kuro shima tenshudou ( katorikku kuro shima kyoukai )

Kurojima Cathedral stands as one of the most profound testaments of faith in Japan. Kurojima was a refuge for hidden Christians who secretly maintained their faith during the Edo period's prohibition of Christianity. After the Meiji government lifted the ban, French missionary Father Marman guided the faithful in constructing this magnificent church. The believers themselves fired the bricks, completing the cathedral over a decade of devoted labor. The exterior follows the Romanesque style while the interior features rib-vault ceilings and distinctive floor planks carved from camellia wood in twenty-four different patterns. In 2018, it was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region." It is also designated a National Important Cultural Property of Japan.