[Back Post] Japan with Peko-chan 2017 #6.2/9 - Nagasaki, Part II

Peko-chan with the Peace Statue at the Nagasaki Peace Park.

On with our November 2017 trip with Peko-chan (travelogue below). We were at Nagasaki for about 2.5 days, including travel time. As mentioned in Part I, Nagasaki has a unique and rather international history with its port and foreign settlements. That aspect of Nagasaki's history is also intertwined with Japan's troubled history with Christianity and WWII. Besides the Oura Catholic Church (below), which we actually visited on the first day (Part I), on our 2nd day we explored other main landmarks related to these 2 other aspects of Nagasaki's history, namely the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument (below), the Atomic Bomb Museum (below), Hypocenter Park (below), Peace Park (below), Nyokodo (below) and the Sanno Shrine (below). The spots that left the strongest impression on me were the Atomic Bomb Museum and the Sanno Shrine, especially the trees and torii at the Sanno Shrine that survived the atomic bomb.

Christianity in Nagasaki

The history of Christianity in Japan, in particular of Hidden Christians (Kakure Kirishitan隠れキリシタン) in Kyushu, is not as well-known as its WWII history. But it should be receiving more attention now. At the time of our visit in late 2017, Japan was seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for the various Hidden Christian sites in Nagasaki Prefecture. And these sites received World Heritage status in 2018.

Today, Christianity is one of Japan's minority religions. However, there was a time when Nagasaki was the centre of Catholicism in the Asia, known in Europe as "Little Rome", the miracle of the Far East. In short, some time in the late 1500s, the shogunate government led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi became wary of foreign influence, including that of foreign missionaries. A series of incidents solidified the suspicions of the shogunate, prompting a ban on Christianity, and the execution of the 26 Catholics  (see below), Japan's first brutal execution of Christians. From then, so began 2 centuries of Christian persecution in Japan where many Japanese Christians were driven underground or into remote locations in Kyushu, practising their faith in secret, known as the Hidden Christians.

The 26 Martyrs Monument

Monument of the 26 Martyrs, Nagasaki

We visited the 26 Martyrs Museum (二十六聖人記念碑) which memorialises the 26 Catholics who were executed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1597. We also visited the adjacent museum which is also devoted to the memory of the 26 Catholics, and contains many unique and precious historical artifacts and relics.

The monument was constructed in 1962 on Nishizaka西坂, the site of the execution, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of their canonisation by the Roman Catholic Church. The monument was created by prominent Japanese sculptor Funakoshi Yasutake舟越 保武, and the cross-shaped bronze relief features the ascension to heaven of the 26 Catholics. It was designated as a Historic Site of Nagasaki Prefecture in 1956. It is also an official site of pilgrimage for Catholics.

The backstory to the monument is set in tragic history of Christianity in Japan. When the Portuguese arrived in 1543 (mentioned in Nagasaki Part I), they also brought along Catholicism. More about that another time, but to cut the story short: For a brief time, Christianity flourished in Japan, especially in Nagasaki. Nagasaki became an important centre for Christianity in Asia, the "Little Rome" in the Far East. However, in the late 1500s, the Bakufu led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi豊臣 秀吉 (Japan's 2nd great unifier) had grown wary of foreign influence. Initially tolerant of Christianity, Toyotomi later became wary of the powerful influence of Christians missionaries, as well as the expansion of European power (colonialism) in the region.

"The Way to Nagasaki", fresco by Lucas Hasegawa, Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki. This fresco was completed on 10 May 1967, and is a description in 14 steps of the 26 Martyrs Way, from Kyoto to Nagasaki between 4 January to 5 February 1597, the final step being their crucifixion on 5 February on Nishizaka.

In 1587 Toyotomi issued an edict, expelling foreign missionaries and mandating Japanese Christians to renounce the faith. Toyotomi's 1587 edict was not strictly enforced up until the 1596 San Felipe incident, when a Spanish ship was shipwrecked in Shikoku while en route from Manila to Mexico. A dispute ensued when the daimyo of the domain seized the cargo, and the master pilot of the San Felipe insinuated that a Spanish conquest was advanced by first infiltrating the country through missionaries. (Alas! the stupid arrogance of the colonial Spaniards of the time.) On hearing of this incident, Toyotomi's suspicions of Christian missionaries solidified. He arrested the 26 Catholics (as mentioned above) and ordered them to be executed by way of crucifixion. Of these 26 were 6 missionaries, 17 Japanese Franciscans, and 3 Japanese Jesuits.

