On February 5, 1597, twenty-six men—Japanese converts and foreign Franciscan missionaries—marched 600 miles in winter from Kyoto to a hillside overlooking Nagasaki harbor. There, on Nishizaka Hill, they were crucified as a warning against Christian faith. They sang psalms and preached to the gathered crowd even as the executioners raised their crosses. No one could have imagined that this brutal display would mark not the end of Christianity in Japan, but the beginning of a martyrdom tradition that would endure 250 years of persecution and atomic devastation to become Asia's most resilient Catholic community.
Today, Nagasaki stands as Japan's Catholic heartland, where churches outnumber shrines in several neighborhoods. The city preserves not only the memory of the 1597 martyrs but also the Hidden Christians who practiced their faith in secret caves and fishing villages for twelve generations, the reconstruction of Asia's largest cathedral after the atomic bomb destroyed it in 1945, and the ongoing witness of a diocese that has produced more martyrs per capita than perhaps any other in the Church's history.
The pilgrimage landscape spans from Oura Cathedral—where the Hidden Christians revealed themselves in 1865—to the Peace Park built on ground zero, where Urakami Cathedral's ruins testify that 8,500 of the 12,000 Catholics killed by the atomic bomb died within sight of their church. Nagasaki's Catholic heritage earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018 as part of the "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region."
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
Christianity arrived in Nagasaki in 1569, brought by Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who found fertile ground in a region where feudal lords welcomed trade with European powers. By 1579, the Society of Jesus had established a seminary, and within a decade the city's population was majority Christian. Nagasaki's Catholic community flourished until Toyotomi Hideyoshi, unifying warlord of Japan, issued his first anti-Christian edict in 1587.
The persecution escalated dramatically on December 9, 1596, when the Spanish galleon San Felipe ran aground in Shikoku. According to Japanese accounts, the ship's pilot boasted that Spanish missionaries softened foreign lands for military conquest—a claim that alarmed Hideyoshi. On February 5, 1597, six Franciscan missionaries (four Spanish, one Mexican, one Indian), three Japanese Jesuits, and seventeen Japanese laymen—including three boys aged 12-15—were crucified on Nishizaka Hill. St. Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit brother, preached from his cross: "The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason that I die."
The 26 martyrs were beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1627 and canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 8, 1862—the first martyrs of Japan to be formally recognized by the Church. They would not be the last. When Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated power and banned Christianity empire-wide in 1614, Nagasaki became the epicenter of escalating persecution. Between 1614 and 1644, over 200 Christians were martyred in Nagasaki alone, many by slow crucifixion on the tidal flats where they drowned as the sea rose.
By 1639, Japan had expelled all Europeans and entered sakoku—national isolation. Catholic practice was punishable by death. Yet in fishing villages and mountain communities around Nagasaki, Christians went underground. For 250 years, these Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians) preserved their faith without priests, sacraments, or written texts—passing down prayers that evolved into unrecognizable hybrids of Latin, Japanese, and Buddhist terminology. Children were baptized in secret. Holy medals were disguised as Buddhist amulets. The Virgin Mary was venerated as Maria Kannon, a goddess of mercy.
The isolation ended in 1854 when Commodore Perry's American fleet forced Japan to open to trade. In 1862, French missionaries built Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki's foreign settlement, dedicated to the 26 martyrs. On March 17, 1865—exactly three years after the martyrs' canonization—a group of peasants from Urakami village approached Fr. Bernard Petitjean outside the cathedral. A woman whispered: "We have the same heart as you. Where is the statue of Santa Maria?" This "Discovery of the Hidden Christians" revealed that an estimated 30,000 Catholics had survived in secret.
The discovery sparked renewed persecution. Between 1867 and 1873, the Meiji government arrested and exiled over 3,000 Urakami Christians to remote provinces where 662 died of exposure and starvation. Only international pressure from Western powers ended the suppression. Religious freedom was officially granted in 1889, though Catholics remained marginalized.
