Churches of Kyushu

March 18, 2018

Churches of Kyushu

A very short history of Christianity in Kyushu (and Japan)

Just before the Edo Period, Christianity began to spread rapidly throughout southern Japan. In some areas, over 50% of the people converted to Catholicism after the arrival of mainly Portuguese traders and missionaries. At the beginning of the Edo Period, Japan's isolationist policies declared Christianity a "foreign" religion, so it was banned. Many people converted, but many were either killed or became "kakure" (hidden Christians). With the end of the Edo period in the late 19th century, Christianity was no longer banned and large church-building projects took place in the area around Nagasaki. While the number of Christians in Japan is very small, the area around Nagasaki still has a few communities that are over 50% Christian.

Churches in the Nagasaki area

The churches in the region are candidates for UNESCO World Heritage status. They belong to Kumamoto's Amakusa, Nagasaki's Shimabara, Nagasaki City, and the coast and islands of western Kyushu.

Here's a website I found: http://kirishitan.jp/

Amakusa (Kumamoto)

This area is a beautiful little region that seems almost too sleepy to have been an area of such conflict. It is a good side trip from Kumamoto or Nagasaki by car.

Outside the Christian Museum in Amakusa, Kumamoto. The hall was closed because of a holiday, but outside there are monuments to those who were killed.

Sakutsu Church. One of the first churches rebuilt as hidden Christians rejoined the Catholic Church. In a tiny fishing village on the edge of the country, it hardly seems the place for such a significant symbol.

Oe Tenshudo Church. In an isolated, idyllic little coastal area, this was among the first churches built after Christianity became legal again.

Shimabara and Hara Castle ruins
Hara Castle, for numerous reasons, was the location of a rebellion against the central government in the 17th century. Many of the people in the area had been Christians, so the destruction of this castle was an important step is effectively erasing Christianity in the region - although some people fled to the outer islands or became hidden Christians.

Inside Hara Castle; monument to the rebellion.

Hara Castle surrounded by farms and the sea.

In the midst of a beautiful onsen town on Shimabara, Unzen onsen, there is a monument to Christians who were killed for their faith. Since there are open, boiling hot springs, it does not take much imagination to guess at methods of torture.

Nagasaki City

Nagasaki City is the city with the most significant Christian history in Japan. The history is tragic, including persecution, banned Christianity, and after Christianity's brief revival, a nuclear bomb.

St. Mary's Cathedral. Within view of the nuclear hypocentre. It was a thriving church before the nuclear attack. It has been rebuilt, but several of the pieces have been preserved to remember the nuclear attack.

Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki. Currently under renovations, this church was built for foreign residents when Christianity was still banned for Japanese people.

26 Martyrs Museum and Monument. This museum presents the stories of 26 famous martyrs and how they came to be killed. It kelps to give some background to Christianity's brief success in the country and the brutal response by authorities in the 17th century.

Kuroshima
A great example of smaller islands that retained their Christianity, Kuroshima has a beautiful church that was built in the early Meiji period. The island today is still 80% Catholic. I took a tour of the island - it ended up being a private tour because no one else ventured to the island that day. The island's website: http://en.kuroshimakanko.com/. It is a very small island. Very interesting 1/2 day trip.