Ōura Church

Welcome to Ōura Church, a site of immense spiritual and historical importance, designated as a National Treasure of Japan and inscribed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Formally known as the Basilica of the Twenty-Six…

To understand Ōura Church, one must first navigate the lively corridor of Glover Street, which climbs toward the church entrance. In the mid-nineteenth century, this area was the heart of Nagasaki’s foreign settlement,…

Standing before the main facade of Ōura Church, we are confronted with the primary dedication of the building: the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan. These individuals—six foreign missionaries and twenty Japanese laypeople—were…

The interior of Ōura Church was the stage for one of the most remarkable events in religious history. On March 17, 1865, about a month after the church was dedicated, Father Bernard Petitjean was praying inside when a group of…

The interior architecture of Ōura Church is a masterclass in the Gothic Revival style, adapted for a Japanese setting. One of the most striking features is the 'bat-wing' or rib vault ceiling. …

Adjacent to the main basilica are two significant buildings that speak to the educational mission of the French missionaries: the Former Ōura Seminary and the Latin School. The seminary, a three-story brick building completed in…

In 2018, Ōura Church was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site titled 'Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region.' This designation recognizes the universal value of the unique cultural tradition nurtured by the…

As we conclude our journey at Ōura Church, we are left with a profound sense of the site's duality. It is both a National Treasure of Japanese architecture and a global monument to spiritual endurance. …