Sacred Martyrdom Grounds

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.