Opening of Japanese ports and arrival of Catholic priests in Japan.

Around 250 years before the construction of Oura Catholic Church, precisely on February 5, 1597, 26 Christians, referred to as Kirishitan, were put to death in Nagasaki. This event occurred due to the enforcement of Christian prohibition edicts. This event marked the first time that Christians were persecuted by the ruling authorities in Japan. These edicts were issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler of that era. This persecution happened around ten years after the Banishment Edict of 1587. It was because people had different religious beliefs, the practical benefits of Nanban trade, and Hideyoshi was losing his power. Many think that the San Felipe incident triggered it all.
The execution for the sake of Christianity was unprecedented in Japanese history. The group of 26 individuals, who were the first martyrs in Japan, were subsequently canonized as saints. They are collectively remembered as the honored “Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan.”

In 1858, as the Ansei Five-Power Treaties were concluded, Japan opened its five ports (Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Hakodate, Niigata) to foreign trade. The Roman Curia dispatched French priests from the Paris Foreign Missions Society to Japan. In January 1862, Father Girard, representing the same missionary society, constructed the Sacred Heart Cathedral (also known as Yokohama Cathedral) as a place of worship for foreigners within the foreign settlement. To mark the completion of the cathedral in Yokohama, Pope Pius IX canonized the 26 Christians who were martyred in Nagasaki in 1597. Additionally, Father Petitjean and Father Furet, who were also priests from the Paris Foreign Missions Society, were dispatched to Nagasaki and commenced the construction of Oura Cathedral.

Cathedral built near the settlement in Nagasaki.

On January 22, 1863, Father Furet arrived in Nagasaki via Yokohama, shortly after the port’s opening. He commenced his search for a suitable site to construct the church. Finding land was challenging as the foreign settlement area was already filled with merchants. However, thanks to the intervention of the Nagasaki magistrate, a location was secured adjacent to the Oura Minamiyamate foreign settlement. Father Furet engaged in fundraising for the church’s construction, interaction with foreign residents in the settlement, and land preparation for construction.

In August of that year, Father Petitjean arrived in Nagasaki, but instead of helping with the cathedral construction, he was eager to search for the 26 martyrs’ sites and locate descendants of Christians from the 16th century (when Francis Xavier preached). The exact location of the 26 martyrs was unknown at the time.

About two months after Father Petitjean’s arrival, the design of the church was nearly finalized, and Father Furet progressed with cost calculations and contract preparations. Around January of the following year, Father Girard, who was in charge of missionary activities in Japan, arrived from Yokohama. He signed a contract with Koyama Hidenoshin (master carpenter) and his brother Koyama Ryosuke (chief), both from Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, to begin construction of the cathedral.

When Father Girard came to Nagasaki to supervise the construction work, Father Petitjean temporarily replaced him in Yokohama. After eight months, Father Girard returned to Yokohama, and Father Petitjean returned to Nagasaki to continue supervising the construction. By then, Father Fure had begun to lose interest in missionary activities in Japan.

In October 1864, without waiting for the cathedral to be completed, Father Fure requested a one-year leave and returned to France. Father Petitjean was left alone to oversee the remaining construction. The Koyama family, who were the contracted builders of the Oura Cathedral, were also tasked with expanding the Oura settlement area simultaneously as the cathedral was being constructed. As a result, the cathedral’s construction was delayed, and Father Petitjean struggled with paying construction costs.

In October 1864, without waiting for the cathedral to be completed, Father Fure requested a one-year leave and returned to France. Father Petitjean was left alone to oversee the remaining construction. The Koyama family, who were the contracted builders of the Oura Cathedral, were also tasked with expanding the Oura settlement area simultaneously as the cathedral was being constructed. As a result, the cathedral’s construction was delayed, and Father Petitjean struggled with paying construction costs.

Around the same time, Father Petitjean received a request from the Nagasaki Magistrate Office to teach French at a foreign language school. Initially, he declined the request due to the delay in the construction of the cathedral. Nonetheless, the Magistrate’s Office arranged for craftsmen to assist in the construction’s progress and actively worked to fulfill both requests.

Thereafter the construction on the cathedral progressed rapidly due to an increased number of craftsmen. As a result, the cathedral was completed on December 29, 1864. Subsequently, on February 19, 1865, a consecration ceremony, officiated by Father Girard, took place. This cathedral was dedicated to the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan and was named “The Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan.” Captains from the French, British, Dutch, and Russian ships that had been anchored in Nagasaki Harbor attended the grand celebration along with their soldiers, and salutes were fired to mark the occasion. However, despite the French consul extending an invitation to the Nagasaki Magistrate, the Magistrate did not attend in person and chose to send a representative instead.

Furthermore, despite a large number of spectators during the construction phase, it is believed that they were unable to witness the progress due to restrictions imposed by the magistrate’s office, which had prohibited entry.

