Requests
Please contact us before you visit the churches

Churches with a connection to the World Cultural Heritage "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" are requested to cooperate with the prior notice system.
The church is "place of a prayer". Please behave with good manners and enjoy the quiet time when visiting.
In addition, tours may not be possible due to church events, and the number of visitors accepted at one time may be limited depending on the size of the church building.
Before visiting, please cooperate with the 'Prior Notice System'.

About Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

It was not until the late 16th and 17th centuries that Christianity was brought to Japan and flourished.
The subsequent impact of the Edo shogunate's policy Christianity ban order lasted for more than two centuries.Widespread persecution and oppression of Christians led to their gradual decline.
In the latter half of the 19th century, the Meiji government repealed the Christian ban and lifted the ban on the Christian faith.
Until the restoration of religious freedom, under the previous prolonged Christianity ban order, a unique culture and tradition would be formed in some areas, especially in Nagasaki and Amakusa.
The "Hidden Christian Sites the Nagasaki Region" was registered as a World Cultural Heritage in July 2018 as a testament to this historical trend.
Today we can see traces of them in each of our lands.
Please visit the churches scattered throughout the Nagasaki and Amakusa regions, which attract people's attention as one element of this heritage, and spend time to become familiar with and feel the life of the communities around the churches and the surrounding natural environment, while also paying attention to the history and culture of the local area.

"Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region"
Information Centre

The centre acts as a general point of contact for information and visitors to the 'Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region' in Nagasaki City, Sasebo City, Hirado City, Goto City, Minamishimabara City, Shinkamigoto Town, and Ojika Town in Nagasaki Prefecture, and Amakusa City in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Please feel free to drop in and consult with us.