{"id":12419,"date":"2017-06-15T11:27:18","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T02:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=12419"},"modified":"2020-03-27T10:56:39","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T01:56:39","slug":"oura-catholic-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/oura-catholic-church\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki:"},"content":{"rendered":"

Signs of Nagasaki’s<\/strong>\u00a0historical and contemporary Christian<\/strong> presence are dotted throughout the city. Arguably, the best place to experience this history is at the Oura Catholic Church<\/strong> in Oura,<\/strong> South Nagasaki<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where is the Church and When Was it Built?<\/h2>\n

Built in traditional Catholic-gothic style, this small but beautiful church sits on a hill over-looking Nagasaki Bay<\/strong>, and\u00a0is a stark contrast to its surroundings. The ‘French Temple’<\/strong>\u00a0– as it was first called -was built in 1864 by French missionaries.\u00a0A museum<\/strong> on the site describes the beginnings and history of the church, as well as the wider story of Christianity in Japan<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_2190\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How Did Christianity Start in Japan?<\/h2>\n

Christianity was first introduced to Japan in 1549 when Portuguese missionaries arrived in the Nagasaki area<\/strong> and then spread through the\u00a0Kyushu Region<\/strong>. This made\u00a0Nagasaki the centre for Christians in Japan.<\/p>\n

Oura\u00a0church was dedicated to the ‘Twenty-six\u00a0Martyrs’<\/strong> or ‘Saints of Japan’ <\/strong>– who were executed in Nagasaki in 1597 for suspected missionary activities. This event was followed by centuries of persecution of the Christian faith in Japan. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s<\/strong>\u00a0shogunate<\/strong> in the late 16th century, Christianity was banned forcing Christians to go underground. The persecution increased in intensity and eventually led to the Christian Rebellion of Shimabara<\/strong> in 1637.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Around<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why is Oura Church Significant?<\/h2>\n

Oura Church<\/strong>\u00a0is not just an important religious site<\/strong>, it also represents an international diversity unique to Nagasaki. After the opening of Nagasaki Port<\/strong> in 1859 following 200 years of the Japanese isolationist policy, westerners<\/strong> and samurai<\/strong> would mingle and trade in the city. Even during the isolation policy – also known as ‘Sakoku’<\/strong>–\u00a0Nagasaki was the only port that was open to the rest of the world. This attracted Dutch and Chinese traders who left city attractions such as Chinatown<\/strong> and the Dejima<\/strong>.\u00a0The Oura waterfront area, and the hills behind it, became foreign settlements for many European and American merchants, politicians, travellers and Christian missionaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In addition to the church, another popular attraction is the Glover Gardens<\/strong>. This famous open-air park is\u00a0accessible to the right of the Church and past the museum.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Access<\/h2>\n

Starting at Nagasaki Station<\/strong>, walk to the tram stop Nagasakiekimae<\/strong>, from there take Tram\u00a0Line No.1 to Tsukimaci<\/strong>, then Tram Line No.5 to\u00a0Ouratenshudoshita. <\/b>Cost: 130 yen. Duration: approx 25 min.<\/p>\n[cft format=0]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Signs of Nagasaki’s\u00a0historical and contemporary Christian presence are dotted throughout the city. Arguably, the best place to experience this history…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":12430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,1415,23],"tags":[1304,1398,1312,1301,1391,1307],"class_list":{"0":"post-12419","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"category-kyushu","9":"category-sightseeing","10":"tag-architecture","11":"tag-history","12":"tag-museum","13":"tag-nagasaki","14":"tag-park","15":"tag-temple"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki:<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Oura Catholic Church represents an international diversity unique to Nagasaki. 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