Imochiura Church and Lourdes

The church is renowned for its Lourdes Grotto, recognized as the oldest in Japan. The spring water flowing from the grotto is traditionally believed to have healing properties.

The spring water of the Lourdes Grotto at Imochiura Church is believed to possess healing properties, and the site continues to draw believers from across the country on quiet pilgrimage.

In 1891, Father Pellew, then pastoral director of the Goto Islands, learned that the Vatican had reconstructed the Lourdes Grotto and subsequently invited parishioners throughout the islands to gather distinctive stones from their surroundings. In 1899, these offerings were assembled to create Japan’s first Lourdes Grotto.

A brick church was erected here in 1897 as a testament to renewed religious freedom. After its destruction by a typhoon, the present concrete structure was completed in 1988, ensuring the site’s continuity as a place of worship and contemplation.