In 1925, Urakami Cathedral was completed after 30 years of construction—the largest Christian structure in Asia at the time, built entirely by parishioner donations in a working-class neighborhood. Twenty years later, at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, the atomic bomb exploded 500 meters from the cathedral. The massive brick structure collapsed instantly. Of 12,000 Catholics in Urakami parish, 8,500 died that day—including two priests hearing confessions inside the cathedral. The only building that survived standing was the bell tower, its Angelus bell melted and fused by the heat.
Dr. Takashi Nagai, a Catholic radiologist who witnessed the destruction, wrote that Urakami's Catholics died as a "holocaust"—a burnt offering for Japan's sins of war and for peace. He spent his final years, dying of radiation sickness, writing spiritual reflections that shaped how Nagasaki's Catholics understood their atomic martyrdom. The cathedral was rebuilt between 1959 and 1980, incorporating original ruins into the new structure. Today, fragments of the original building and the melted Angelus bell stand as relics of both 1945 and the long history of Christian witness in Nagasaki.
Pope Francis visited Nagasaki on November 24, 2019, praying at the 26 Martyrs Monument and delivering a historic condemnation of nuclear weapons while standing before the Urakami Cathedral site. He called Nagasaki's martyrs "a great cloud of witnesses" whose sacrifice continues to inspire the Church's witness in Asia.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Nagasaki
Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument
At the exact site where twenty-six Catholics were crucified on February 5, 1597, this modern museum and monument stand on Nishizaka Hill overlooking the city and harbor where Portuguese ships once docked. The bronze monument, designed by sculptor Yasutake Funakoshi and unveiled in 1962 for the martyrs' centennial canonization, depicts the 26 saints life-size on their crosses. St. Paul Miki stands at the center, his mouth open in final witness, while teenage martyrs Antonio and Louis cluster nearby.
The museum below ground level preserves artifacts from Japan's Catholic century: hidden Christian devotional objects disguised as Buddhist items, fumie (bronze plaques of Christ that suspected Christians were forced to trample), seminary documents, and letters from missionaries. The collection includes the only surviving portrait of a Japanese seminarian who traveled to Rome in 1585 as part of the Tenshō Embassy—four young Christians who met Pope Gregory XIII and witnessed Catholic Europe at its height before returning to persecution.
Oura Cathedral (Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan)
Built in 1864 by French missionaries and dedicated to the 26 martyrs crucified on the hillside visible from its Gothic arches, Oura Cathedral is the oldest surviving Christian church in Japan and a National Treasure since 1933. Designed by Fr. Louis Furet and Fr. Bernard Petitjean, the structure was the first Western-style building in Japan erected after 250 years of isolation. Its stained glass windows—among the oldest in Japan—depict the Virgin Mary and sacred scenes that Japanese Catholics had not seen openly displayed for twelve generations.
The cathedral's significance transcends architecture. On March 17, 1865, a group of peasants from Urakami village approached Fr. Petitjean after Mass. One woman, later identified as Yuri Sugimoto, whispered: "Where is the statue of Santa Maria? We have the same heart as you." This encounter—the "Discovery of the Hidden Christians"—revealed that 30,000 Catholics had survived in secret. A memorial plaque marks the spot where Petitjean stood when the whispered confession changed Catholic history.
Oura Cathedral was elevated to minor basilica status by Pope John Paul II in 2016 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 as part of "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region." The interior, restored after wartime damage, preserves the original altar and a statue of the Virgin that Hidden Christians venerated openly for the first time in 250 years.
Urakami Cathedral (Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception)
Rising on the site where 8,500 Catholics died in the atomic blast of August 9, 1945, Urakami Cathedral is both a church and a memorial to atomic martyrdom. The current cathedral, completed in 1980, incorporates ruins from the 1925 original—once the largest church in Asia—that collapsed instantly when the bomb exploded 500 meters away. The red brick facade includes salvaged stones scarred by the blast. The original Angelus bell, melted and fused by atomic heat, stands in a memorial garden alongside stone fragments that bear witness to 11:02 a.m.
The Urakami neighborhood was the epicenter of Nagasaki's Hidden Christian community. After the 1865 discovery, over 3,000 Urakami Catholics were arrested and exiled between 1867-1873; 662 died. Survivors returned to build the cathedral, completing it in 1925 after 30 years of donations from working-class parishioners. That cathedral stood for only 20 years before the atomic bomb destroyed it along with most of its congregation.
