Urakami Cathedral, in Nagasaki, constructed in 1914

Construction of the original Urakami Cathedral, a brick Romanesque building, began in 1895,

after a long-standing ban on Christianity was lifted.

When completed in 1914, it was the largest Catholic church in East Asia.

The Atomic bomb dropped on August 9, 1945 explored in Urakami, only 500m from the cathedral,

which was completely destroyed.

Catholic Unzen Church, built in 1982

The Church is dedicated to Antonio Ishida and others who were martyred in the

Unzen jigoku from 1627 to 1632 and was built in 1982 to commemorate Pope

John Paul II’s visit to Nagasaki.

The number of believers in the church is small, but many pilgrims visit, since it is

also a place of martyrdom.

Nakamachi Church is located near JR Nagasaki Station which was constructed

for Japanese Christians in 1986.

The church was dedicated to the 16 Saints of Nagasaki (St. Thomas and the 15 Martyrs)

in 1988, and the monument honoring them was erected in the premise.

The 16 Saints were martyred in Nagasaki from 1633 to 1637.

The 16 martyrs became Saints in 1987, since 26 Saint.

Dominic Ibáñez de Erquicia Pérez de Lete, Spanish, 1633, Dominican Priest

Antonio Gonzalez, Spanish, 1637, Dominican Priest

Jordan Ansalone, Italian, 1634, Dominican Priest

Luke of the Holy Spirit Alonso Gorda, Spanish, 1633, Dominican Priest

Michael de Aozaraza, Spanish, 1637, Dominican Priest

Guillaume Courtet, French, 1637, Dominican Priest

Jacobo Kyushei Gorōbyōe Tomonaga de Santa María, Japanese, 1633, Dominican Priest

Thomas Rokuzayemon Nishi, Japanese, 1634, Dominican Priest

Vincent Shiwozuka, Japanese, 1637, Dominican Priest

Francis Shōyemon, Japanese, 1633

Matthew Kohioye, Japanese, 1633

Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipino, 1637

Marina of Omura, Japanese, 1634

Magdalene of Nagasaki, Japanese, 1634

Michael Kurobioye, Japanese, 1633

Lazarus of Kyoto, Japanese, 1637

Hidden Christian sites in Nagasaki regions is registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage in 2018.

Japanese Christianity has a long history of continuing faith while coexisting with Japanese

traditional religion Shinto and General society.

Japan’s unique practice of the Christian faith continued even during the ban on Christianity.

Hidden Christian Site in Nagasaki, Shimabara , Hirado and Amakusa Regions bear unique

testimony to the tradition of people and their communities who secretly transmitted

their faith in Christianity while surviving in the midst of the conventional society and its religions

during the time of prohibition.