Himosashi Catholic Church

Himosashi Catholic Church is located in the small village of Himosashi on Hirado Island in Nagasaki Prefecture.

The island was home to many "hidden christians" who secretly practised a type of Christianity after it was made illegal 1n 1612.

In 1865 some of these hidden christians came out and visited the Oura Church established by the French in Nagasaki. Many of these christians were rounded up and persecuted and tortured.

Finally the persecution ended in 1888 with the Meiji Constitution that guaranteed religious freedom and chuches began to be built.

Himosashi Church was not built until 1929, but replaced a nearby chapel built much earlier by a missionary.

It was designed by Yosuke Tetsukawa, a Japanese architect who designed many churches in Kyushu.

It is a concrete structure in the Romanesque style and has a lot of stained glass.

It is open every day and there is no entry fee.