Inoura Church

Inoura Catholic Church is one of the most hidden spiritual sites in the Goto Islands, purposefully situated deep inside a narrow inlet that remains completely invisible to those passing on the open sea. The village of Inoura has a long history of salt production, once housing a “salt pot” that was central to the local economy until the industry was abandoned during the Meiji Restoration. In the mid-Meiji period, Catholic families began to settle in this sheltered location, seeking both livelihood and peace.

For decades, the devoted parishioners of Inoura demonstrated remarkable endurance by making regular pilgrimages to Oso Church using rowboats. It wasn’t until 1947 that the community finally saw the completion of its own cathedral. In 1975, the church was integrated into the Matenoura Parish. Today, it remains a quiet place of prayer, protected by the surrounding geography just as the faith was once protected by the isolation of the islands.