The 26 were forced to march from Kyoto to Nagasaki (966km). The entire way, they sang the hymn Te Deum. On arriving in Nagasaki, they were raised onto crosses and pierced with spears. Almost as a reflection of Jesus on the cross.

Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki

The 26 Catholics were beautified on 14 September 1627 by Pope Urban VIII, and canonised on 8 June 1862 by Pope Pius IX. They were included in the General Roman Calendar in 1969, and are commemorated on 6th February. Among Japanese Catholics, the 26 martyrs are especially revered, and the most celebrated in the Japanese Jesuit Paul Miki. As the story goes, he apparently preached his last sermon while on the cross, forgiving his persecutors and declaring himself a Japanese.

26 Martyrs Relic (16th century), a piece of silk purported stained with the blood of the 26 Martyrs at the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki.

Persecution of Christians continued sporadically after Toyotomi's death in 1598. After Toyotomi, daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu徳川 家康 (Japan's third great unifier), also a former retainer of Oda Nobunaga, won the succession to power with his decisive victory in the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, and founded the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. Like Toyotomi, Ieyasu was also initially tolerant of Christianity, although he was also wary of its foreign influence. He was concerned that the Christian faith would raise questions of allegiance, and that Christian missionaries would subvert Japan's traditional order and hierarchy which had taken decades to achieve. Ieyasu was supportive of peaceful trade, and so Nagasaki continued as a trading port.

However, the 1610 Madre de Deus incident, and the 1612 Okamoto Daihachi incident, cemented Ieyasu's fears regarding foreign religion. In 1612, he banned Christianity in Nagasaki. Subsequently in 1614, Ieyasu extended the ban nationwide, issuing an edict expelling Christian priests, and ordering Japanese Christians to renounce their faith. Following the 1614 edict, churches were demolished or replaced.

Portrait of Gracia Hosokawa, a notable Christian convert during the Edo period. She was the wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki and daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, both promiment daimyo during late Sengoku era Japan. Her husband belonged to the prominent Hosokawa clan which descended from the Seiwa Genji. The clan was highly influential during the Muromachi, Sengoku and Edo periods, and many descendants were prominent daimyo during these eras. Tadaoki was a retainer of the three unifiers of Japan (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu), as well as daimyo of Nakatsu Domain (1600-1602) and of Kokura Domain (1602-1620) during the Edo period.

A portrait of Julian Nakaura (1568-1633), Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki. Nakaura was one of the 4 Japanese Christian youths who went to Rome. Back in Nagasaki, he was hung over the pit to force him to apostasise, and then executed in 1633 because he refused to apostasise. Of his brethren who had been similarly persecuted and apostasised was Portuguese priest Christovaõ Ferreira, who was recently portrayed in Martin Scorcese's film Silence.

Accounts of the 1637-1638 Shimabara Rebellion, Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki. The rebels were mostly Christian Japanese peasants, led by a young Christian Japanese youth, Amakusa Shirou. It began as a reaction against the heavy taxation and persecution by the local daimyo Matsukura Katasuie. The rebellion was crushed by the Tokugawa Bakufu, with the aid of the Dutch (mentioned in Nagasaki Part I). Following the Shimabara Rebellion, the Bafuku suspected the involvement of European Catholics, so they expelled the Portuguese traders and enforced the ban even more stringently. As a result, many Christian Japanese went into hiding and practised their faith in secret; thus giving rise to the history of Japan's Hidden Christians (Kakure Kirishitan).

A disguised Christian object: the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus made to look like Kannon carrying a child, Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki. Christian Japanese who did not renounce the faith worshipped in secret, or moved to remote locations to escape detection. Some practised the faith secretly, living in secret Christian enclaves such as Nagasaki's Urakami district, while others moved to remote locations such as Hirado, Ikitsuki, Kaminoshima, Sotome, and the Goto Islands. In order In order to hide their faith, Japanese Christians often used disguised Christian objects. One such popular object was to disguise images of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus as images of Kannon holding a child. Bafuku officials occasionally held e-fumi tests, where those suspected as Christians had to trample on a fumi-e (a likeness of the Virgin Mary and/or Jesus) to prove their affiliation.

Hidden Christian altar, Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki.

