The silent Christian sites of Nagasaki

MANILA, Philippines – Just when you thought you’ve been completely enraptured by Japan’s bustling Tokyo or the quaint charms of Osaka, you discover the Nagasaki region and its importance in the Japanese Christian history.

Although predominantly Buddhist, this corner of Japan boasts of a unique Christian history mirrored in the legacy of what is known as the Hidden Christians or the Kakure Kirishitan. Jesuit missionaries led by Fr. Francis Xavier ventured into Nagasaki in 1550 and endeavored to convert locals into Christianity. At first, the feudal lords supported them because of trade and Christianity flourished. Soon, the Christian faith was outlawed and the persecution began. For starters, 26 Christians were crucified at Nishizaka Hill. In the next 250 years, all who were thought to be believers, including our own San Lorenzo Ruiz, endured severe oppression and tortured in a hundred terrible ways.

Strangely, the persecution paved the way to church construction. The result is a legacy of 130 small, unobtrusive Catholic churches and places of worship tucked deep within Nagasaki’s valleys, forests and harbors where the Japanese faithful could worship and escape torture.

One of these Christian sites is Tabira Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate, perched high on the hills of Hirado of the Nagasaki Prefecture. Completed in 1918, this church was built by local Christians with the assistance of Italian and French priests. The church attendance is modest because although the ban on Christianity was lifted in 1873, a lot of the Japanese faithful continued to live a “double life,” appearing to be Buddhists on the surface, but practicing their Christian faith in small rooms of their houses.

Yamada Church is particularly striking because of its brick architecture. Take a closer look around and be amazed by the multi-layered ceiling made of different unique patterns of rare butterfly wings, collected and made by the parish priests. Yamada Church also contains the monuments of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Thomas Nishi, two of the canonized martyrs otherwise known as St. Thomas Nishi and his 15 companions. Fr. Thomas Nishi traveled to Manila in 1620 and joined the Sto. Domingo Monastery of the Dominican Order. His father Gaspar, his mother and siblings were executed for their faith and buried at an old churchyard, which Ikitsuki Christians now revere as the “grave of the venerable Gaspar.” When Thomas Nishi returned to Nagasaki, he, too, was martyred and eventually canonized.

Another must-see is Hirado’s St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church. Built in 1931 in Kagamigawa Town, the edifice stands tall amidst rows of Japanese temples. Walking its tranquil tree-lined paths and bamboo groves, one can appreciate how harmoniously Western and Eastern cultures can peacefully co-exist.

Built to honor the 26 Martyrs of Japan, the Gothic-styled wooden Oura Cathedral is particularly significant because it was there that a handful of hidden Christians revealed themselves in 1865 and professed their faith to Fr. Bernard Petitjean, a French Catholic priest. The event at the Oura Cathedral was considered by the Pope as a “miracle of faith” and a testament to the endurance of the Catholic faith. A short distance away stands St. Philip’s Church were a statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz is erected.

Unzen Church in Obama Town, Unzen City was constructed to celebrate Pope John Paul II’s visit to Japan in 1981. It is also consecrated to the Christian victims tortured to death and thrown at hot springs or so-called “Unzen hells.” In the 17th century, the boiling waters of the Unzen Onsen (hot spring) were used to torture Christians to make them renounce their faith. Their suffering is seen in the stained glass windows of these churches.

There are so many silent monuments to Christian posterity in Nagasaki. One can only hope that these churches and sites of martyrdom may soon gain recognition as UNESCO World Heritage sites and be silent reminders of an enduring faith secretly passed down on the generations.