Kumamoto · City
Amakusa
天草市あまくさしAmakusa-shiChurches, fishing harbours and the open East China Sea
Amakusa is an island city in western Kumamoto Prefecture covering most of Amakusa-Shimoshima and several smaller islands between the Yatsushiro Sea and the East China Sea. It is known for its Christian history, including the fishing village of Sakitsu, a World Heritage component, and for its coast, seafood and resident dolphins.
Overview
The Amakusa islands, some 120 in number, lie off the Uto Peninsula of Kumamoto. The city of Amakusa, formed in 2006 around the old centre of Hondo, covers most of the largest island, Shimoshima, together with parts of Kamishima and islands such as Goshoura. Its landscape is one of hilly, forested interiors, terraced fields and small harbours, with a rugged western coast facing the East China Sea and calmer waters on the Yatsushiro Sea side.
Christianity reached Amakusa in the 1560s and flourished under local lords who converted; the Jesuits ran a college here and printed some of the first European-style books in Japan. After the ban, many islanders took part in the Shimabara-Amakusa uprising of 1637 to 1638, led by the young Amakusa Shirō. Those who survived and their descendants in villages such as Sakitsu kept their faith hidden for more than two centuries, worshipping with abalone shells and Buddhist or Shintō objects in place of Christian images.
Today the churches of Sakitsu and Ōe, museums of Christian history and the landscape of the coast draw visitors. The waters off the northern tip are home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins, and fisheries, especially for kuruma prawns, sea urchins and sea bream, remain central to the local economy.
Landmarks
- 﨑津集落Sakitsu shūraku
Fishing village on a narrow inlet, with a Gothic church of 1934 standing where villagers were once forced to trample Christian images (fumie); its interior is floored with tatami.
Ōe Church
大江天主堂Ōe TenshudōWhite Romanesque-style church of 1933 on a hill, built by the French priest Frédéric Louis Garnier.
Amakusa Christian Museum
天草キリシタン館Amakusa Kirishitan-kanMuseum in Hondo with the battle banner of the 1637 uprising and objects of hidden Christian worship.
Amakusa Rosary Museum
天草ロザリオ館Amakusa Rozario-kanSmall museum near Ōe with a reconstructed hidden prayer room.
Goshoura dinosaur island
御所浦GoshouraIsland in the Yatsushiro Sea with Cretaceous fossil beds and a fossil museum.
Myōken-ura coast
妙見浦Myōken-uraSea cliffs and caves on the western coast facing the East China Sea.
Districts
Hondo
本渡HondoCommercial and administrative centre facing the strait to Kamishima.
Ushibuka
牛深UshibukaFishing port at the southern tip, home of the haiya dance.
Itsuwa
五和ItsuwaNorthern district with dolphin-watching boats and the airport.
Kawaura
河浦KawauraSouth-western district that includes Sakitsu and the former Jesuit college site.
History
From 1566 Portuguese missionaries worked in Amakusa, and the Amakusa lords, vassals of the Christian Konishi Yukinaga, converted with much of the population. In 1591 the Jesuit college moved to Amakusa, where a printing press produced romanised editions of works such as the Tale of the Heike and Aesop's Fables. After Konishi's fall the islands passed to Terasawa, lord of Karatsu, whose heavy taxation and persecution helped provoke the uprising of 1637. The shogunate then placed Amakusa under direct rule through a magistrate. In 1805 some 5,000 hidden Christians were discovered in several villages, an event known as the Amakusa kuzure, but most were released after renouncing their faith in form only. The islands were joined to the mainland by the Five Bridges of Amakusa in 1966.
1566
The Jesuit Luís de Almeida begins missionary work in Amakusa.
1591
The Jesuit college moves to Amakusa; the Amakusa Press follows.
1637–1638
Amakusa islanders join the Shimabara Rebellion under Amakusa Shirō.
1641
Amakusa is placed under direct shogunal administration.
1805
The Amakusa kuzure: about 5,000 hidden Christians are uncovered.
1933–1934
Ōe Church and Sakitsu Church are built.
1966
The Five Bridges of Amakusa link the islands to the Kyushu mainland.
2006
Hondo and seven towns merge to form the city of Amakusa.
2018
Sakitsu village is inscribed as part of the Hidden Christian Sites.
Culture
Amakusa mixes a fishing culture with a Christian heritage visible in churches, museums and folk customs. Its southern port of Ushibuka gave its name to the haiya dance songs that sailors carried to ports across Japan.
Festivals
Ushibuka Haiya Festival
牛深ハイヤ祭りUshibuka Haiya MatsuriSpring festival in which thousands dance through Ushibuka to the lively haiya rhythm.
Christmas at the churches
In December the churches of Sakitsu and Ōe and the town of Hondo are illuminated.
Food
Kuruma prawns
車えびkuruma ebiTiger-striped prawns farmed in Amakusa, served raw, grilled or as tempura.
Sea urchin
うにuniLocal sea urchin in season in spring and early summer, eaten over rice.
Amakusa daiō
天草大王Amakusa daiōRevived breed of very large chicken, served as sashimi, grilled or in hotpot.
Getting around
- By road, the islands are reached from Uto and Misumi over the Five Bridges of Amakusa and Kamishima, about two hours from Kumamoto City.
- Amakusa Airport, served by a small local airline, has flights to Fukuoka and Kumamoto.
- Ferries cross from Oniike to Kuchinotsu on the Shimabara Peninsula and from Ushibuka southwards towards Kagoshima Prefecture; sightseeing boats link Misumi and Hondo.
- Local buses connect Hondo with Sakitsu, Ōe and Ushibuka, but a car is the most practical way to explore the islands.
Day trips
- 三角西港Misumi Nishikō
Stone-built Meiji port on the way to Amakusa, part of the Meiji industrial World Heritage property.
Castle town, Unzen volcano and Hara Castle ruins across the strait, by ferry from Oniike.
The park takes in Amakusa's coasts and islands and the Unzen volcano.
The prefectural capital, about two hours by road.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Which part of Amakusa is a World Heritage site?
The fishing village of Sakitsu in the south-west, where hidden Christians kept their faith, is a component of the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region, inscribed in 2018.
Can you see dolphins in Amakusa?
Yes. A resident group of bottlenose dolphins lives off the northern coast, and boats from Itsuwa take visitors out to see them.
Who was Amakusa Shirō?
A charismatic Christian youth, probably about sixteen, who became the figurehead of the Shimabara-Amakusa uprising of 1637 to 1638 and died when Hara Castle fell.
Do I need a car in Amakusa?
It helps. Buses run between the main towns, but churches, viewpoints and coastal villages are spread out across the islands.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 2.天草市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 天草市
- 3.Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.雲仙天草国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省