# Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument

> The execution ground of the 26 Martyrs of 1597, now a park with a long bronze memorial, a small museum and a church whose mosaic twin towers borrow from Gaudí. It is a short, steep walk from Nagasaki Station.

- Prefecture: Nagasaki
- Type: Museum
- Address: Nagasaki, Japan
- Admission: 500 yen
- Official site: https://japan26martyrs.studio.site/

On 5 February 1597, 26 Christians were crucified on Nishizaka hill, a few minutes' walk from where Nagasaki Station stands today. Six were foreign Franciscan missionaries and 20 were Japanese; the youngest, Ludovico Ibaraki, was 12. They had been arrested in Kyoto and Osaka under Toyotomi Hideyoshi's ban and made to walk for about a month to Nagasaki. The Ibaraki City Museum of Christian Relics, north of Osaka, covers the Kansai side of this early Christian history. The execution ground is now Nishizaka Park, a prefectural historic site. Sculptor Funakoshi Yasutake's bronze relief of the 26 went up in 1962, the centenary of their canonization, together with the museum behind it and St. Philip's Church next door. Architect Imai Kenji, who introduced Gaudí to Japan, covered the church's twin towers in broken-ceramic mosaic. The museum is small but holds a letter handwritten by Francis Xavier and objects kept by hidden Christians. Allow about an hour; the last stretch up from the station is steep.

## FAQ

### How do I get to the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument from Nagasaki Station?

Walk. It takes about 5 minutes from JR Nagasaki Station, and the last part is a short, steep climb up to Nishizaka Park. The monument, the museum and St. Philip's Church are all at the top, side by side.

### How much is the museum, and when is it open?

Adults pay 500 yen, junior and senior high school students 300 yen, and elementary school students 150 yen. It is open 9:00 to 17:00 and closed December 31 to January 2. The monument in the park outside is free.

### How is this site connected to Oura Church?

Oura Church, built by French missionaries in 1864, was dedicated to these 26 martyrs. It stands on the other side of central Nagasaki, near Glover Garden, and is easy to reach by tram, so the two make a natural pair on a Christian-history day in the city.

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Source: Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument — Japan Voyage