Travel / Tourism Spots in Hirado Area

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Hirado

Category

Travel / Tourism

Hirado Castle

4.0

176 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Iwanouechou 1458

This was the residential castle of the Matsura clan, the feudal lords of the Hirado Domain. The fortification technology at the time incorporated the unusual Yamagaryu (Yamaga school) style. Construction originally began in 1599 as “Hi-no-Takejo” but as it neared completion in 1613, it fell under suspicion from Tokugawa Ieyasu due to the deep friendship the clan had with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, so the clan head Shigenobu burned down the castle himself. The clan lived in the palace that was on the site for about 90 years, and reconstruction of Hirado Castle began in 1704 and was completed in 1718. The view of the Port of Hirado looking down from the castle keep is outstanding, and visitors can obtain a view that includes the virgin forest of Kuroko Island (a Natural Monument) and the Hirado Ohashi Bridge.

This is a smallish castle but with plenty of history. Its a short climb from central Hirado and easily accessible. The main keep has all the displays. Given Hirados history with foreign traders I...
Tabira Catholic Church

4.5

128 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Tabirachoukotedamen 19

This church is located in Kotedamen, Tabira-cho, Hirado City. A church built by believers who moved from Kuroshima and overseas after 1886 and whose temporary building was a private house, the permanent building was completed in 1918 from the donation of accumulated money from worshippers. The last brick church designed by Yosuke Tetsukawa, who helped design many churches in Nagasaki, it has been designated a nationally important cultural property. You must contact them in advance for tours.

事前予約が必要との事で、ネットで予約して行ったのですが、コロナ禍だったからか、誰のチェックも無く、ただただ勝手に外から見学して来ました。コロナ前は内部も見る事が出来たようですが、中は見られず残念でした。でも、予約は何だったのか？未だに分かりません。
Reconstruction of the 1639 warehouse of the Dutch Trading Post in Hirado

3.5

96 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Okubochou 2477

This trading post built in Hirado flourished as port of trade with the Netherlands for 33 years from 1609 to 1641 until the move to Nagasaki’s Dejima Island. The stone warehouse built in 1639 to store trade cargo is Japan’s first western-style building, and the exterior resembles the style of buildings in the Netherlands. To the Japanese this exterior was a strange sight and since the Western calendar was inscribed on the gables the Edo shogunate had it destroyed. The Hirado Dutch Trading Post that opened in 2011 is a faithful reconstruction of this building. Visitors can also peruse materials that concern trade in those days.

Whilst this building which was rebuilt over the old 1600s foundations of the Dutch Trading Post has limited space it was very worthwhile visiting to get an idea of how the Dutch lived and traded...
Matsuura Historical Museum

4.0

62 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Kagamigawachou 12

This is a museum that conveys the history of the Lord Hirado Matsuura family who once dominated the northern area of Nagasaki Prefecture. In addition to weapons and letters from the Matsuura family, a large number of art objects such as paintings and maki-e artworks are displayed. The museum building uses the private residence of the Matsuura family built in 1893, and the stone steps and stone walls at the entrance date to the early Edo period. Experience trying on armor or a bridal kimono free of charge. It is ten minutes by car from Hiradoguchi Station.

The history of the Matsuura clan whose house this once was is on full display here along with the very attractive historical building the exhibits are displayed in and the tea house which...
Roadside Station Ikitsuki Ohashi Tourist Shop

3.0

11 Reviews

Transportation

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Ikitsukichouminamimen 4375-1

This roadside station nearby Ikitsuki Ohashi Bridge is located in Minamimen, Ikitsuki-cho, Hirado City. It has shop selling specialty goods such as processed marine products and a park with a plaza and walking path. In addition, it is adjacent to the Hirado City Ikitsuki-cho Municipal Museum Shima no Yakata, where there are exhibits related to the history and culture of Ikitsuki Island.

道の駅は生月大橋を渡ったすぐそばにあります。他の道の駅と違ってこじんまりしておりお土産品が売っているだけで食事ができる感じではありません。しかしこの道の駅からの生月大橋の眺めは素晴らしく橋の撮影するスポットにはとてもいい場所でした。
Ikitsuki Daigyoran Kannon

3.0

14 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Hirado-shi Ikitsukicho Yamadamen 570-1

The statue of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) in Ikutsuki Town, Hirado City, was erected in 1980 on a hill overlooking the fishing port as a memorial to the victims of maritime accidents and to pray for safety of navigation and world peace. 18 m high, the statue is open to the public, and a one-tenth scale Ikutsuki Giant Fish Basket Kannon is enshrined inside its base.

