# Sakitsu Village

> A small fishing village on Amakusa Shimoshima whose Gothic church, built in 1934 with a tatami floor, stands where villagers were once made to step on Christian images. Part of the 2018 UNESCO Hidden Christian Sites.

- Prefecture: Kumamoto
- Type: Historic site
- Address: Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan
- Official site: https://kirishitan.jp/components_en/com004

Sakitsu is a working fishing village on the western side of Amakusa Shimoshima, and one of the twelve components of the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki and Amakusa Region, listed by UNESCO in 2018. During the ban on Christianity, villagers held on to their faith with what the sea and their work gave them: statues of Daikokuten and Ebisu were venerated as Deus, and the mother-of-pearl pattern inside abalone shells stood for the Virgin Mary. In the 1805 crackdown known as Amakusa Kuzure, about 70% of the village was exposed, yet people were only told to hand their devotional objects over at Sakitsu Suwa Shrine. The Gothic Sakitsu Church, rebuilt in 1934 to a design by Tetsukawa Yosuke, has a tatami floor, and its altar is said to sit where the headman's house once held e-fumi. Villagers still worship here. Book a visit in advance through the Kyusanko booking page, keep quiet inside, and do not take photos in the church.

## FAQ

### Do I need to book before visiting Sakitsu Church?

Yes. Book online through Kyusanko's Sakitsu Church page, or call the Kyusanko call center (096-300-5535, weekdays 10:00 to 17:00), which handles bookings for Amakusa City. For same-day visits, weekends and holidays, call the Sakitsu Village Guidance Center (0969-78-6000) instead. Bookings open six months ahead. The church is closed to visitors during Mass, including Sunday mornings, and during funerals and other services, and photography is not allowed inside.

### Can I reach Sakitsu without a car?

Yes, but it takes planning. From Hondo Bus Center it is a Sanko bus to Itchoda Chuo, then a second bus to Sakitsu Kyokai Iriguchi, a little over an hour of riding plus the wait between them. A rental car from Hondo takes about 50 minutes.

### Where do I park?

At the Sakitsu Village Guidance Center (Roadside Station Sakitsu) at the entrance to the village. The lot holds over 100 cars and is free; there is almost no visitor parking in the village itself, so walk in from there.

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Source: Sakitsu Village — Japan Voyage