Dr. Takashi Nagai, a Catholic radiologist and atomic bomb survivor, wrote that Urakami's Catholics were "chosen" to die as a burnt offering (hansai) for Japan's wartime sins. His books The Bells of Nagasaki and Leaving My Beloved Children Behind shaped Catholic theology of atomic martyrdom. The rebuilt cathedral enshrines a wooden statue of Mary whose face was charred in the blast—the "Bombed Mary of Urakami," venerated as a witness to suffering.
Pilgrims visit the cathedral museum to see vestments worn by priests who died hearing confessions on August 9, photographs of the original building, and accounts from survivors. The cathedral grounds include Nagai's small hermitage Nyokodo (As Yourself Hermitage), where he wrote his final works while dying of radiation sickness.
Nagasaki Peace Park
Adjacent to the atomic bomb hypocenter, the Peace Park memorializes the 73,884 people killed instantly on August 9, 1945, and the thousands more who died of radiation sickness. The centerpiece is the 10-meter Peace Statue (1955) by sculptor Seibo Kitamura: a seated figure with right hand pointing to the nuclear threat above and left hand extended in blessing for peace. The park includes donated monuments from nations worldwide and markers showing the hypocenter location where temperature reached 3,000-4,000 degrees Celsius.
For Catholic pilgrims, the park is inseparable from Urakami Cathedral 500 meters north. The bomb exploded directly over Nagasaki's Catholic heartland, killing 8,500 of 12,000 Catholics in the blast radius—the highest per capita Catholic death toll of any locality in the atomic bombings. A monument on the park grounds marks where two priests died hearing confessions in the cathedral sacristy. The park's official guidebook notes that Nagasaki's Catholics constituted less than 1% of the city's population but over 10% of atomic bomb casualties.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions — February 6
The universal Church calendar commemorates St. Paul Miki and the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan on February 6, the day they were crucified in 1597 (February 5 in the old Julian calendar). In Nagasaki, pilgrims gather at the 26 Martyrs Monument on Nishizaka Hill for outdoor Mass followed by procession to Oura Cathedral. The Archbishop of Nagasaki presides over trilingual liturgy (Japanese, Latin, English) attended by Catholics from across Asia.
The celebration emphasizes the martyrs' witness as the first canonized saints of Asia and models for the Church's mission in non-Christian cultures. Pilgrims venerate relics of the martyrs kept in Oura Cathedral—bone fragments and cloth authenticated by Rome. The day includes catechesis on the Hidden Christians who preserved faith for 250 years, and prayers for Christian unity and religious freedom in Asia.
Atomic Bomb Memorial Mass — August 9
At 11:02 a.m.—the exact minute the atomic bomb exploded—bells toll across Nagasaki and the city observes one minute of silence. Catholics gather at Urakami Cathedral for memorial Mass, followed by a peace procession to the hypocenter monument in Peace Park. The Archbishop of Nagasaki delivers a peace message, continuing the tradition established by Dr. Takashi Nagai, who wrote that Nagasaki's atomic dead were a "holocaust" offered for world peace.
The liturgy blends mourning with Christian hope, emphasizing that Nagasaki's Catholics "died with Christ" and their sacrifice calls humanity to abolish nuclear weapons. Pope Francis's 2019 declaration at this site—that the use and possession of nuclear arms is "immoral"—is read annually. Pilgrims pray before the charred statue of Mary that survived the blast and visit the cathedral museum displaying vestments of priests killed while administering sacraments.
Discovery of the Hidden Christians — March 17
This local observance commemorates the 1865 encounter between Fr. Bernard Petitjean and Hidden Christians from Urakami village at Oura Cathedral. On March 17, Catholics process from the site where the whispered confession occurred to the altar where Petitjean celebrated Mass afterward. The liturgy includes readings about the Church's indestructibility and prayers of thanksgiving that 30,000 Catholics survived 250 years without priests.
