26 Saints Pilgrimage route from Tokitsu to Nishizaka

26 Christians arrive at Tokitsu Port by the boat on the cold night of February 4, in 1597

and stayed one night on the boat. At dawn on February 5, they got off the ship with a cold b

ody and landed at Togitsu Port. Then they began walking the 12km path to Nishizaka,

the place of martyrdom. Passed through the mountain pass, and through Michinoo, Akasako,

and Urakami, and arrived at Nishizaka at 10 o’clock.

And as soon they arrived, they were all crucified on the cross.

Then, Paul Miki said from the Cross

All of you who are here, please listen to me.

I did not com from the Philippines, I am a Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus.

I have committed no crime, and the only reason why I am put to death is that I have been

teaching the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am very happy to die for such cause, and see my death as great blessing from the Lord.

At this critical time, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress

and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian

way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our enemies and who have wronged us.

I must therefore say here that I forgive Taikosama (Hideyoshi).

Then they all ascended to heaven with the happy of giving the life to Christ.

In 1862, 26 Martyrs at Nishizaka were canonized by Pope Pius IX.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII designated the Nishizaka of Martyrdom of 26 Japanese

Saints as an official Pilgrimage site for Catholics