Kuroshima Church (Nationally Important Cultural Property)
Completed in 1902, Kuroshima Church is a brick and timber structure that was built under the direction of Father Joseph Marmand, a French priest who also designed it. The local Catholic population assisted, providing funds and free labor. It is on a grand scale for its time, featuring three height divisions (arcade, triforium and clerestory), and had an influence on later church architecture in Japan. It contains many of the original fixtures, including a lectern made by Father Marmand. The church is open to the public unless ceremonies are in progress.
Kushinohama Dike (Nagasaki Prefecture Natural Treasure)
This bulwark-like shape was formed after molten magma that had seeped into fractures in the bedrock solidified, and was exposed when the soft bedrock was eroded by the waves.
Over 300 meters long, this dike is the longest in all Nagasaki Prefecture. It is a natural formation that gives you the chance to get a close-up view of volcanic strata. It is best to visit when the tide is low and weather conditions are favorable.
Sasanqua Camellia of Neya (Sasebo City Natural Treasure)
At over 10 meters in height, with a circumference of 180 centimeters, and an estimated age of 250 years, this is one of the biggest sasanqua camellia trees in Nagasaki Prefecture. It produces white flowers (one of the symbols of Kuroshima’s Hidden Christians) every year. The oil from its seeds played a part in the livelihood of settlers who moved to Kuroshima around 1800.
The Deguchi House: Where the Faith Was Revived
Catholics account for around 80 percent of Kuroshima’s current population of 470. Most of them are descended from Hidden Christians who migrated to the island from Sotome on the Nishisonogi Peninsula. After Oura Cathedral was built for Nagasaki’s foreign community in 1862, Daikichi Deguchi and his son traveled from Kuroshima to Nagasaki to reveal their faith. From then on, Kuroshima’s Hidden Christians began to return to Catholicism. A foreign priest visited Kuroshima while the ban on Christianity was still in force, and celebrated Mass at the Deguchi family home. This makes it an important place in the history of Catholicism in Kuroshima.
Other Places of Historical Interest
Old-growth forest at Kuroshima Shrine; site of the Honmura government offices; Kozenji Temple