Hiyamizu Church

Hiyamizu Church holds a singular place in the history of the Goto Islands as the inaugural project of Yosuke Tetsukawa after he ascended to the rank of master carpenter. Born in the nearby village of Maruo, Tetsukawa would go on to design and build dozens of churches across Nagasaki, but this 1907 wooden structure was where his unique style first took shape.

The congregation’s history is one of movement and renewal. During the “Goto Kuzure” (the final wave of Christian persecution in the late 19th century), the original believers of the Hiyamizu area fled to escape arrest. Many never returned. The current community is largely composed of families who migrated from Hirado and other parts of the southern Goto Islands after the ban on Christianity was fully lifted. They pooled their resources to commission a young Tetsukawa to build a sanctuary that would anchor their new home.

The church is characterized by its simple yet elegant wooden construction, reflecting the transitional period when Japanese carpenters were still adapting Western ecclesiastical designs to traditional timber frames. The interior features a refined rib-vaulted ceiling, a hallmark that Tetsukawa would later perfect in his more famous brick and stone works.