✦ Catholic Tourist

Catholic pilgrimage guide · Japan

Nagasaki,
where faith endured.

Enter the story of Japan’s martyrs and Hidden Christians through three scales: a walkable Nagasaki city core, the Sotome and Shimabara mainland, and island communities that require ferry reservations, overnight planning, and respect for living worship.

Explore 10 places on the mapChoose a suggested journey
10 sacred places3 devotional areas1–4 day journeys

Begin in the city

Martyrdom, discovery and peace

Nishizaka, Ōura, and Urakami form a coherent city sequence: martyrdom in 1597, the 1865 “Discovery of Hidden Christians,” and a Catholic community’s suffering and witness after the atomic bombing.

ShrineTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumNagasaki, JapanOpen guide →BasilicaŌura CathedralNagasaki, JapanOpen guide →CathedralUrakami CathedralNagasaki, JapanOpen guide →

Suggested journeys

Choose your pace

Each journey can be saved directly to your account with its day assignments, stop order and pilgrimage notes intact.

1 day

The essential Nagasaki witness

A coherent city pilgrimage through martyrdom, the discovery of the Hidden Christians and Urakami’s prayer for peace.

  1. Day 1 · MorningTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumBegin on Nishizaka Hill and give the museum time to distinguish the 1597 martyrs from later persecution.
  2. Day 1 · Early afternoonŌura CathedralContinue to Ōura for the 1865 discovery story; separate worship from paid heritage access.
  3. Day 1 · Late afternoonUrakami CathedralEnd at Urakami with prayer for the dead and for peace, respecting parish services.
2 days

Nagasaki and the Sotome coast

Give central Nagasaki a full day, then use a car or organized transport for the Shitsu and Ono communities of Sotome.

  1. Day 1 · MorningTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumBegin on Nishizaka Hill and give the museum time to distinguish the 1597 martyrs from later persecution.
  2. Day 1 · Early afternoonŌura CathedralContinue to Ōura for the 1865 discovery story; separate worship from paid heritage access.
  3. Day 1 · Late afternoonUrakami CathedralEnd at Urakami with prayer for the dead and for peace, respecting parish services.
  4. Day 2 · MorningShitsu Village and ChurchBegin Sotome at Shitsu after checking museum, church, and community access.
  5. Day 2 · AfternoonOno Village and ChurchContinue to Ono without assuming the small church is continuously open.
4 days

The Hidden Christian region

A regional framework that keeps the city, Sotome, Shimabara, and island components honest about distance and transport.

  1. Day 1 · MorningTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumBegin on Nishizaka Hill and give the museum time to distinguish the 1597 martyrs from later persecution.
  2. Day 1 · Early afternoonŌura CathedralContinue to Ōura for the 1865 discovery story; separate worship from paid heritage access.
  3. Day 1 · Late afternoonUrakami CathedralEnd at Urakami with prayer for the dead and for peace, respecting parish services.
  4. Day 2 · MorningShitsu Village and ChurchShitsu Village and Church with current visitor guidance.
  5. Day 2 · AfternoonOno Village and ChurchOno Village and Church; confirm access before the drive.
  6. Day 3 · MorningRemains of Hara CastleMake Hara Castle a dedicated Shimabara excursion and interpret it as an archaeological landscape.
  7. Day 3 · Optional extensionSakitsu Village and ChurchSakitsu requires separate Amakusa transport and should replace—not accompany—the Shimabara plan when logistics demand.

Beyond central Nagasaki

Sotome and Shimabara

Treat Sotome as a dedicated road journey and Hara Castle as a separate Shimabara excursion. The UNESCO story concerns communities and landscapes formed during prohibition, not a checklist of church buildings.

Parish ChurchShitsu Village and ChurchSotome, JapanOpen guide →Parish ChurchOno Village and ChurchSotome, JapanOpen guide →Archaeological SiteRemains of Hara CastleMinamishimabara, JapanOpen guide →

A pilgrimage across water

Goto and Amakusa

Kashiragashima, Egami, Gorin, and Sakitsu lie across distinct islands and ferry systems. Build the trip around transport and local visitor rules before selecting churches; do not attempt all four as a single day.

Parish ChurchKashiragashima Village and ChurchShinkamigoto, JapanOpen guide →Parish ChurchEgami Village and ChurchGoto, JapanOpen guide →Archaeological SiteFormer Gorin ChurchGoto, JapanOpen guide →Parish ChurchSakitsu Village and ChurchAmakusa, JapanOpen guide →

The complete collection

Every mapped sacred place

01
Twenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumShrine · Nagasaki
→02
Ōura CathedralBasilica · Nagasaki
→03
Urakami CathedralCathedral · Nagasaki
→04
Shitsu Village and ChurchParish Church · Sotome
→05
Ono Village and ChurchParish Church · Sotome
→06
Remains of Hara CastleArchaeological Site · Minamishimabara
→07
Kashiragashima Village and ChurchParish Church · Shinkamigoto
→08
Egami Village and ChurchParish Church · Goto
→09
Former Gorin ChurchArchaeological Site · Goto
→10
Sakitsu Village and ChurchParish Church · Amakusa
→

A pilgrim’s note

Leave room for grace.

Opening hours, liturgies, security arrangements and route access can change. Confirm every major detail shortly before your visit.

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