Twenty-Six Martyrs Memorial

On Nishizaka Hill, a short walk from Nagasaki Station, a long stone wall of bronze figures commemorates 26 Christians, Japanese and foreign, who were crucified in 1597 on the orders of the ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The site is the spiritual starting point for the story of Christianity in Nagasaki, which was once a major centre of the faith in Japan and later a place of fierce persecution. The Memorial and its museum explain how missionaries arrived in the sixteenth century, how the faith spread, how it was banned, and how communities of hidden Christians kept their beliefs alive for more than two centuries, until the 1865 revelation at Oura Church. A tour of the Christian sites weaves these places together and shows how they connect to the later history of Urakami.

The memorial is a modern, open-air monument, with the bronze figures on a pale wall facing the city. Beside it the museum displays documents, religious objects and artefacts, including items used by hidden Christians to disguise their worship. A neighbouring church stands on the site. The hill gives a calm view over the city.

A guided tour such as a Christian martyrs and hidden faith route typically connects Nishizaka Hill with Oura Church and other sites, and may include the story of the missionaries, the persecution and the secretive customs of those who kept the faith. Local guides often add personal stories and explain the symbolism of objects such as Maria Kannon statues.

The site is small, so allow an hour for the memorial and museum, longer with a guided tour. It is a short uphill walk from the station, and a tram stop at Nagasaki Station and Nishizaka is close. Dress respectfully and remember that the monument is also a place of prayer. Pair it with Oura Church, the Dejima area and the Atomic Bomb Museum for a clear view of the city's layered history.

The story behind the memorial is a powerful one. The 26 were arrested in Kyoto and Osaka, marched for weeks to Nagasaki in winter, and executed on Nishizaka Hill in February 1597. Among them were three Japanese Jesuits, Franciscan missionaries and several teenage boys. They were canonised in the nineteenth century, and Pope John Paul II visited the site in 1981.

The memorial's bronze figures were made by the sculptor Yasutake Funakoshi, and the stark wall behind them directs attention to the faces. The museum below recounts the later history, including the ordeals of those who refused to renounce their faith and the secret practices of the hidden Christians, with objects such as cross-shaped relics disguised as everyday items.

Allow some quiet time at the end of the visit. The hilltop has benches facing the city, and many visitors sit for a few minutes after the museum. If you are following the wider Christian history of Nagasaki, plan to continue to Oura Church and then Urakami, which together trace the arc from persecution to revival to the events of 1945.

Tours that cover all three make the connections clear. Check the museum's closing day, which is not always the same each week, and carry small change for the entrance fee. Dress respectfully, as many visitors come to pray.