Christian Pilgrimage sites
Christianity in Japan was spread in Nagasaki region. However, unparalleled hidden Cristian history
was started from when Toyotomi Hideyoshi Shogunate proclaimed Christian ban in 1587. During ban
on Christianity, people secretly continued to faith while surviving in the midst of the conventional
society and Japanese religions. And many Christians were also martyred during this period.
Here we introduce the history of the ban on Christianity, including the places of martyrdom and
museums.
Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan, in Nagasaki
The 26 Martyrs of Japan were a group of Catholics who were executed by crucifixion on February 5,
1597. The Twenty-six Christians, 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.
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St. Andrew’s Seminary at Dejima, in Nagasaki
After the ban on Christianity lifted in 1873, Burnside who was the British Church Missionary created
a cram school at his home to teach the English Bible. In 1877, the school was moved to the Dejima
English-Japanese School building at Dejima, and St. Andrew’s Seminary was opened.
It was then used as the Seminary until 1886.
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Unzen jigoku Martyrdom, in Unzen
When Matsukura Shigemasa became the new federal lord of Shimabara in 1616,
many people were Christians. Initially, he acquiesced in Christianity, because
he needed people’s cooperation to build Shimabara Castle.
However, this situation was known to Tokugawa Shogunate, and he strongly
commanded Christians in Shimabara to convert.
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Hara Castle ruin, in Minami-Shimabara
The Christian pilgrimage site, registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site as Hidden Christian
Sites in the Nagasaki Region. The site is located in Minami-arima in Minami-Shimabara-city
and the Battle field of 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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Hory Mary-Kannon of Hara Castle, in Minami-Shimabara
The world’s tallest wooden Holy Mary statue, with 10 meters in height.
This statue was made by sculptor Oyamatsu Eiji over a period of 40 years and was completed
when he was 90 years old.
The statue is located in Minami-Shimabara-city, 10 minutes drive from Hara Castle Ruins,
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Hokohara Martyrdom place, in Omura
This is a place related to the Kori-kuzure incident in Omura in 1657 in which a large number of
hidden Christians were arrested. As many as 608 Christians were arrested, making it a rare
and major incident in the history of Christian oppression. 411 Christians were beheaded, and
131 of them were martyred at Hokohara martyrdom place.
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Kasuga Village and Mount Yasugatake is a Christian Pilgrimage site and is registered on
the World Heritage as Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region.
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Nakae no Shima is a Christian Pilgrimage site and is the UNESCO World Heritage site of
Hidden Chriatian Sites in the Nagasaki Region. 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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Kurose no Tsuji, martyrdom site of Gaspar Nishi Genka
The site where Christian Gaspar Nishi Genka was martyred in 1609, located on
Kurose Hill overlooking Nakae no shima between Hirado and Ikitsuki.
The tomb facing the sea is called Gaspar-sama and is a revered place for Ikitsuki’s
Hidden Christians.
The cross-shaped “Kurose no Tsuji Martyrdom Monument” was erected by Catholics
in 1991, and Mass is held every year around November 14th.
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