagasaki-prefecture, and built between December 1915 and October 1917. It is one of the latest
brick churches in the prefecture of Nagasaki. Tetsukawa Yosuke has called this one of his best works.
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Hidden Christian of Amakusa
Christianity was first brought to Japan in 1549 by a Jesuit priest named Francis Xavier when trading
opened in Kagoshima. Not long after, it spread to neighboring areas such as Nagasaki and Amakusa.
In 1614, the Tokugawa regime felt threatened by the growth of Christianity out of their fear of
colonialism. Persecutions began and the eradication of Christianity started. Missionaries and priests
alike were killed, while those who practiced Christianity were given an option to renounce their faith or
face death. Some chose to convert to Shintoism and Buddhism in order to hide their Christian faith.
Fed up with famine and cruel treatment, peasants from Amakusa organized a rebellion to fight against
the regime. This resulted in the Shimbara Rebellion, which is considered as one of the largest revolts
during the Edo period.
The oldest Catholic Church in Amakusa and was one of the first churches built right after the ban
on Christianity was lifted. The and 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.
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Sakitsu Village / UNESCO 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.
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The theme Museum shows History of Christianity in Amakusa and Shimabara Rebellion
which was a peasant uprising against bakufu’s persecution of Christians under the leadership
of Amakusa Shiro in 1637.
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Home Tailor-made tours Study tours Christian Pilgrimage tours Golf tour Kyushu tour packages
Amakusa / UNESCO Hidden Christian sites 2 days tour
Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
has been registered on UNESCO 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 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.
Amakusa is the birthplace of Amakusa Shiro who was the leader of Shimabara Rebellion occurred
in Shimabara in 1637.
And there are two World Heritage sites in Amakusa ; Oe Cathedral and Sakitsu Village.
The tour introduces how Christians have been continued their faith since Christianity was
propagated to Japan, by visiting Hidden Christian sites in Amakusa in Kumamoto-prefecture.
Location of Amakusa
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
・Accommodations is selected as per your required grade, room conditions and budget
and the location is considered sightseeing, dinner and nightlife as well.
・English speaking tour attendant escorts your journey to produce a pleasant trip.
・Chartered vehicle is utilized as per number of person.
Day 1
Itinerary
8:00 Depart Fukuoka-city
Transfer to Amakusa via Kumamoto ( 3 hours )
Travel Amakusa Gokyo / Pearl line
Visit Amakusa Shiro Memorial Hall
Visit UNESCO World Heritage sites : Oe Cathedral , Sakitsu Village
Stay at Amakusa
Where to explore
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.
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First Bridge
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Second Bridge
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Fourth Bridge
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The theme Museum shows History of Christianity in Amakusa and Shimabara Rebellion in
Harajo Castle Ruins which was a peasant uprising agaist bakufu’s persecution of Christians
under the leadership of Amakusa Shiro in 1637.
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The oldest Catholic Church in Amakusa and was one of the first churches built right after the
ban on Christianity was lifted. The and 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.
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Sakitsu Village / UNESCO 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.
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Day 2
Itinerary
Leave Hotel in Amakusa
Exploring Amakusa
Tomioka Castle Ruins , Matushima area
Transfer to Fukuoka-city
17:00 Arrive at Fukuoka-city
Where to explore
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.
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Connecting the islands of Amakusa with the inland of Kumamoto via the Uto Peninsula are
Amakusa Gokyo or Amakusa Five Bridge. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Amakusa
from the sea on a cruise.
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Exploring featured sites
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Sengan moutain Observatory
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Ariage Octopus Street
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Oppai Stone or breast stone
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Your equiry can be sent by selecting the Enquiry Form link below.
You can also contact us by e-mail at info@japan-kyushu-tourist.com
And we would love to chat about your travel plans on the phone as well,
please ring our office a call in English. +81-93-521-8897
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
3 days Hidden Christian sites tour for British customer
Type of the tour : Hidden Christian sites Tailor-made tour
Country of customer : England
Number of participant : 2 person
Schedule : April 25 through 27, 2019
Transportation : Chartered taxi
Tour guide & conductor : Licensed English speaking guide
Where to visit
Nagasaki, Unzen, Shimabara
Tour result
Day 1, April 25
9:00 depart Toyo Hotel in Fukuoka city
Transfer form Hakata to Nagasaki by JR limit express train
Hakata 9:15 → Nagasaki 11:24 by Kamome 11
Peace Park, Ground Zero, Urakami Cathedral
Martyrdom of 26 Saints of Japan → Oura Cathedral
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17:30 check in the Hotel
Stay at Wing Port Nagasaki
Day 2, April 26
9:00 depart hotel
transfer to Sotome area and exploring Sotome
transfer to Unzen and visit Unzen Jigoku
17:30 check in the Hotel
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Stay at Unzen Sky hotel, Dinner & breakfast included
Day 3, April 27
9:00 depart hotel
transfer to Minami Shimabara
Harajo Castle ruins, Shimabara Castle
15:30 Transfer to JR Isahaya Station
Isahaya 15:38 → Hakata 17:13 by Kamome 26
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17:30 check in the Hotel
Stay at Comfort hotel Hakata
What our Customer have to say
The tour was good thank you. My mother was happy to see a different side of Japan, see the
countryside and connect with Christian history here.
As per the tour you kindly arranged, we are staying at Hakata tonight, and then flying back to
Tokyo tomorrow!
Should you need further information please feel free to contact us.
Your equiry can be sent by selecting the Enquiry Form link below.
You can also contact us by e-mail at info@japan-kyushu-tourist.com
Tel : +81-93-521-8897, Fax : +81-93-521-8898
Address : AIM buiding 6th floor, 3-8-1 Asano, Kokura-kitaku, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka-prefecture