From towards the end of the 16th century until the present day, Nagasaki has been the main centre of Christianity in Japan. Pilgrims to Nagasaki Prefecture can trace the history of Christianity's development in Japan, from the time of the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier's arrival in Hirado (1550) right through until the miraculous discovery of Hidden Christians at Oura Cathedral in 1865. Pilgrims can witness how, in the wake of Xavier's arrival, Christianity flourished across the Nagasaki region, as well as how Hidden Christians passed on their Catholic faith in secret amid severe persecution and oppression during the 250 year long ban on Christianity in Japan.

The Twenty Six Martyrs Museum

The museum introduces visitors to the arrival of Christianity in Japan, the time of its initial flourishing, the long period during which Christianity was severely banned, as well as to the subsequent resurrection of Christianity in Japan in the mid-19th century. Outside there is a statue of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz donated by Cardinal Jaime Sin of the Philippines, and among the exhibits on display inside is a statue of the Christian samurai Takayama Ukon (who is soon set to be beatified).

Saint Philip's Church (Nishizaka Church)

The church, along with the adjacent museum, was built in 1962. Both buildings were designed by the Japanese architect Kenji Imai. The church overlooks the spot where the 26 martyrs of Japan were crucified. Its patron saint is Saint Philip of Jesus, one of the 26 martyrs and the first ever Mexican Christian martyr. From April 2002, the Archdiocese of Nagasaki designated Nishizaka as a place of pilgrimage, and in 2012 the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan designated it as a national pilgrimage site.

Nakamachi Church

Nakamachi Church is dedicated to Saint Thomas Nishi and his 15 companions (among whom was Saint Lorenzo Ruiz of the Philippines). It is a five minute walk from Nishizaka. In 2015, as part of a set of events held to mark the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the Hidden Christians of Japan, statues of these 16 martyrs were built in the Japanese garden to the side of the church. On August 9th 1945, fires caused by the atomic bombing reduced the majority of the church to ruins, leaving only the spire and the outer wall still standing. In October 1951 the church was rebuilt incorporating the original spire and outer wall, and since then it has retained this form.

Museum at the Site of Former Santo Domingo Church

In 1602, Dominican friars began missionary work in Japan. They began their missionary activities in Kagoshima, but were banished from there in 1609. They therefore disassembled the church they had constructed and rebuilt it in Nagasaki. However, it was destroyed only 5 years later following the ban on Christianity in Japan. At that time, a statue of the Virgin Mary was taken to Manila so that it would not be destroyed. In the year 2002, the remains of the destroyed church were discovered beneath a local elementary school. A museum to house the ruins was subsequently built, and today it is open to the public.