Sotome

Historic Site

Prefecture

Nagasaki

Type

Historic Site

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About This Destination

The coast north of Nagasaki where Hidden Christians worshipped in secret, with Fr. de Rotz's Shitsu Church (a UNESCO component), the Endo Shusaku Literary Museum and sunsets over the Sumo-nada sea.

Sotome is the stretch of coast in the north of Nagasaki city where Hidden Christians held on through the ban, and many of the families who settled the Goto Islands in the 1790s came from here. Shitsu village is one of the 2018 UNESCO Hidden Christian Sites components. Its church was built in 1882 to a design by Fr. Marc Marie de Rotz, a French missionary who came to Sotome in 1879; the roof is kept low against the sea wind, and the bell towers came with extensions in 1891 and 1909. De Rotz also taught villagers to make bread, macaroni and somen. The slightly thick de Rotz-sama somen, stretched with peanut oil, is still sold at the roadside station. Ono Church (1893), a small stone chapel with his lime-and-red-clay "de Rotz wall", can only be viewed through its openings. Endo Shusaku modeled the village of Tomogi in Silence on Kurosaki here, and his literary museum looks straight out over the Sumo-nada sea. Stay for the sunset if the bus times allow.

Location

Prefecture: Nagasaki

Address: Nagasaki, Japan

Nearest Station: Nagasaki Station (bus to Sotome)

Best time to visit: Year-round; clear autumn and winter evenings for the sunset over the Sumo-nada sea

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Visitor Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to book before visiting Shitsu Church and Ono Church?

Yes. Both require advance notice, for individuals as well as groups, through the Nagasaki and Amakusa Hidden Christian Sites Information Center (095-823-7650, 10:00 to 17:00). Both still hold Mass, so visits stop during services, weddings and funerals; do not photograph services, and keep quiet inside. Ono Church cannot be entered; you look in through its openings.

How long does the bus from Nagasaki take?

About 75 to 80 minutes from Nagasaki Station, with some buses needing a change at Sakura no Sato Terminal. Buses run roughly hourly, so plan a half day at least.

What are the Endo Shusaku Literary Museum's hours and fee?

It is open 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closed from 29 December to 3 January. There is a small admission fee. The Michi-no-Eki (Bungakukan Iriguchi) bus stop is about two minutes' walk away.