A small Gothic church with a spire stands right at the water's edge in Sakitsu, a fishing village tucked into an inlet on the southern coast of Amakusa's Shimoshima island. It looks almost Breton, a surprise in rural Kyushu, and the story behind it is one of the most moving in Japanese history. When Christianity was banned in the early seventeenth century, the people of Sakitsu kept their faith in secret for over two centuries, disguising prayers and objects as Buddhist or Shinto practice, and using things from their own fishing life, such as abalone shells whose inner patterns recalled holy images, as objects of devotion.
The church was rebuilt in the 1930s on the site of the village headman's house, where the authorities once forced villagers to trample on images of Christ and Mary to prove they were not Christians; the altar is said to stand where those trampling ceremonies took place. Sakitsu is part of the World Heritage listing of the Hidden Christian sites of the Nagasaki region. Amakusa was also a heartland of the Shimabara rebellion of 1637 and 1638, a peasant uprising led by the teenage Amakusa Shiro that ended in a massacre and hardened the persecution.
Getting here is a lovely ride. From the Kyushu mainland, the Amakusa Five Bridges carry the road across islands and straits, and then smaller coastal roads wind around inlets, through fishing villages and over wooded headlands, with views across the sea to other islands. Traffic in Japan drives on the left, roads are well maintained but often narrow, and speed limits are low and enforced. Typhoon season in late summer can bring heavy rain and strong winds, so spring and autumn are the best times.
Fuel and food are easy to find in Ushibuka and Hondo, the main towns of the islands. Sakitsu itself has a small information centre and a few places to eat, including fresh seafood from the local fishermen. The village is still lived in, so visit quietly and respect the residents, especially around the church, which is still used for worship and asks visitors to behave with respect during services.