Day 6 Hirado

The island had been an important port for trade with Korea and China since earlier

times, with the rights to foreign trade held by the local Matsuura clan. William Adams

was instrumental in establishing the British trading post and he is buried on the island.

The British stayed only ten years before leaving after bitter feuding with the Dutch, who

were moved to Dejima in Nagasaki by the Japanese authorities in 1641.

Itinerary

Depart Hotel

Exploring Hirado

Nakae no Shima 　

Transfer to Fukuoka

Arrive at Hotel in Fukuoka

Where to visit

Hirado Castle

Stands on a hill guarding Hirado Port and the Hirado Strait, which used to be part of an important

trade route between Japan and the Asian mainland. The original fortress was built in 1599 by the

local Matsura Lord; however, he destroyed the structure after fighting the Tokugawa on the losing

side of the Battle of Sekigahara as a gesture of loyalty to the victor. The Matsura Clan continued

ruling Hirado for the next two and a half centuries.

Nakae no Shima / UNESCO World Heritage

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.

Kasuga Village / UNESCO World Heritage

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. After the ban on Christianity was lifted, the

local villagers decided to continue practicing their own unique brand of the religion rather than rejoin

the Catholic Church. As a result, churches were not erected in the village, and the religion remains

outwardly invisible.