Hirado Sacred Sites and Villages (Nakaenoshima Island)

Nakaenoshima Island is a small, uninhabited rocky outcrop that holds immense spiritual weight. Visible from the coasts of both Hirado and Ikitsuki, this island is a key component of the UNESCO World Heritage site, “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region”. Its significance stems from its dual role as a place of ultimate sacrifice and a source of spiritual renewal during the centuries of religious prohibition.

During the early 1600s, the Hirado Domain used this isolated island as an execution ground for Christians who refused to apostatize. Rather than deterring the faithful, the site became sanctified in the eyes of the survivors. For generations, Hidden Christians from the nearby Ikitsuki and Hirado communities secretly rowed to the island for the “Omizutori” (Water Drawing) ritual. They believed that the water trickling from the island’s rock crevices was made holy by the blood of the martyrs, using it for baptisms and other secret ceremonies.