Oura Catholic Church

The Oura Catholic Church is also known as The Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan which was first constructed in 1863 by two French priests located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The founding priests Fathers Louis Furet and Bernard Petitjean established the church with intensions to honor the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan who were crucified in 1597 ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during a time when Christianity was banned in Japan. Oura Catholic Church is regarded to be the oldest church in Japan and was built by Koyama Hidenoshin, who was famous for building the villa at Glover Garden located nearby. This church serves not only as a turning point of Christianity history in Japan, but also designated as a National Treasure two times in Japan. A group of people came to the church soon after it was built to worship the Virgin Mary. The priests soon realized that these people were the descendants of Japanese Christians who hid their beliefs after the Shimabara Rebellion in 1630 due to the Seclusion Policy in Japan during that time. Thousands of Christians followed the steps of the first group of people and openly expressed to their religion for the first time. Word quickly spread to Pope Pius IX, who later declared this location "the miracle of the Orient." Today this important cultural treasure attracts visitors from all over the world both to experience the atmosphere of the area as well as explore the oldest church in Japan.