Christian sacred sites

The setting of Endo Shusaku’s novel Silence. Sotome is blessed with a

unique history and culture of Christianity. In particular, the area in which

the Endo Shusaku Literary Museum stands is known as the site of a

Christian village, one of Endo’s most notable work, Silence.

I want to save people in the Sotome from poor life. Former Shitsu Aid

Centeris indispensable in talking about the history and culture of the

region.

This is a place related to  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.

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. 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.

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.

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.