Christian sacred sites

The 26 Martyrs of Japan were a group of Catholics who were executed

by crucifixion on February 5, 1597. The Twenty-six Christians, 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.

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.

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.

Dr. Nagai Takashi (3 February 1908 – 1 May 1951) was a Catholic

physician specializing in radiology, an author, and a survivor of the atomic

bombing of Nagasaki. His subsequent life of prayer and service earned

him the  affectionate title “saint of Urakami”. Nyokodo, which is adjacent

to the Nagai Takashi Memorial Hall, is Dr. Takashi Nagai’s hospital room

and study.  This 2-tatami building was built as a new home for the doctor,

with the generosity of the people of Urakami and fellow Catholics who

were left penniless by the atomic bombing.

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.

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.

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 ruin,

The museum is a guidance facility showcasing the history of Christianity in

Minami-Shimabara City, 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.