St. Mary Kannon Hall of Hara Castle
| A modern sanctuary in Minamishimabara housing a monumental 10-meter wooden statue, created over 40 years to console the 37,000 souls lost in the Shimabara Rebellion. |
| St. Mary Kannon Hall is a site of deep spiritual resonance, located on a hillside overlooking the World Heritage Hara Castle Ruins. The hall was built specifically to house the “St. Mary Kannon of Hara Castle”, a colossal wooden statue standing 10 meters tall. Carved from giant camphor trees using the traditional Azekura-zukuri (interlocking log) technique, it is recognized as one of the largest single-artist wood carvings in the world. The statue is the life’s work of sculptor Eiji Oyamatsu, who spent 40 years carving it single-handedly. After visiting the Hara Castle ruins in the 1970s, Oyamatsu was moved by the lack of a major memorial for the 37,000 peasants and Christians who perished there in 1638. Following a 1981 visit by Pope John Paul II, he dedicated himself to creating this “St. Mary Kannon”. The statue was finally transported from his studio in Kanagawa and installed in this dedicated hall in 2023. |
