Urakami Cathedral
Urakami Cathedral
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
405 reviews
Excellent
105
Very good
200
Average
90
Poor
8
Terrible
2
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しみちゃん家
Nishinomiya, Japan1,486 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
I participated in an early morning trial mass starting at 6am. Apparently only believers can attend masses at other times. It lasted about an hour, and you had to stand up several times. It had a solemn atmosphere. After it finished, I was shown the real A-bombed Virgin Mary, not a replica. I felt like I was being sucked into her jet black eyes.
I was moved by the church, which overcame hardships such as being banished as hidden Christians and being destroyed by the atomic bomb, and was rebuilt, and now has so many believers.
I was moved by the church, which overcame hardships such as being banished as hidden Christians and being destroyed by the atomic bomb, and was rebuilt, and now has so many believers.
Written February 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cjbh
Salt Lake City, UT159 contributions
Nov 2019
Only 500 yards from ground zero, this church was almost obliterated by the bomb in 1945. Only a corner was left standing, which was moved to the Ground Zero Park. Rebuilt now, it's something of a pilgrimage site.
Before WWII, it was the center of the (formerly) Hidden Christians who managed to keep their faith alive for 250 years in hiding, despite persecution and the most gruesome executions by the government. They came out of hiding when religious freedom was declared in the late 1800's.
Drive around the far end of the Peace Park, and up the hill to the red brick church.
Notice the heads blown off statues of saints, found in the rubble, and placed all in a row.
Before WWII, it was the center of the (formerly) Hidden Christians who managed to keep their faith alive for 250 years in hiding, despite persecution and the most gruesome executions by the government. They came out of hiding when religious freedom was declared in the late 1800's.
Drive around the far end of the Peace Park, and up the hill to the red brick church.
Notice the heads blown off statues of saints, found in the rubble, and placed all in a row.
Written December 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shannon Lefebvre
Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan136 contributions
Apr 2019
Urakami Cathedral is a Catholic Church that was completed in 1914. The main reason for its construction was because there were a large number of Christians who lived in the Urakami region of Nagasaki and many of them secretly continued to keep their faith even after Hideyoshi Toyotomi (the ruler of Japan in the 16th century) prohibited Christianity.
After the long-standing ban on Christianity was lifted, the Nagasaki Christians started constructing the Urakami Cathedral Nagasaki, which took them 20 years to complete.
However, when the atomic bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, the Urakami Cathedral was close to the center of the explosion and was completely destroyed except for a part of its wall. After the war, the followers of the church took great pains to rebuild it and in 1959, a beautiful brick cathedral was finally completed.
Today, it stands as one of the symbols of Nagasaki that has been rebuilt and rediscovered itself from the past. Bigger, stronger, newer but at the same time able to remember the good times and the bad.
A great place to visit for practising Christians and non religious people alike. I am sure all people from all walks of life will be intrigued with the Urakami Cathedral. Today it still shines like a beacon and is a major attraction for tourists from all over Japan and the world to see and feel what Nagasaki was like all those years ago and its influence it had on many people all over Japan.
The Urakami area of Nagasaki is a landmark of sorts and there is many many places of interest that one could easily spend 2 to 3 hours in the area walking around and seeing the sights. Well worth a visit and a gander.
After the long-standing ban on Christianity was lifted, the Nagasaki Christians started constructing the Urakami Cathedral Nagasaki, which took them 20 years to complete.
However, when the atomic bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, the Urakami Cathedral was close to the center of the explosion and was completely destroyed except for a part of its wall. After the war, the followers of the church took great pains to rebuild it and in 1959, a beautiful brick cathedral was finally completed.
Today, it stands as one of the symbols of Nagasaki that has been rebuilt and rediscovered itself from the past. Bigger, stronger, newer but at the same time able to remember the good times and the bad.
A great place to visit for practising Christians and non religious people alike. I am sure all people from all walks of life will be intrigued with the Urakami Cathedral. Today it still shines like a beacon and is a major attraction for tourists from all over Japan and the world to see and feel what Nagasaki was like all those years ago and its influence it had on many people all over Japan.
The Urakami area of Nagasaki is a landmark of sorts and there is many many places of interest that one could easily spend 2 to 3 hours in the area walking around and seeing the sights. Well worth a visit and a gander.
Written September 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicholas N
Singapore, Singapore18 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
Urakami cathedral was the oldest Western styled building in Japan. The church is beautiful. The is a museum behind the church which gives you some history of the birth of Christianism in Japan. The gift store also has some nice little gifts unique to this church.
