Messages from the Christians of old Shimabara Peninsula

The first Portuguese ship entered the port of Kuchinotsu on the southern tip of the Shimabara Peninsula in 1567, 17 years later than Hirado. Many local people were baptized under the protection of the Christian daimyo, but a devastating upheaval soon sent shockwaves through the country. What did the Christian faithful, gathered in this abandoned castle overlooking the sea, hope for and strive to protect?

On display are precious artifacts
unearthed from the ruins of Hara Castle

Arima Christian Heritage Museum

On display are precious artifacts
unearthed from the ruins of Hara Castle

Arima Christian Heritage Museum

Minami-Shimabara City is home to the ruins of Hara Castle, one of the components of the World Cultural Heritage site "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region." Christian daimyo Arima Harunobu established his seat of power in nearby Hinoe and sponsored the foundation of a seminary for the training of clergy. Four boys who studied there sailed from Nagasaki to Europe. Hara Castle is the site of the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising, an event that accelerated the persecution of Christians throughout Japan. Excavations launched in 1992 unearthed numerous remains of the rebels who barricaded themselves in the castle, along with items of Christian religious significance. Inside the Arima Christian Heritage Museum, valuable excavated artifacts and historical documents shed light on the construction of Hara Castle and the nature of the uprising, along with information on the connections with Europe and the history of faith prior to the onset of persecution.

Exhibits

Arima Christian Heritage Museum

1395 Otsu, Minami-Arima-cho, Minamishimabara City TEL. 0957-85-3217
Opening Hours: 9:00–17:00
Closed: December 29 – January 3
Admission: Adults ¥300, High School Students ¥200, Elementary/Junior High Students ¥150

Note: A new guidance facility is scheduled to open during fiscal year 2026. Please contact the museum in advance before visiting.

Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

Remains of Hara Castle

Component site:
Remains of Hara Castle

Hara Castle was constructed by Arima Harunobu from 1599 to 1604. Its main keep was surrounded by stone walls, employing masonry techniques popular in the late 16th century. After replacing the Arima family as leaders of the domain, the Matsukura family abandoned Hara Castle and moved the seat of power to Shimabara. At the site, the ruins of the main keep have been recreated in virtual reality, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of the period using smartphones and other devices.

Historical Figures

The Christian daimyo behind the “Tensho Delegation”

Arima Harunobu

1567–1612

Daimyo of the Hizen-Arima clan and ruler of the Shimabara Peninsula, Arima Harunobu embraced Christianity and underwent baptism in 1580. He welcomed missionaries and Christian educational facilities, giving his domain centering on Hinoe Castle the appearance of a Christian kingdom. In 1582, he joined Omura Sumitada and Otomo Sorin in sending the “Tensho Delegation” to Europe. The Okamoto Daihachi Incident led to his exile and execution in his later years and contributed to the strict anti-Christian policies of the Edo shogunate.

The charismatic young leader of the rebel forces

Amakusa Shiro

1622–1638

Celebrated as a child prodigy, Masuda Jinbei (a.k.a. Amakusa Shiro) was the son of a retainer to the Christian daimyo Konishi Yukinaga. Legend has it that a dove perching on his outstretched hand laid an egg containing Christian scriptures, and that he was able to read and write without formal instruction. Still in his teens, he was chosen as commander of the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising. After the defeat of the rebel forces, his decapitated head was reportedly carried to Nagasaki and displayed opposite Dejima.

Transmissions to the Present Day

From Minami-Shimabara to Rome:
Young people follow in the footsteps
of the Tensho Delegation

The seminary is thought to have been located in present-day Kita-Arima-cho, Minami-Shimabara City. The city recreates seminary classes for local junior high school students, and four of the participants were sent to Italy. In December, the city also hosts the Festivitas Natalis, a recreation of Christmas festivities during the Warring States period (1467-1615). The history of the region is brought to life through the Nanban Parade, where participants walk carrying torches, as well as a lighting ceremony for a giant Christmas tree.
(Photograph courtesy of Minami-Shimabara City Winter Festival Executive Committee)

Conceived in battle, guzōni is now
a famous Shimabara specialty

Guzōni is a staple of the traditional cuisine of Shimabara. Teeming with ingredients like round rice cakes, Chinese cabbage, burdock root, shiitake mushrooms and fish cake, this hearty dish is cherished both as a home-cooked meal and as a treat when entertaining guests. The origins of the dish trace back to the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising, when the rebels barricaded in Hara Castle cooked whatever ingredients they could find. The flavor of this beloved local dish warmed people's hearts even during their life-or-death struggle.
Photograph courtesy of the original guzōni restaurant Himematsuya (Shimabara City)

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