Kamigoto 1: Ebukuro Church

The oldest wooden church in Japan

Takako Sakamoto Mar 25, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>The statue of Jesus on the Ebukuro Church grounds</p>

<p>The alter viewed from the entrance of Ebukuro Church</p>

<p>The sign explaining the history of Ebukuro Church</p>

<p>The sign says Ebukuro Church is a designated cultural property of Nagasaki prefecture</p>

<p>Stained-glass windows of Ekukuro Church</p>

<p>Another alter on the left, inside the church</p>

In Japan, Catholicism was banned by the Japanese government from the early Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period (1614 - 1873). Japanese Christians who tried to escape oppression went underground and practiced their forbidden religion secretly. They were called 'Kakure (hidden) Christians' and some of them escaped to the Goto Islands, which is the reason there are many churches here. Ebukuro Church was built in 1882, and it's the oldest wooden church in Japan. Although it was burnt down by fire in 2007, it was restored in 2010 using the undamaged remains of the original church. Please see photos for details.

Kamigoto Island

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...