The 1614 ban still existed after Nagasaki opened up to foreign trade following with 1858 Harris Treaty and Ansei Treaties (see Part I). Foreign priests were able to enter Japan again to serve the foreign residents, probably due to the protection of extraterritoriality under the treaties. In 1863, Catholic priest Bernard Petitjohn built the Oura Catholic Church (see below) within the confines of the Nagasaki foreign settlement (visited in Part I). Hidden Christians, however, continued to face persecution until the 1868 Meiji Restoration when the ban was no longer enforced in practice due to international pressure and protest. In 1873, the ban was formally rescinded by the Meiji government, and then in 1889, a clause on religious freedom was included in the Meiji Constitution.

Oura Catholic Church

Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki. The recently refurbished facade can be seen on this Wikimedia Commons page.

We visited the Oura Catholic Church (大浦天主堂) on our way to the Glover Garden (in Nagasaki Part I), as it stands near the entrance of the Glover Garden. The Oura Catholic Church is formally named the Basilica of the 26 Holy Martyrs of Japan (日本二十六聖殉教者聖堂). It was granted minor basilica status in April 2016. The church is dedicated to the 26 Martyrs (mentioned above), and is supposedly the oldest extant Catholic church in Japan.

The church faces Nishizaka, the site of the crucifixion of the 26 martyrs. It is an example of contemporary European architecture and was the first Western style building in Japan to be designated a National Treasure in 1933. At the time of our visit, the church was being considered for UNESCO World Heritage listing. (Update: It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in June 2018, as part of Japan's history of Hidden Christians.)

An old photograph featuring the original structure of the Oura Catholic Church.

The church was originally commissioned by French missionaries Fathers Louis Furet and Bernard Petitjean. The original church structure was constructed in 1864 by master carpenter Koyama Hidenoshin小山 秀之進, and was originally a small wooden church with 3 octagonal towers. The current Gothic structure dates to 1879, and is of white stucco brick with stained glass windows from France. When we visited, the church facade was renovated, so we weren't able to fully appreciate its architecture.

An old photograph of the Oura Catholic Church (left) around the time of its construction. On the right, under a pine tree, is the Glover Garden.

As briefly mentioned above, Catholic priest Bernard Petitjohn had the church constructed within the confines of the Nagasaki foreign settlement. In 1865, shortly after its consecration, Petitjohn was approached by a group of 12 to 15 Hidden Christians, who were descendants of the Japanese who had hidden following the Shimabara Rebellion (mentioned above). confidentially professed their faith. They were from the Urakami district, an enclave of Hidden Christians at the time. Other Urakami Christians later also came to the church, to secretly worship at the church, prompting the Nagasaki bugyo (loosely, the Nagasaki magistrate) to prohibit visits. Nonetheless, the church became a centre of worship for Hidden Christians in Japan, which prompted Pope Pius IX to call it "the miracle of the Orient".

The floral window of the Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki

One of the impressive buildings we passed at the church was the Former Latin Seminary, a designated National Important Cultural Asset. Over a century old, the building is still in use, and houses various exhibits. Reinforced with red bricks, the wood-frame building was built around 1875, and was the work of Friar Marc M. de Rotz, who was an architect as well as a missionary. It was erected for Japanese seminarians who were attending theology courses, and the building was called the Latin Seminary because classes were conducted in Latin.

The Former Latin Seminary (Christian Museum)

Prior to the Former Latin Seminary, Japanese seminarians undertook classes in secret. The education of Japanese seminarians began soon after the discovery of the Hidden Christians, when the ban was still in force. The first seminary was a secret room created in the attic of the missionary residence. During 1870, Japanese seminarians were also secretly sent to Penang to study at the seminary there. In 1874, after the lifting of the ban, the missionaries launched a primary course in theology, and the Latin Seminary was erected the following year.

WWII & the Fat Man

As mentioned in Nagasaki Part I, Nagasaki is best known for the 2nd atomic bombing in WWII, another terrible and tragic event in Nagasaki's history. During WWII, Nagasaki was a major base for the Japanese military, as well as for manufacturing military craft employed in WWII. Mitsubishi was involved in designing and manufacturing fighter planes, and the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki was where the Japanese battleship Musashi, among others, had been secretly built (mentioned in Part I).

Atomic Bomb Museum

The Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki.

Much of this aspect of Nagasaki's history, and the consequences of the 2nd atomic bomb are told in the Atomic Bomb Museum (長崎原爆資料館).

The Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki. The very first exhibit is a wall clock found in a house near Sanno Shrine (below), about 800m from the hypocentre. The clock hands stopped at the exact time the bomb hit, 11:02am on 9 August 1945.

Replica of the wall of Urakami Cathedral after the bombing, Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki. The remnants are found near the Hypocenter Park (below).

