Main | Purpose | Historical Overview | Photos
Pictures from Tsuwano
On the way to Tsuwano we stopped in Yamaguchi to see the Catholic church there. Here is a Statue of Mary and Jesus on the way up to the church.
Just out side is a statue of St. Francis Xavier who brought Christianity to Japan in 1549.
Here is another statue of the Saint that is more part of the church. The inside of the church does allow photographs but it contains a small museum much of which explain the history of Xavier.
There is a small shrine outside the church as well. The Church that we saw in Yamaguchi was a new rebuilt building. The previous one burnt down under mysterious circumstances some years before considering the church is right next to the fire station.
After exploring the church and its museum in Yamaguchi we proceeded on to Tsuwano.
This is a small church on the outskirts of Tsuwano. It is a memorial to the Christians that were imprisoned and tortured here.
Here are the stain glasses of the church. They depict the suffering of Christians in Japan.
This statue is of a man that saw a vision of Mary while he was places in a three foot by three foot by three foot cage.
Here is a depiction of the vision that he had of Mary helping the people.
Some of the graves next to this site could be the graves of persecuted Christians.
From the small church an graveyard, there is a path or small pilgrimage to another site for Christians. Along the path are the fourteen stations of the cross with descriptions in Japanese.
At the end of the walk with the stations of the cross you come to another Christian shrine of sorts with a few statues and carvings.
Back in Tsuwano proper we stopped at the Catholic church. Next to the church was a small museum about the sufferings of the Christians in Tsuwano.
Here is the inside of the Church complete with tatami mats.
This is a Maria Canon used by hidden Christians to worship but still not have a overtly Christian image. The Maria Canon was common in many areas.
This fumie would have been used to search out Christians. Every New Years day everyone would be forced to tread on an image of Christ of Mary, if they didn't they and their family were killed.
Here is an original sign declaring that Christianity is being outlawed.
Copyright © 2006 Brendan Eagan