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Saikai NPKujukushima, Nagasaki
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In 1931, Hamawaki’s new concrete church replaced this 1881 wooden one. The old building was dismantled, carried by raft across Hisaka Island, and rebuilt at Gorin—a hamlet that had never had its own church.
From outside, it resembles a modest wooden house. Inside, three aisles, a timber rib-vaulted ceiling and Gothic-style details reveal a remarkably complete church design.
Look up: the ribs over the side aisles begin lower than those over the central nave, making the middle ceiling appear taller. It’s a clever visual effect in this small wooden church.
In 1985, the old church was slated for demolition when a replacement was built nearby. Advice from Buddhist islanders helped prompt a rethink; local Christians joined the preservation effort, and the building was saved.
Built in 1881, just 8 years after the 1873 ban on Christianity was lifted, this became Hisaka Island’s first church. It now belongs to UNESCO-listed “Villages on Hisaka Island,” where churches mark the end of hidden worship.
Gorin was among Hisaka Island’s isolated settlements formed by Hidden Christian migrants after a 1797 migration agreement. They maintained their faith while cooperating with Buddhist neighbors in farming and fishing.
