Arima Christian Heritage Memorial Museum

 

The Arima Christian Heritage Memorial Museum is a guidance facility showcasing

the history of Christianity in Minami-Shimabara, centered around the Hara Castle Ruins,

a component of the “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” which was

registered as a World Heritage Site in 2018. The museum offers easy-to-understand

explanations of the Hinoe Castle Ruins, which represent the period from the introduction

of Christianity to its prosperity, as well as the history of Christian persecution and the

Shimabara Rebellion.
The exhibits primarily feature videos, historical documents from both within and outside

Japan, and artifacts unearthed during excavations.

 

History of Christianity

 

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Shimabara Peninsula Martyrs Memorial Cathedral

 

This Cathedral is house of prayer for tens of thousands Christians who were martyred

between 1612 and 1658 throughout the Shimabara Peninsula.

 

It was built in 1997 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of 26

Japanese Saints and the 360th anniversary of the Shimabara Rebellion.

The Cathedral is a beautiful octagonal building with a large octagonal dome.

 

 

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Holy Mary-Kannon of Harajo Castle, in Minami-Shimabara

 

The world’s tallest wooden Holy Mary-Kannon statue, with 10 meters in height.

The statue is located in Minami-Shimabara-city, 10 minutes drive from Hara Castle Ruins, 

where is the site of the Battle field of Shimabara Rebellion.

 

The statue was created by Sculptor Oyamatsu Eiji.

Realizing in the youth that there were no commemorative monuments in Hara Castle, he decided

to create a statue of Holy Mary after the visit of the Pope to Japan in 1981. In order to give peace

to souls of the victims of Shimabara Rebellion, he kept creating  for 40 years on his own the statue

as his personal masterpiece of lifetime. He hopes that the statue can provide relief to the soul and

a place for healing, and christened the statue “Holy Mary-Kannon of Hara Castle” as a hope for

peace, regardless of any religious belief.

 

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General information  

Address	Minamiarima-cho, Minami-Shimabara-city, Nagasaki-prefecture
Access	50 minutes by a vehicle from Shimabara-city 50 minutes by a vehicle from Unzen-city 100 minutes by a vehicle from Nagasaki-city

 

 

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Harajo Castle ruins

 

General information  

Address	Minamiarima-cho, Minami-Shimabara-city, Nagasaki-prefecture
Access	50 minutes by a vehicle from Shimabara-city 50 minutes by a vehicle from Unzen-city 100 minutes by a vehicle from Nagasaki-city

 

Dolphins watching cruise

 

Let’s meet wild Dolphins. Approximately 300 wild Dolphins live in the sea between the Shimabara

Peninsula and Amakusa.     

  

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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.

 

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Join one of the various tours departing from Kuchinotsu or Kazusa to watch playful dolphins

frolicking in the sea.

 

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Shimabara Castle

 

Shimabara Castle, is located in Shimabara and was built in 1625 by the feudal load

Matsukura Shigemasa, who was regarded as a master of castle building. The castle,

which took 7 years to complete, is also known as “Moritake Castle”.

 

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Through it was demolished in 1874 during Meiji Restoration, west turret called “Nishi-no-yagura”

was first restored in 1960 and the donjon was restored in 1964. In the castle, the Christianity

Museum has been established. Many  Christian historical materials, local collection, and ethnic 

collections are exhibited in the museum.

 

View from the Castle tower 

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Samurai Houses

 

Samurai was a term for the military nobility in pre-industrial Japan. The Samurai Houses in

Shimabara along the old Samurai street nearby Shimabara Castle were built in 18th century.

 

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Three samurai houses, the Yamamoto residence, Shinozuka residence and Torita residence,

are opened to the public exhibiting the life style of old Samurai.

 

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General information  

Address	Shimonocho, Shimabara-city, Nagasaki-prefecture
Access	80 minutes by vehicle from Nagasaki Airport 100 minutes by vehicle from Nagasaki-city 15 minutes walk from Shimatetsu Shimabara Station
Open hours	9:00 to 17:00
Admission fee	No fee is required
Days closed	December 29 and 30

Samurai Street

 

Samurai street lined with stone walls and a spring water canal running down the center

commemorates the old samurai section of Shimabara. Three Samurai houses have been

restored and opened as exhibits.

 

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General information  

 

Hinoe Castle Ruins

 

During the period of the Southern and Northern Courts (1337-92), the Arima family ruling

the Shimabara Peninsula constructed a castle named Hinoe-jo. The 14th lord, Harunobu

(1567-1612) was a Christian daimyo and refurbished his castle into a large scale which had

gardens, a tea arbor and many rooms.

 

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There remain stone walls around the site of the front gate. A recent survey reveals that the

construction materials including the stone steps were diverted from tombstones in Buddhist

grave-yards which the lord had demolished. The fact indicates the religious situation in those

days when Christianity was flourishing. In 1982, the location of the ruined castle was

designated as a National Historic Site.

 

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