There was a section about Nagasaki before the Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki, followed by another section about the bomb's effects and devastation. There were a lot of exhibits and clips about the devastation caused by the heat generated by the atomic bomb, and the strength of the blast.

Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki.

Of all the exhibits on display, the exhibit that had the most impact on me was the scorched and crushed bones of a small hand that had been fused to a glass bottle which had melted in the heat of the bomb. (The surface temperature of the fireball was about 5,000^oC. Ceramic tiles boiled, glass melted, and sand became glass.) Truly grotesque, but totally on point...and it was hard not to turn away in horror, while tears welled up in my eyes. There was another section on the effects of radiation which brought more tears...

Miniature replica of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki.

Among the exhibits was a miniature replica of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (aka the A-Bomb Dome). We have visited the actual one in 2014, along with other WWII atomic bombing commemoration sites. The building was the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall prior to the first atomic bombing. Because the explosion was almost directly overhead, the building was able to retain its shape. Everyone inside was killed instantly. The building was the only one left standing near the hypocentre. I still find it tragically ironic that ground zero of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima was a hospital founded by a Japanese doctor who was against Japan's entry into WWII (the Pacific War), and who had modeled the said hospital on the Mayo Clinic in the US.

International affairs after WWII, Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki.

A section of the museum was about international affairs following WWII, in particular the nuclear arms race that followed, and the subsequent move towards the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Although nuclear weapons have not been used in armed conflict since WWII, injuries have been inflicted on people and countries in the course of their development, manufacture, testing and deployment. There have also been consequences following accidents involving nuclear weapons and weapons testing.

Nuclear weapons stockpile, Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki.

"On that summer day", Nagasaki.

"Towards the wish for peace in the future", Nagasaki.

Monument for Korean atomic bomb victims, Nagasaki. The monument is dedicated to the over 10,000 Koreans who were victims of the Nagasaki atomic bombing.

Hypocenter Park

Mother and Child Statue. Created by Nagasaki-born sculptor Naoki Tominaga, and erected as part of the "Atomic Bombing 50th Anniversary Commemorative Projects Monument", this monument expresses the horror of the atomic bombing, prays for the repose of the souls of the victims. Through the form of a stricken child sleeping in the mother's warm embrace, the monument expresses motherly compassion and pleas for eternal peace for a 21st century Japan. Through the monument is the reminder that the child is like Japan on the day of the bombing, and the mother as the support provided by other countries in Japan's efforts to rebuild.

Hypocenter Cenotaph, Nagasaki. This marks Ground Zero.

Urakami Cathedral wall remnant, Nagasaki.

Within the Hypocenter Park is a wall remnant of Urakami Cathedral, which had been located approximately 500m from the hypocenter. As mentioned above, the Urakami district was a Hidden Christian enclave, and many there suffered religious persecution from 1587 until the rescission of the ban in 1873. The Urakami Christians laboured over the course of 20 years to build Urakami Cathedral, completing it in 1914. The cathedral's 26m high twin bell towers were completed in 1925. The cathedral was built using the donations and voluntary labour of the Urakami Christians. At the time, it was the grandest church in East Asia. On 9 August 1945, the cathedral was reduced to rubble by the atomic bomb, leaving only a portion of the southern wall standing. The remnant was relocated here to make way for the new Urakami Cathedral building.

The area after the atomic bombing.

The area today.

The area near the hypocenter in Nagasaki today.

Nagasaki Peace Park

Nagasaki Peace Park.

Fountain of Peace, Nagasaki Peace Park.

After the atomic bombing, thousands in Nagasaki suffered burns and thirst. Many died from thirst, while begging for water. The fountain was dedicated as an offering of water to the atomic bomb victims, and the repose of their souls.

Peace Statue, Nagasaki Peace Park.

The 10m tall bronze Peace Statue was erected in 1955, on the 10th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and was dedicated as an appeal for lasting world peace. The sculpture was created by Nagasaki-born sculptor Kitamura Seibou. The raised right hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons, while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's folded right leg symbolises quiet meditation, while the left leg is poised for action in assisting humanity. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the repose of the souls of all war victims. Every year on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a peace memorial ceremony is conducted here, and a peace declaration is made.

Nagasaki Peace Park.

"Joy of Life", Nagasaki Peace Park.

Nagasaki Peace Park.

Site of the former Urakami Branch of Nagasaki Prison, Nagasaki Peace Park. It was the closest public building to the hypocenter. The prison walls had been 4m high and 0.25m thick, built from steel-reinforced concrete, but were reduced almost to their foundations. The offices and kitchen which were built from wood were completely destroyed, except for the chimney.

