Catholic pilgrimage guide · Japan

Nagasaki,
where faith endured.

Enter the story of Japan’s martyrs and hidden Christians: from Nishizaka and Ōura to Urakami, Sotome, Shimabara, Amakusa and the Goto Islands.

Explore 10 places on the map Choose a suggested journey

10 sacred places3 devotional areas1–4 day journeys

Begin in the city

Martyrdom, discovery and peace

Three central Nagasaki destinations tell an extraordinary sequence: the 1597 martyrs, the 1865 discovery of the Hidden Christians and the Catholic community’s suffering and witness after 1945.

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.

Day 1 · MorningTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumBegin on Nishizaka Hill with St. Paul Miki and the Twenty-Six Martyrs.
Day 1 · MiddayŌura CathedralContinue to Ōura Cathedral and the story of the 1865 discovery.
Day 1 · AfternoonUrakami CathedralConclude at Urakami with prayer for the dead and for peace.

2 days

Nagasaki and the Sotome coast

Give the central city a full day, then follow the Hidden Christian story into the villages of Sotome.

Day 1 · MorningTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and Museum.
Day 1 · MiddayŌura CathedralŌura Cathedral.
Day 1 · AfternoonUrakami CathedralUrakami Cathedral.
Day 2 · MorningShitsu Village and ChurchTravel to Shitsu and learn about the community’s return to public Catholic life.
Day 2 · AfternoonOno Village and ChurchContinue to the small church and village landscape at Ono.

4 days

The Hidden Christian region

A planning framework for the city, Sotome, Shimabara and one island group—best adapted to ferry schedules, advance church contact and seasonal conditions.

Day 1 · MorningTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and MuseumTwenty-Six Martyrs Shrine and Museum.
Day 1 · MiddayŌura CathedralŌura Cathedral.
Day 1 · AfternoonUrakami CathedralUrakami Cathedral.
Day 2 · MorningShitsu Village and ChurchShitsu Village and Church.
Day 2 · AfternoonOno Village and ChurchOno Village and Church.
Day 3 · MorningRemains of Hara CastleRemains of Hara Castle on the Shimabara Peninsula.
Day 3 · AfternoonSakitsu Village and ChurchSakitsu requires an ambitious regional transfer; consider a separate overnight.
Day 4 · Full dayKashiragashima Village and ChurchChoose a Goto Island pilgrimage appropriate to current ferries and reserved church access.

Beyond central Nagasaki

Sotome and Shimabara

Travel into the landscapes where communities practiced in secret, returned to public Catholic life and endured the historical consequences of the Shimabara-Amakusa uprising.

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

Remote islands and coastal villages require real planning, but they reveal how Christian families migrated, adapted and preserved community across generations.