Ōura Church, Catholic church in Minami-Yamate, Nagasaki, Japan
Ōura Church is a basilica and co-cathedral in Minami-Yamate, Nagasaki, listed as a National Treasure of Japan and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The white-rendered facade features three octagonal towers with pointed roofs, while the interior holds vaulted ceilings across five aisles.
French missionaries built the church between 1862 and 1864 to commemorate 26 martyrs executed in 1597, at a time when Japan was beginning to loosen its isolation policy. The structure withstood the 1945 atomic bomb and was later recognized as part of a UNESCO ensemble on Christian persecution in Japan.
The building takes its name from a group of Christians from Urakami who revealed their long concealment here in 1865, announcing the existence of a hidden community. This revelation is now documented in a small exhibition beside the main hall.
Tram line 5 stops at Ouratenshudo station, from where a five-minute uphill walk through a quiet residential area leads to the entrance. The surrounding streets hold small shops and cafes where visitors can pause before or after their visit.
The altar contains a painted wooden shrine from the era of hidden Christians, concealed across generations and revealed only after the faith was permitted again. This relic shows the fusion of Japanese craftsmanship with Christian motifs.
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