A Single-Spired Gothic Church Rebuilt in 1929
Tsuwano Catholic Church (津和野カトリック教会) is a timber church of 1929 at Ushiroda in Tsuwano, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture, entered on the national register of tangible cultural properties on 20 December 1996. The quantity is one building: timber, one storey, sheet-metal roof, floor area 131 square metres. It belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Hiroshima.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs opens with how the church came to be. It was founded by Father Villion at Tsuwano, known as the place of martyrdom of the Christians of Urakami in Nagasaki, and the present building is a rebuilding of 1929. It is a single-storey timber church in single-spired Gothic style, with stained glass of simple design, and is much loved.
Single-spired means one bell tower at the centre of the front. Where a stone cathedral might carry twin towers, a small timber church usually takes one. White walls and a single spire stand among the earthen walls and tiled roofs of the samurai houses along Tonomachi-dori.
A Nave Floored with Tatami
The church's best-known feature is its floor. Beneath pointed arches and tall windows, the congregation sits on tatami rather than in pews.
This is understood as a decision made at the rebuilding to suit the lives of the parishioners of Tsuwano. The Western style was not imported whole; the interior was adjusted to the habits of the people who would use it. Together with the adjoining priest's house facing a Japanese garden, this corner of the town shows Western building fitted to Japanese living.
The stained glass the Agency describes as simple in design is set in the side walls and the front. Geometric patterns in a restrained palette predominate, and the light falling through them colors the edges of the matting.
Why Tsuwano: The Fourth Urakami Incident
The Agency's phrase, known as the place of martyrdom, needs its background.
In 1865 hidden Christians from Nagasaki declared their faith at Oura Cathedral. The persecution that followed, known as the fourth Urakami incident, saw the Meiji government exile some 3,400 Urakami Christians to domains across western Japan. Tsuwano received 153 of them in two groups, in 1868 and 1870, and confined them in the main hall of Korinji temple at Otome Pass.
Torture was used to force recantation, and 37 died, from an infant of one to a man of 71. In 1873 the notice boards banning Christianity came down and the survivors returned to Nagasaki.
In 1891 the French missionary Aimé Villion came to Tsuwano with a former Urakami Christian, identified the site of Korinji and gathered the remains of the dead. The first church he founded in the 1890s is the reason a church stands on this ground.
Founded by Villion, Rebuilt by Schäfer
The first church was lost to fire. The present building was rebuilt in 1929 by the German priest Schäfer, which is the rebuilding the Agency's record refers to.
Founder and rebuilder were different men. A Frenchman built to commemorate the martyrs; a German rebuilt in Gothic style. The tatami floor belongs to that rebuilding, chosen for the parishioners of Tsuwano.
The adjoining priest's house dates from 1917 and was registered separately in 2010. It is twelve years older than the church and stood before the first church burned. That the two buildings date from different periods and carry separate registrations shows the parish being built up in stages.
Visiting
Admission is free, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or to 5:30 p.m. between April and October. This is a place of worship, so keep quiet and avoid the hours of Mass. Ask the church on 0856-72-0251 about photography.
The Otome Pass exhibition room on the grounds displays material and documents relating to the martyrdom. Seeing it after the church gives weight to the Agency's phrase about a place of martyrdom.
Every 3 May the Otome Pass festival forms a procession from the church to the Maria chapel at the pass. It commemorates the martyrs, which is the purpose for which the church was built.
From Tsuwano Station on the JR Yamaguchi Line it is 10 to 15 minutes on foot. The church faces Tonomachi-dori, so its place among the samurai houses and water channels of the street can be judged directly.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Tsuwano Catholic Church
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Q&A
- When was Tsuwano Catholic Church built and registered?
- The present church was rebuilt in 1929 and registered on 20 December 1996. It is a single-storey timber building with a sheet-metal roof and a floor area of 131 square metres, listed as one building. The first church, founded by Father Villion in the 1890s, was lost to fire.
- What are the architectural features of Tsuwano Catholic Church?
- A single-storey timber church in single-spired Gothic style, with one bell tower at the centre of the front. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its stained glass of simple design. The nave floor is tatami, and the congregation sits on matting rather than in pews.
- Why is the nave floored with tatami?
- It is understood as a decision made at the 1929 rebuilding to suit the lives of the parishioners. The Western style was not imported whole; the interior was adjusted to the habits of the people who would use it, as the adjoining priest's house facing a Japanese garden also shows.
- Why is there a Catholic church in Tsuwano?
- In the fourth Urakami incident, 153 Christians from Nagasaki were exiled to Tsuwano in 1868 and 1870 and 37 died at Otome Pass. In 1891 Father Villion gathered their remains, and in the 1890s he founded the first church to commemorate them. The Agency calls Tsuwano a place of martyrdom.
- Can Tsuwano Catholic Church be visited?
- Admission is free, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or to 5:30 p.m. from April to October. Keep quiet and avoid the hours of Mass. The Otome Pass exhibition room on the grounds shows material on the martyrdom. It is 10 to 15 minutes on foot from JR Tsuwano Station.
Basic Information
| Name | Tsuwano Catholic Church (津和野カトリック教会) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ro 66-7 Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | 1996 (20 December), registered |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, sheet-metal roof, floor area 131 sq m. Single-spired Gothic style, tatami-floored interior. Built 1929 |
| Owner | Catholic Diocese of Hiroshima |
| Public Access | Free. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (extended in some seasons). Avoid the hours of Mass. Ask the church about photography |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tsuwano Catholic Church
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/176306
- Tsuwano Town: cultural properties
- https://www.town.tsuwano.lg.jp/www/contents/1682570698880/simple/dai2syouno2.pdf
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Heritage portal
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/stories/story013/spot/
- Shimane Tourism Navi: Tsuwano Catholic Church
- https://www.kankou-shimane.com/destination/21435
Last verified: 2026.09.05