Nakaenoshima Island

Atlas / Hirado & Ikitsuki

Short answer

A small rocky island, never landed on, venerated as holy ground by the Hidden Christians of Hirado.

RegionHirado & Ikitsuki

PeriodMartyrdom

TypeMartyrdom site

UNESCOYes, World Heritage

Getting thereSeen from shore only

Suggested timeViewpoint

Visiting

Viewed from the west coast of Hirado or from Ikitsuki.

On these routes

Hirado, Ikitsuki & Kuroshima

The story

Christians were executed on Nakaenoshima in the 1620s. The Hidden Christians of Hirado later drew holy water from the island and honoured it as a sacred place. It is a UNESCO component and can only be viewed from the shore or sea.

Sources

whc.unesco.org/en/list/1495

Visiting

On these routes

The story

Also in Hirado & Ikitsuki

St Francis Xavier Memorial Church

Kasuga Village & Mt Yasumandake