Written April 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ayon13
Melbourne, Australia89 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
The community has got together to rebuilt this cathedral after the atomic bomb. There are sculpture that are ruins of the bomb. Very peaceful cathedral to visit.
Written February 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
furikake
Honolulu, HI95 contributions
May 2014 • Family
We decided to do the walk to the cathedral upon the recommendation of a local photographer & worker? in the peace park who was nice enough to take some great group pictures of our family in front of the statue memorial. He asked if we were Christian and since we said yes he recommended to take a look. It was quite a long walk especially since my mom is over 80 yrs old. Once you get there the stairs are a daunting task. It tired us a bit since the walk back to trams took a while too. Just be aware that it is a Catholic Church and may not be for the weak in the leg. If you will be unwilling to climb the stairs then it would be more worthwhile to take a picture from afar with zoom lens. In order to get good picture you have to go all the way up as posted by other reviewers.
Written June 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oldjack
Greater Melbourne, Australia29,084 contributions
Oct 2019
The original cathedral, once the largest in Asia was built in 1895 on a site where there was active resistance to Christianity clearly in defiance of the Japanese authorities. It was located some 500 meters from the epicenter of the atomic blast and was destroyed killing a number in the church.Today there are a number of stone saints, somewhat broken and charred standing in front of a stone wall , all that remains of the original other than the bell tower that sits upside down on the side of the creek below the new church built in the sixties.The Museum has a replica of the south wall as an exhibition.Like much of the atomic bomb site this could have been presented better.
Written October 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon C
Melbourne, Australia256 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
You will need to be able to climb quite a few steps to reach this cathedral. It is only small inside but is quite sweet.
Written May 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
naomi h
South Riding, VA80 contributions
Apr 2019 • Friends
It was rebuilt after the WWII.
Inside of the church there is a burnt Maria’s face from the war. It looks very sad.
Inside of the church there is a burnt Maria’s face from the war. It looks very sad.
Written April 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
japanguide
Tokyo, Japan506 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
This church looks beautiful and new.
Once we looked around the church, we found old religious adust statues without heads and an old big destroyed belfry remains as rotting debris under a cliff beside the church along a stream. The site is very close to the ground zero. It's said that well-attended mass service was held on that day for the approaching Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
The site of the church was once the premises of the village chief of Urakami where the persecution against hidden Japanese Christians was taken place over 2 centuries.
Knowing the history has made me see it in a different way.
Once we looked around the church, we found old religious adust statues without heads and an old big destroyed belfry remains as rotting debris under a cliff beside the church along a stream. The site is very close to the ground zero. It's said that well-attended mass service was held on that day for the approaching Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
The site of the church was once the premises of the village chief of Urakami where the persecution against hidden Japanese Christians was taken place over 2 centuries.
Knowing the history has made me see it in a different way.
Written June 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
しんたろう（札幌市）さんの口コミに「入場料金が値上がりした。有名な建物ですが、観覧料金が１０００円に値上がりしたと聞きました。ガイドさんの話では中に入っても見るべきもにはあまりなく外観を見れば充分とのことなので中には入りませんでした。」とありますが、長崎市の公式観光案内「あっと！ながさき」には「入場無料」とあります。どちらが正しい？
Written June 13, 2018
教会に入ってすぐの場所に大きな献金箱はありましたが「入場料」という設定ではありませんでした。トリップアドバイザーの仕様でリンクが貼れないのですが、Googleマップで浦上天主堂の内部を見る事ができますが、そこにも献金箱が写っています。
「1000円に値上がりした」と言われているのは、実際に今年の春から拝観料が600円から1000円に値上げになった大浦天主堂と間違えておられるのではと思います。
（大浦天主堂HPより）
「博物館の開館に伴い、2018年4月1日から「大浦天主堂拝観料」を大人のみ現行の600円から1000円に改定いたします」
国宝に指定され、観光地として賑わう大浦天主堂とは違って、浦上天主堂はカトリック信徒が集う普通の教会として運営されているので内部も普通のカトリック教会によくある景観です。壁面のキリスト受難の絵も五島列島にある小さな教会の壁にも見られるものと大差はありません。
Written June 13, 2018
is there english masses here? iam gaijin and want to understand the gospel reading, really.
Written October 3, 2015
Urakami has no English mass. The only Catholic Church I know which has English mass in Nagasaki is one near the 26 Martyr Monuments.
Written February 6, 2017
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