Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki was built on land that had long been part of the Christian persecution in Japan. On August 9th, 1945, the atomic bomb fell not 500 meters to the southwest of the cathedral, destroying most of the building and statues in an instant. We recommend a visit to the neighboring Peace Park as well.
About Urakami Cathedral
In 1895, after years of persecution by the Edo Shogunate, the Christians of Urakami decided to build their own church, brick by brick, after gaining their freedom of religion. It took 30 years to finish, and was finally completed in 1925. The double towers measure 26 meters tall, and because of the beautiful red bricks, it was called "the best brick church in the far east". However, on August 9th, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped not 500 meters away to the southwest, and the cathedral, clergy house, and stone statues were all destroyed instantly.
The current building was rebuilt in 1959, and in 1981 was restored to the original red brick appearance upon the visit of Pope John Paul the 24th. You can only enter and view the cathedral from the area near the entryway, but you can still feel the solemn atmosphere. The cathedral is lit up at night, giving it a fantastical feeling.
Highlights of Urakami Cathedral
There are 24 stained glass windows in the cathedral. The themes range from the baptism of Christ to the Last Supper, and the cathedral shines with the red, blue, and yellow light from the windows.
Since the cathedral is close to the hypocenter of the atomic bomb, there are 2 areas that show the horrible destructive power of the atomic bomb, and we recommend taking the time to give them a look. First is the statue right at the entrance, that was toppled by the bomb. Burned black by the heat wave, the nose, an arm, and some fingers are missing, and the head is chipped. The second is the dome from atop the belfry on the north side of the cathedral. The 50 ton dome was blown off the tower by the blast, and landed on the riverbank to the north. Some of the remains from the destroyed church have been relocated to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum in Peace Park.
Access to Urakami Cathedral
Take the tram headed towards Akasako from the "Nagasaki Eki-mae" tram stop, ride for about 15 minutes, get off at the "Heiwa Koen" stop, and walk about 10 minutes.
From the bus stop "Nagasaki Eki-mae Minami-guchi", take the Nagasaki Bus #30 going to "Koko-walk Mori-machi-Ohato, Tomachi-Kawahara-koen-mae Kawahara-koen (via Tomachi)" for about 10 minutes, get off at the "Urakami-Tenshudo-mae" bus stop and walk about 1 minute.
Spot Information
- Spot name： Urakami Cathedral
- Address：Nagasaki-ken, Nagasaki-shi, Moto-machi 1-79
- Access：Get off at the "Urakami-Tenshudo-mae" bus stop and walk about 1 minute.
- Language：English pamphlets are available
- Ticket：Free
- Business Hours: 9:00 - 17:00
- Holidays: Open year-round
Note: Permission was obtained from the Catholic Archdiocese of Nagasaki to take and publish photographs.
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