[Nagasaki / Nagasaki] "Hidden Christian Village Sotome" over World Heritage Sites

Kurosaki Church The church was built in 1899 under the guidance of Father de Rotz and completed in 1920. It is made of bricks piled up one by one by the believers. The church that was also the setting for Shusaku Endo's novel "Silence".

Karematsu Shrine Since the 1614 ban, crackdowns on Christians have become more stringent. Meanwhile, Kurosaki's hidden Christians gathered secretly on the summit of the dead pine tree and handed down the orasho. In the Meiji era, a shrine was built in this area in order to protect the belief in hiding, and it was ostensibly used as a shrine to hide from persecution. It is said that there are only three shrines nationwide that enshrine Christians in this way.

Prayer rock On the left side of the approach to Karematsu Shrine, there is a large rock that hides several adults. This is the place where Christians chanted orasho once a year on the night of "Sadness" before Easter, and it is called "Prayer Rock".

Shitsu Catholic Church In 1882, Father Marco Marie de Rotz, who had been appointed from the Bossroll region in France, joined forces with the believers of the time to complete the Shitsu Church. It was designated as a national important cultural property in 2011 as an early church designed by a foreign priest.

Father de Rotz Memorial Hall In 1879, he was assigned to the land of the open sea as a chief priest. In the spirit of love for humankind, he devoted his life to the salvation of the people of the open sea. It was designed and constructed by the priest himself as a sardine net factory in 1885, and was designated as a national important cultural property together with the former Izutsu Rescue Institute in 2003. Therefore, these three facilities are important assets in the World Heritage constituent assets this time.

Ono Church A stone church designed by Father de Rotz for the congregation in 1893 and built with the congregation by investing his own fortune. At first glance, the church, which looks like a one-story house, is made of natural stone by a method unique to Father de Rotz called "Do Ro Wall". This Ono Church is also a World Heritage Site.

Ono Church Important assets within World Heritage constituent assets

Endo Shusaku Literary Museum It opened in May 2000 in the land of the open sea, which was the setting for the novel "Silence," which is the origin of Endo literature. Many works that have not yet appeared in the world have been discovered.

Hidden Christian Cultural Museum The Sotome district, including the Maria Kannon statue handed down by the descendants of the Hidden Christians, the Rosary, which is said to have been distributed to the Hidden Christians by the Paris Foreign Missions Society during the re-emergence period, the prayer word "Orasho", and the Baschan calendar, which is the church calendar. Approximately 30 valuable materials that have been passed down from generation to generation are on display.

Site of Bastian Residence Baschan is a legendary Japanese evangelist who is said to have left behind the calendar and prophecies of Christian events after the expulsion of foreign priests and monks. This mansion is a hideaway trace that is said to have been hidden so that officials could not find it. Director Martin Scorsese is also inspecting the area for the production of the movie "Silence".

Former Shitsu Aid Center There were about 5,000 believers in the Sotome area, but they were cracked down due to the shogunate's ban on religious affairs. However, unlike Nagasaki, which is a heavenly territory, there were many hidden Christians due to the inclusion of the excursions of the Saga domain. However, because it was only accessible by boat from Tenryo Nagasaki, the people of the open sea were placed in a poor environment. To save the plight, Father de Rotz will carry out various activities such as agricultural guidance, medical care, and educational projects. As one of them, a vocational aid facility for subsidies was established in 1883. In 2003, it was designated as a national important cultural property.