Confessions of Hidden Christians and Their Impact.

On March 17, 1865, approximately one month after the dedication ceremony, amidst the numerous worshippers, some Christians from Urakami approached Father Petitjean as he was praying in the cathedral. They said to him, “We also hold the same faith as you do.” This revelation provided evidence that despite the ban on Christianity, the faith of Christianity had persevered in Japan.

The meeting between Father Petitjean and the Hidden Christians brought immense joy to both sides. However, in 1867, due to the Christian prohibition policy of the Tokugawa Shogunate, over 3,000 believers in Urakami were captured and subsequently transported to various parts of Western Japan (referred to as the “Urakami Yonbankuzure Crackdown”). This persecution persisted into the early Meiji period and escalated into diplomatic issues, leading to protests from resident foreigners.

A few years into the Meiji era, around 1873, as the ban on Christianity was lifted and faith began to be tolerated, the increasing number of believers led to the church becoming too small. This necessitated expansion and renovation of the building. During this period, the priests stationed in Nagasaki were Father Poirier, responsible for Urakami, and Father de Rotz, who was involved in publishing and printing.

Under the supervision of Fathers Poirier and de Rotz, craftsmen including Mizoguchi Ichizou, the master carpenter of Urakami, and Maruyama Sakichi, a carpenter from Amakusa, undertook the construction work. The expansion and renovation project, initiated in 1879, doubled the size of the church. Its exterior was revamped to feature a white appearance with brick construction and plaster finish. The height of the nave’s roof remained unchanged, but the slope was adjusted to accommodate the side altars, and a ribbed vault ceiling similar to the nave was installed.

From its original blend of classical, Gothic, and Japanese architectural styles, both the interior and exterior were unified in the Gothic style, and the appearance of the spires also underwent significant changes. Consecration of the reconstructed church was performed on May 22, 1879, by Bishop Petitjean, who was the bishop of Osaka at the time. In 1933, Oura Cathedral was designated as a national treasure by the Ministry of Education, marking the beginning of Western architectural influences in Japan. However, on August 9, 1945, the church suffered damage from the atomic bombing despite being about 4 kilometers away from the epicenter. The roof, main entrance, stained glass windows, and other features were severely impacted.

Eighty years after the construction of the cathedral, restoration work was required to address the damaged and aging sections. This extensive restoration effort spanned five years and concluded on June 30, 1952. Following the completion of these restoration efforts on March 31, 1953, the church was once again designated a national treasure in accordance with the Constitution of Japan.

The Legacy of Oura Cathedral.

Oura Cathedral, designated a national treasure, has played the role of the bishop’s seat in Nagasaki for nearly 100 years since its dedication. The Catholic Church in Nagasaki, led by Father Girard during the era of evangelism, and later by Father Petitjean as the Exarchatus Apostolicus for Japan and the Western Japan region (a territory not yet established as a diocese), was elevated to the status of the Nagasaki Diocese in 1891.

Further elevation came in 1959 when the Nagasaki Diocese became the Archdiocese of Nagasaki. In 1962, Archbishop Paul Aijiro Yamaguchi was appointed as the first Archbishop of Nagasaki, and the Episcopal seat was transferred to Urakami Cathedral, concluding the role of Oura Cathedral. Around this period, the number of tourists visiting Oura Cathedral increased, causing disruptions to the church’s liturgical activities and significantly impacting the lives of the faithful.

In 1975, acknowledging these circumstances, a new Oura Church was constructed on adjacent land, after 110 years since its establishment. The everyday church functions were transferred to the new Oura Church, and Oura Cathedral assumed the role of a historical facility.

In 2018, Oura Cathedral was registered as part of the World Heritage site “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” gaining renewed attention domestically and internationally. It continues to attract numerous tourists.

As one of Nagasaki’s major tourist destinations, it draws visitors from across Japan, including tourists, pilgrims, school trips, and international travelers. As the oldest existing Catholic church in Japan, it’s an essential historical building that was rebuilt after the persecution and atomic bomb damage.
Having stood through Japan’s tumultuous period of modernization, it’s undoubtedly a special place filled with countless stories.

During Pope John Paul II’s inaugural visit to Japan in 1981, he paid homage to Oura Cathedral, holding deep significance for the Catholic community in Nagasaki.

The existence of numerous unnamed martyrs, priests, and believers, alongside their diverse activities and ways of life, extends beyond being mere historical occurrences. Regardless of whether one is a Catholic believer or not, it’s a path that connects us to the present.

Oura Cathedral, as Japan’s oldest church and a World Heritage site, imparts diverse facets of Japan’s evolutionary history. Regardless of the purpose for desiring a visit, as long as each of us listens, Oura Cathedral will continue to tell its story.