The celebration highlights the unique charism of Japan's Hidden Christians, whose prayers and devotions evolved into forms unrecognizable to Rome yet preserved core Christian identity. UNESCO's 2018 World Heritage inscription of "Hidden Christian Sites" is commemorated during the liturgy, recognizing that Nagasaki's Catholic heritage belongs to universal human history.
🛏️ Where to Stay
Hotel Concerto Nagasaki ⭐⭐⭐ — Contemporary business hotel 900 meters from Nagasaki Station with Western and Japanese-style rooms. Breakfast buffet with local specialties. Walking distance to Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument and tram lines serving all pilgrimage sites. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Richmond Hotel Nagasaki Shianbashi ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Upscale hotel in downtown Shianbashi entertainment district with direct tram access to Oura Cathedral (10 minutes) and Urakami Cathedral (15 minutes). Spacious rooms with city views, on-site restaurant, coin laundry. Popular with international pilgrims for English-speaking staff and central location. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Nagasaki Marriott Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Luxury hotel overlooking Nagasaki harbor with panoramic views from hilltop location. Full-service spa, indoor pool, multiple restaurants including Japanese and French cuisine. Complimentary shuttle to downtown. 4 km from Urakami Cathedral, 20 minutes by car to all pilgrimage sites. Ideal for pilgrims combining spiritual journey with comfort. Website
Urakami Catholic Center (pilgrim accommodation) — Simple dormitory-style rooms operated by the Archdiocese of Nagasaki adjacent to Urakami Cathedral. Priority given to organized pilgrimage groups. Includes chapel for morning Mass, communal kitchen, and meeting rooms. Donations accepted; advance reservation required. Contact the Archdiocese directly via their website for availability. Website
🚗 Getting There
By Air: Nagasaki Airport (NGS) is located 45 km from downtown Nagasaki with international connections through Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, plus domestic flights from major Japanese cities. Airport limousine buses run every 20-30 minutes to Nagasaki Station (45 minutes, ¥1,000). Taxis cost approximately ¥7,000-9,000.
By Train: Take the Kyushu Shinkansen from Tokyo (6 hours) or Osaka (4 hours) to Hakata Station in Fukuoka, then transfer to the Limited Express Kamome train to Nagasaki (2 hours). The total journey from Tokyo takes approximately 8 hours. JR Pass holders travel free on both trains. Nagasaki Station is centrally located with easy tram connections.
By Bus: Highway buses operate from Fukuoka (Tenjin and Hakata stations) to Nagasaki approximately every 30 minutes during daytime (2.5 hours, ¥2,800). This is the most economical option for travelers without JR Pass. Overnight buses run from Osaka and Kyoto (approximately 11 hours).
By Car: From Fukuoka, take the Nagasaki Expressway west (approximately 2 hours, toll ¥2,500). Parking near pilgrimage sites is limited; public parking lots charge ¥200-300 per hour. Most hotels offer parking for guests (¥500-1,500 per night).
Local Transport: Nagasaki's vintage tram system is the most convenient and scenic way to navigate the city. Trams run on five color-coded routes serving all major pilgrimage sites. Flat fare ¥130 per ride, or purchase a one-day pass for ¥600. Tram stops nearest pilgrimage sites: Oura Tenshudoshita (Oura Cathedral), Matsuyama-machi (Urakami Cathedral and Peace Park), Oura Kaigan-dori (26 Martyrs Monument).
On Foot: Pilgrims walking the Nagasaki pilgrimage circuit can connect all major sites in a single day (approximately 8 km total). The traditional route begins at Oura Cathedral at dawn, proceeds to the 26 Martyrs Monument (2.5 km), then continues to Urakami Cathedral and Peace Park (4 km). Allow 4-5 hours with stops for prayer.
📚 Further Reading
Books:
Shusaku Endo, Silence — A Japanese priest's masterwork exploring faith under persecution through the story of Portuguese Jesuits in 17th-century Japan. Winner of the Tanizaki Prize, adapted into a 2016 film by Martin Scorsese. Essential reading for understanding the spiritual landscape of martyrdom.
John Dougill, In Search of Japan's Hidden Christians — Comprehensive travelogue and historical account visiting sites across Kyushu where Hidden Christians preserved their faith for 250 years. Includes practical pilgrimage information and cultural context for Nagasaki's World Heritage Sites.
