Isles of Repose and Prayer Goto Islands

The Goto Islands, a chain of 152 islands dotting the ocean 100 kilometers west of Nagasaki, have served as a vital relay point since ancient times for Japanese ships sailing to the continent.
Among the people welcomed to these resplendent islands were Christians migrating from Sotome.

A colorful history conveyed on
the former site of Fukue Castle

Goto Kanko History Museum

A colorful history conveyed on
the former site of Fukue Castle

Goto Kanko History Museum

At present, Fukue Island is also a popular relocation destination. The museum stands within the former Fukue Castle (Ishida Castle) grounds, a 10-minute walk from Fukue Port. The building across the moat, modeled after a castle keep, displays a wide range of artifacts primarily related to Fukue Island, including the history of Christianity in the Goto Islands, ancient lifestyles, archaeological sites, Japanese missions to Tang Dynasty China and the Wako pirates, as well as information on the former Goto Domain.There is also a model recreating the townscape around Fukue Castle. From the old stone walls, visitors can imagine the majestic form of the vanished castle by the sea.

Exhibits

Goto Kanko History Museum

1-4 Ikeda-machi, Goto City TEL. 0959-74-2300
Hours: 9:00–17:00 (Jun–Sep: until 18:00)
Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Closed: Dec 29 – Jan 3
Admission: Adults ¥300, Students ¥100

Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

Former Gorin Church

Component site:
Villages on Former Gorin Church

About 20 minutes by regular boat or ferry from Fukue Island, Former Gorin Church is the third-largest island in the Goto archipelago and a former hidden Christian enclave. The island features settlements developed through cooperation between hidden Christians and the indigenous Buddhist community, as well as scattered sites like the Royanosako Martyrdom Memorial Church and the Former Gorin Church, designated a National Important Cultural Property. Visitors can rest at the Former Gorin Church Tourism Exchange Center, housed in a building constructed in the style of a samurai residence.

Former Nokubi Church

Component site:
Remains of Villages on Nozaki Island

Some of the hidden Christians migrating from Sotome to various locations camouflaged their faith by settling on islands that were sacred Shinto sites, continuing their prayers while posing as parishioners of the shrines. The former Nokubi Church is a building of solid brick construction funded from the earnings of fishing and other activities by 17 Christian families living in the village. Although no longer used as a church, the building has been designated as a National Important Cultural Landscape, part of the Cultural Landscape of the Ojika Islands.

Kashiragashima Church

Component site:
Villages on Kashiragashima Island

Some of the hidden Christians migrating from Sotome settled on Kashiragashima, an island shunned by people as a place for the sick to convalesce. After the ban on Christianity was lifted, the faithful returned to the Catholic orthodoxy. They erected this church near the residence of their leader during the period of persecution and kept construction costs down by using stone. They transported and stacked the stones themselves over a period of about ten years.

Egami Church

Component site:
Egami Village on Naru Island (Egami Church and its Surroundings)

The hidden Christians migrating from Sotome conducted Mass secretly in their homes. Construction of a proper church began in 1917, the project being brought to completion by Tetsukawa Yosuke, renowned as a master builder of churches. Due to the surrounding sea and rivers creating high humidity, the floor was raised to improve ventilation.

Historical Figure

The Japanese master carpenter remembered as
a pioneer of church architecture

Tetsukawa Yosuke

1879–1976

Born in 1879 in present-day Shin-kamigoto-cho, Tetsukawa Yosuke followed in the footsteps of his father, a master carpenter. Through involvement in church construction, he acquired the fundamentals of European architecture, including rib-vault ceilings and other techniques. Subsequently, he built numerous Catholic churches and earned the title "Father of Church Architecture."

Transmissions to the Present Day

Dozaki Church
A holy site overlooking
the pristine coast

The French missionaries Bernard Fraineau and Louis Marman visited Goto four years after the lifting of the ban on Christianity. Dozaki Church started from a small chapel built by Marman. The second parish priest, Bernard-Thadée Pélu, expanded the grounds and completed the current red-brick cathedral. Cherished and preserved by the faithful, this place of worship accommodates a Christian Museum where the relics of John Goto, one of the Twenty-Six Saints of Japan, are enshrined. Carried from Nishizaka to Manila and later divided and kept in Macau, the relics were returned to Nagasaki and placed in Oura Cathedral by the missionary Bernard Petitjean.

Dozaki Catholic Church Christian Museum

2019 Okuura-cho, Goto City TEL. 0959-73-0705
Opening Hours:
9:00–17:00(November 11 – March 20: until 16:00)
(During the summer vacation period: until 18:00
August 13–15: until 17:00)
Closed: December 30 – January 3
Admission: Adults ¥500, Junior/Senior High Students ¥250, Children ¥200

However small, the prized fish of
Goto is a true delicacy

Kibinago, or silver-stripe round herring, are small fish that can only survive in clear pristine waters. Kibinago fishing has long been a thriving industry in the Goto Islands, where the Christian faithful used the income to fund the construction of churches. Freshly-landed kibinago have firm flesh clinging tightly to the bones. The strong elasticity makes the preparation of so-called chrysanthemum-style sashimi labor-intensive, but the flavor is exceptional. The peak season is autumn through winter when the fish are rich in fat. Visitors to the Goto Islands should not miss this remarkable delicacy.

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Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
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