Nyokodo

After the Nagasaki Peace Park (平和公園, above), we walked to the Nyokodō如己堂 and the Nagasaki City Nagai Takashi Memorial Hall (長崎市永井隆記念館), which commemorates Dr. Nagai Takashi永井 隆. He was a physician who specialised in radiology, and was himself a survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bomb. Although he received a serious injury on the day of the bombing, he and his medical colleagues continued to treat other atomic bomb victims. He is buried in Sakamoto International Cemetery (mentioned in Part I).

The Nyokodō, Nagasaki.

Inside the Nyokodō, Nagasaki.

The Nyokodō is a small, 2-tatami-mat sized hut that was built for him by the local Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in 1947. It became Nagai's hermitage where he spent his remaining years in prayer and meditation. Nagai named it "Nyokodō", literally "As Yourself Hall", after the words of Jesus to "love your neighbour as yourself".

Sannō Shrine

Our final WWII landmark stop was the Sannō Shrine (山王神社), best known for its one-legged torii, which survived the atomic bombing. The torii itself is quite ordinary, except for the fact that it still stands, and survived the atomic bomb. But what amazed me the most about this spot is actually the 2 giant camphor trees that survived the atomic bomb!

One-legged torii of Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

The torii was built in 1924 as the 2nd torii gate of the Sannō Shrine. It was located around 800m from the hypocenter. The atomic bomb tore down on of the pillars of the torii.

The other pillar of the torii at Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

The upper part of the torii at Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

The upper parts of the stone torii were scorched black from the heat of the blast, one pillar and the upper parts were damaged. The cross beam shifted in the opposite direction. The neighbourhood, however, was reduced to ashes and rubble.

The giant camphor trees at Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

The other Sannō Shrine survivors of the atomic bomb are the 2 large camphor trees in front of the Sannō Shrine itself. The trees are about 10m in height with a circumference of 8 and 6m, and are among the largest camphor trees in Nagasaki city. These trees are now designated natural monuments of Nagasaki City.

With their height, girth and tangle of branches, they form a green canopy over the steps leading to the main hall of the shrine. It's hard to tell that these amazing trees went through the atomic bombing. Trees that survived the atomic bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are called hibaku jumoku (被爆樹木), A-bombed tree. It is said that around around 30 trees (or 50 trees) survived the bomb in Nagasaki.

One of the giant camphor trees at Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

The blast and heat generated from the bomb destroyed the shrine buildings and tore down half of the second torii gate. These 2 camphor trees were stripped bare, their trunks split down the centre, and scorched black by the bomb's heat rays. At the time, the trees were considered to be dead. However, by some miracle, they came back to life...eventually budding and regaining vitality. To me, they stand as living testimonies to the amazing power of Nature and our Earth. I was truly moved.

Apparently these survivor trees are still capable of producing seedlings, and seedlings from Hiroshima's survivor trees have been sent across the world as messages of peace - see Green Legacy Hiroshima. I'm not sure if this includes those in Nagasaki, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does, or will.

Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

The small main hall of Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

Autumnal narcissus blooming outside Sannō Shrine, Nagasaki.

Japan with Peko-chan, Chubu-Kansai-Kyushu, Nov & Dec 2017 🚗 Suwa, Nagano • Lake Suwa • Suwa Glass Museum • Seiko Shiojiri 🚗 Hida Mountains • Shirakawa-go • Takayama • Hida Furukawa 🚗 Tokyo • Nakiryu & Kagari • Akihabara • Nippori Textile Town • Wadakura Fountain Park & Kokyo Gaien • Gundam Unicorn, Odaiba • National Art Centre (Kimi no Na wa. exhibition) • Nezu Museum • Kimi no Na wa. ✈️ Nagasaki Part I & Part II • Glover Garden • Old Chinese Quarter • Chinatown • Dejima • Sakamoto International Cemetery • Oura Cathedral • 26 Martyrs Memorial & Museum • Atomic Bomb Museum • Hypocentre Park • Nyokodo • Sanno Shrine ✈️ Osaka • Atelier to naniIRO • Junie Moon Osaka 🚗 Awajishima • Yumesenkei Besso Amahara • Senzan Senkoji • Izanagi Jingu • Onokorojima Shrine • Sumoto Castle • Eshima • Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park (Nojima Fault) • O-naruto Bridge & Naruto Whirlpools • Akashi Kaikyo Bridge • Awaji beef & Awaji Burger 🚗 Kobe • Kobe Luminarie 2017 • Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial • Kitano Ijinkan