Shusaku Endo, The Final Martyrs — Collection of short stories examining Japanese Catholic identity from the Hidden Christians to atomic bomb survivors. Endo, himself a Catholic from a divided family, writes with theological depth about suffering and grace.
Online Resources:
Catholic Archdiocese of Nagasaki — Official diocesan site with pilgrimage information, Mass schedules at Urakami Cathedral, and historical resources on the martyrs and Hidden Christians.
Vatican: Pope Francis at Nagasaki, 2019 — Full text of the Holy Father's speech at the 26 Martyrs Monument and his historic declaration on nuclear weapons at the Peace Park.
UNESCO World Heritage: Hidden Christian Sites — Official inscription details for the 12 Hidden Christian sites in Nagasaki and Amakusa regions, including historical analysis and conservation plans for villages, churches, and martyrdom sites.
🔗 Useful Links
Catholic Archdiocese of Nagasaki — Official diocesan website with Mass schedules, pilgrimage resources, and historical information on martyrs and Hidden Christians.
Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum — Museum hours, admission (¥600 adults), and special exhibitions on Christian history in Japan.
DISCOVER NAGASAKI — Official tourism portal with practical information on transportation, accommodations, and pilgrimage routes.
Nagasaki Churches Information Center — Coordinating center for visiting UNESCO World Heritage church sites across the region, with tour schedules and access information.
Oratio Pilgrimage Routes — Detailed route information for the 468 km World Heritage Pilgrimage Route connecting Nagasaki and Amakusa region sites in 35 sections.
🥾 Pilgrim Routes
World Heritage Pilgrimage Route of Nagasaki and Amakusa Region — A 468 km route divided into 35 sections connecting all UNESCO World Heritage Hidden Christian sites across Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures. The route links Oura Cathedral, remote village churches where Hidden Christians worshipped openly after 1873, offshore islands where martyrs were executed, and mountain communities that preserved Catholic identity for 250 years. Sections range from 5-25 km and can be completed individually or as a multi-week pilgrimage. Detailed maps, GPS tracks, and accommodation lists available through the Oratio pilgrimage coordination service. Route information and maps
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Nagasaki's geographic isolation on Kyushu island mirrors its historical isolation during 250 years of persecution. No major Catholic pilgrimage destinations exist within 500 km. The nearest is Akita (1,200 km north on Honshu island), site of approved Marian apparitions (1973-1981) where Our Lady of Akita wept 101 times. Reaching Akita requires either domestic flight to Tokyo or Sendai followed by local transport, or a full-day Shinkansen journey.
The Hidden Christian village churches designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites—including Kashiragashima Church on Hisaka Island, Egami Church on Naru Island (Goto Islands), and Shitsu Church in Sotome district—lie within Nagasaki prefecture itself, accessible via the 468 km World Heritage Pilgrimage Route described above. These remote coastal and island sanctuaries, where Hidden Christians worshipped openly after 1873, constitute Japan's primary Catholic pilgrimage landscape beyond Nagasaki city.
Pilgrims extending their journey to broader Asia will find Seoul, South Korea (940 km, 2-hour flight) offers multiple martyrdom shrines including Jeoldusan and Myeongdong Cathedral, with Korean Catholic history paralleling Japan's trajectory of lay-led survival under persecution. The Philippines, Southeast Asia, and India lie farther south with extensive Catholic heritage from Spanish, Portuguese, and French missionary periods.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"This shrine does more than speak of death; it also speaks of the triumph of life over death. The songs and prayers of the martyrs resounded throughout these hills. In this place, they sang psalms, invoked the Holy Name of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and recited the Our Father and the Hail Mary. The sound of their prayers and songs rose to heaven. What the powerful of their day wanted to stifle and silence was instead proclaimed and heard far and wide. Death sought to make them silent, yet their witness continues to speak, down to our own day. How many people, moved by the heroic example of their lives, have followed in their footsteps! How many have drawn and continue to draw from this great cloud of witnesses the strength to face trials and all forms of discrimination, persecution and incomprehension!" — Pope Francis, Speech at Nishizaka Hill Martyrs' Monument, November 24, 2019