The cathedral is built facing the slope of Nishizaka Hill, the site where the 26 Martyrs were crucified.
The initial structure was commissioned by Father Louis Furet and designed by Father Eugène Maignen.
Upon its completion in 1865, it was locally known as the 'French Temple'.
Pope Pius IX declared the site a basilica minor in 2016, the first in Japan.
The original wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, before which the Hidden Christians prayed in 1865, is preserved on-site.
The church survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki with only moderate structural damage due to its distance from the hypocenter.
Stained glass windows within the nave are original 19th-century French glass imports.
The interior floor tiles are original, having been imported from France during the construction phase.
Ōura Cathedral is the oldest standing Christian church in Japan and a designated National Treasure. Completed in 1864 by French missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, it was originally built to serve the foreign community in Nagasaki. The cathedral gained global significance in 1865 when 'Hidden Christians' (Kakure Kirishitan) revealed their faith to Father Bernard Petitjean here, ending over two centuries of prohibition. It is dedicated to the 26 Martyrs of Japan, who were executed in the city in 1597. The building features a distinctive octagonal belfry and a Gothic-style facade. Interior stained glass windows date primarily from the late 19th century. In 2018, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region. The site includes a secondary building that functions as a museum detailing the history of the local Catholic community.
The view of the white facade and gothic arches from the bottom of the cathedral's front steps.
Purchase your entrance ticket at the designated visitor center before walking up to the cathedral doors.
Take time to explore the museum building adjacent to the cathedral, which houses documents regarding the discovery of the Hidden Christians.
Visit the adjacent Glover Garden area in the same trip to maximize your time in the Minamiyamate district.
Do not attempt to enter the cathedral during mass or funeral services as it remains a functioning place of worship.
None.
Maintain silence inside the cathedral; photography is strictly prohibited inside the main chapel.
