Ohura Church (Photo: Tomoko Kamishima)

Nagasaki Ohura Church

The oldest existing Christian church in Japan

Tomoko Kamishima   - 1 min read

Ohura Church stands on a hill in the Minami-yamate section of Nagasaki. It was built in 1865 as a Catholic Church memorial to 26 saints who died martyrs in 1597. The stained glass windows and arched beams in the chapel are very beautiful. There are two other buildings next to the church. One is a Latin theological seminary built in 1875; it is now used as a reference library room for Christianity in Nagasaki. And the other is the former home of an archbishop.

Tomoko Kamishima

Tomoko Kamishima @tomoko.kamishima

Japan is a small island nation, but we have a huge number of surprising things to discover here. Many of these delights can be found when you step off the main street onto small side paths. I really enjoy studying about and researching various aspects of traditional Japanese culture, and then sha...