Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan
Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki is the place of Martyrdom of 26 Japanese Saints. The 26 Martyrs of
Japan were a group of Catholics who were executed by crucifixion on February 5, 1597.
The Twenty-six Christians led by Paulo Miki, including six foreign missionaries and three young boys,
were arrested in Kyoto and Osaka on the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the National ruler, for preaching
Christianity.
They were marched 800 km through the snow to Nagasaki and crucified in front of large crowd on
Nishizaka hill on Feb. 5, 1597.
Paul Miki said from the Cross
All of you who are here, please listen to me.
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).
Then they all ascended to heaven with the happy of giving the life to Christ.
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Nishizaka hill, the site of Martyrdom in 1597 |
The martyrs said that ” All people, bless God ! ” |
The 26 Japanese martyrs have been canonized in 1862 |
Pope Pius XII designated the Nishizaka of Martyrdom of 26 Japanese
Saints as an official Pilgrimage site for Catholics in 1950.
The place of their martyrdom was designated as a Historical Place by Nagasaki-prefecture
in 1956.
The museum behind the monument is devoted to the memory of the martyrs and to Christianity in
Japan in general. Its interior is reminiscent of a church with stained-glass windows, making for
atmospheric viewing of the exhibits. On display are artifacts related to Christianity in Japan,
including old documents, statues and jewelry.
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Saint Filippo de Jesus Church ( Japan 26 Saints Memorial Church )
This is a church with Gaudi-style twin tower designed by Kenjiro Imai,
built next to the Nishizaka Martyrdom site
When there was a plan to build a memorial hall for the 26 Japanese Saints
next to Nishizaka Martyrdon site, a large donation was made from Mexico,
and the Church was built in 1962.
This church is dedicated to Mexican Filippo de Jesus, who is one of the 26 Saints.
Filippo de Jesus was a Franciscan Catholic missionary who became one of the
26 Martyrs of Japan, the first Mexican Saint.
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Peace Statue
World Peace from Nagasaki. The Peace Statue was completed in 1955, ten years after the
atomic bombing. The 9.7 meter high statue sitting on a 4 meter tall pedestal, made by renown
sculptor Kitamura Seibo who born in Minami-Shimabara-city, Nagasaki-prefecture in 1884.
The bronze Peace Statue has one left arm extending horizontally and other right arm pointing
to the sky. The left arm stretching to the horizon symbolizes world peace, and the other right
pointing skyward indicates the threat of atomic destruction (the harm of nuclear power).
The closed eyes show the prayer for the peaceful repose of the victims of the Atomic Bomb.
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Visiting from all over Japan and the World |
Wishing for eternal world peace from Nagasaki |
Kitamura Seibo, the Statue was completed at the age of 71 |
Peace Memorial Ceremony is held in front of the statue on August 9 every year and
the Mayor of Nagasaki makes the “Nagasaki peace declaration” for the whole world.
Commitment to World Peace from all over the World
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China town
China town at shinchi is one of the big three china town in Japan. There are about
50 Chinese restaurants and many Chinese sundries shops in there.
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An annual festival in Nagasaki held on Chinese new year. The festival has been started to
celebrate a new year by Chinese who lived in Nagasaki, and it became the Nagasaki’s festival
since 1994. More than 10 thousand lanterns are decorated at China town during the festival.
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Ground Zero
Disastrous War must not be repeated. The plutonium atomic bomb exploded about 500m over the
central monument at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945. The most part of Nagasaki was destroyed, and
a tremendous number of lives were lost. And about 70,000 of Nagasaki’s 240,000 residents died
instantly, and up to 60,000 were injured.
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The radius of total destruction was about 1.6km, followed by fires across the northern portion of the
city to 3.2km south of the bomb.
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Monument of the Child Praying for Peace
At the bottom of the steps leading down from the front of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
The Monument of a Child Praying for Peace depicting a girl wearing a kimono and holding
a folded paper crane. At that time of the atomic bombing there were several schools in
the Ground Zero area and some 10,000 school children are through to have perished in
the bombing.
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On the 20th anniversary of the atomic bombing, donations were collected widely from
children who express their wish for peace, and this statue was unveiled on August 9, 1967
and remains to this day as a symbol the aspiration for eternal peace.
Ruins of Urakami Cathedral
wall from the former Urakami Cathedral. The church was located about 500 m northeast of
theGround zero, on the same site as the modern refurbished Urakami Cathedral. The construction
of former building began in 1895 and continued until 1925, when the twin steeples reached
completion.
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Ruin of destroyed Urakami Cathedral |
Ruin of destroyed Urakami Cathedral |
Present Urakami Cathedral |
Known at that time as the largest church in Orient, the imposing red-brick structure was devastated
by the atomic bomb explosion, and a large number of parishioners were killed. In 1958, part of the
damaged eleven-meter-tall southern wall was moved to Nagasaki Peace Park. The new cathedral
was rebuilt in hornor of those lost. It was reconstructed to its present shape in 1959 and the brick
construction was renovated in 1980, a year before the Pope’s visit.
Kofukuji Temple
After the Tokugawa Shogunate banned Christianity, non-Christian Chinese merchants
began making port at Nagasaki around 1600. Chinese people soon started living in Nagasaki
and etitioned the Nagasaki government to let them built a Chinese temple to pray for safe
navigation and console of the deceased. Permission was granted for the construction of
first Chinese temple.
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Kofukuji Temple was completed in 1620, and Chinese traders then planned to invite a high-ranking
priest from China as the temple’s chief abbot. The Kofukuji Temple’s present main hall was built in
1883 by Chinese experts who were invited to Japan mainly by residents in Nagasaki hailing from
Nanjin. It was designated as an Important Cultural Asset.
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Sofukuji Temple
The first Chinese style temple in Nagasaki. Shortly after the construction of Kofukuji Temple,
Chinese traders asked the Nagasaki governor for permission to built Chinese temples
according to their home provinces. It is recorded that this temple was built in 1629 by people
who came from Fuzhou in Fujian Province. It is designated as a National Treasure.
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The existing main hall ( called Daiyuhoden ) was first prefabricated in China, then transported by
Chinese ship and constructed in 1646. As the oldest existing structure to retain the Obaku style
of the end of the Ming Dynasty, the temple’s hall is highly evaluated.
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Mount Inasa
Mount Inasa is one of the best view spot in Nagasaki. A 333 meter high mountain in close
distance to JR Nagasaki Station. The summit can be reached by ropeway or car and offers
great views over the city. And also, the magnificent night views from Mount Inasa is chosen
the three Major Night View in Japan along with Kitakyushu-city and Sapporo,
and the three Major Night View in the World along with Hong Kong and Monaco.
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The three Major Night View in the World
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