Day 5 Hirado

Hirado off the North West coast of Nagasaki-prefecture is a beautiful and historic location

full of interesting museums, Christian churches, white sandy beaches and an imposing

castle. Portuguese ships first landed in Hirado’s superb natural harbor in 1549 and

St. Francis Xavier is known to have visited in 1550. In the 1580s, the Portuguese established

a trading station, followed soon by the Dutch and the British.

Itinerary

Depart Kumamoto

Transfer to Hirado

Lunch at Hirado, local delicacy sea food

Exploring Hirado

Stay at Hirado

Where to visit

Tabira Church

The church was designed by Tetsukawa Yosuke, a famous architect of various churches

in Nagasaki-prefecture, and built between December 1915 and October 1917. It is one

of the latest brick churches in the prefecture of Nagasaki. Tetsukawa Yosuke has called

this one of his best works.

Lunch at Hirado

local delicacy sea food

The museum stores and displays the historical collection of the Matsura family who ruled over the

northern area of Nagasaki prefecture since the 13^th century. The museum is housed in the former

private residence of the Matsura family, the grand Tsurugamine Mansion, built in 1893. Hirado has

a long history of overseas exchange due to its geographical location.

This church is a catholic church in Hirado, Nagasaki. Hirado is a place where Francis Xavier visited

3 times in Japan to spread Christianity, and even during the Kinkyo Ordinance of the Edo Period

that prohibited religions, Christianity was very widespread. For that reason when the ordinance was

lifted this church was constructed, and the image of Francis Xavier was put on the side.

Set up in Hirado in 1609 as the base of operations of the Dutch East India Company in Japan. The

building seen today is a warehouse which was originally constructed here in 1639 as part of the

trading post, but torn down just three years later after the Dutch had been relocated to Dejima Island

in the port of Nagasaki.