⛪ Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving 250 years of secret Christian practice in Japan
📋 Fast Facts
- UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2018
- Comprises 12 components: 10 villages, Hara Castle ruins, and Ōura Cathedral
- Spans Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures in northwestern Kyushu
- Kakure Kirishitan (hidden Christians) practiced faith in secret for over 250 years under the Tokugawa Shogunate ban (1603–1873)
The Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region represent a unique chapter in Japanese religious history. Located across Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures in northwestern Kyushu, the 12-component UNESCO World Heritage Site documents the resilience of Christian communities who maintained their faith in secret during more than 250 years of systematic prohibition and persecution. The sites include ten remote villages, the ruins of Hara Castle, and Ōura Cathedral, collectively bearing witness to ...