生月大橋を渡って山田教会へ走っていると館浦漁港付近で巨大な観音像が現れました。高台にたつ観音像は、ブロンズ像としては日本屈指の大きさを誇り高さ18mです。そして額に光る真珠は直径2.5cmあります。山田教会から海側に行く道から観音像と生月大橋が一望できました。
Hirado Kirishitan Museum

3.5

12 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Oishiwakichou 1502-1

This is a Christian Museum in Neshiko, Hirado City. The museum exhibits historic artefacts related to Francisco Xavier and others who visited Hirado in 1550 to spread Christianity, martyrdom in the early Edo period, and the hidden Christians. The hidden Christian’s image of Mary, who was the object of religious beliefs, and fumi-e (tablets bearing Christian images, on which Edo-period authorities forced suspected Christians to stand on) are also exhibited. It is ten minutes by car from the “Himosashi” bus stop.

平戸島の中でも海がキレイなことで有名な根獅子の浜の近くにある隠れキリシタンの資料館です。入場料は200円でJAF割引がありました。とても小さな資料館で他のキリシタン資料館の展示物と同じような感じですが、納戸神さまといわれる仏壇横に置かれた棚納戸に人目を隠れて隠れキリシタンのご神体が秘蔵され祭られていたものが展示されていたのは初めて見ました。館内は撮影禁止でした。
Obae Lighthouse

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Ikitsukichoumisaki 26-22

This lighthouse situated at the northernmost tip of Ikitsuki Island is located in Misaki, Ikitsuki-cho, Hirado City. You can enjoy magnificent views looking out on the horizon from the white lighthouse with a lookout. In addition, it is known as a spot where you can watch the sun set into the horizon at dusk.
Ikitsuki Island

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Iketsu-cho

This island is located to the northwest of Hirado Island. It is connected to Hirado Island by the Ikitsuki Ohashi Bridge, and has a population of approximately 6,000 people. Besides many Christians living there and being known as a land of martyrdom where severe repression was carried out during the period Christianity was banned, it prospered as the largest whaling base in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). At the Hirado City Ikitsuki-cho Municipal Museum Shima no Yakata, there are exhibits related to the history of the island including those on hidden Christians and whaling.
Hirado Ohashi Bridge

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Tahira

This vermillion-colored suspension bridge that connected Hirado Island and Tabira-cho is an approximately 30-minute drive from the Saza Interchange on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway. A 665-meter long truss suspension bridge, the distance between the main towers is 465.4 meters, and it is 10.7 meters wide. It is suspended 30 meters above the sea surface. Although there was initially a toll, it can now be used for free. There is a park at the foot of the bridge, an open space with a panoramic view from Ohashi to the town area of Hirado, a seaside open space (on the Hirado side) overlooking the Japan Sea, a tennis court and exercise open space, and a children's play space (on the Tabira side) where rope climbing is popular.
Kawachi Toge Pass

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Onochou

This is a gently sloping prairie over 6.4 times the size of Tokyo Dome occupying approximately 30 hectares. From the summit one has a view of the Ninety-Nine Islands, the Genkai Sea as well as Iki Island and Tsushima Island further away. In spring Hirado azaleas bloom profusely, in summer the grasses are a radiant green, and in autumn Japanese pampas grass covers the land as far as the eye can see. In the winter the fields are set ablaze to prevent serious fires and promote the cultivation of young grass, and many tourists come to see this spectacular sight.
St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Kagamigawachou 269

After the prohibition n Christianity was lifted, Christians came to live in Hirado. This church was built in 1931. In 1971, a statue of Saint Francis Xavier was erected in honor of the church’s 40th anniversary. Thereafter, the church came to be known as St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church. Now called Hirado Xavier Memorial Church, the emerald walls of the building create a beautiful sight.
A view of a Christian Church and Japanese Temples

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Kagamigawachou 269

This area where one can see the fusion of West and East at the intersection of Hirado’s St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church with Komyo-ji Temple, Zuiun-ji Temple, and Shoso-ji Temple is very representative of Hirado City. The combination of the church’s spires and cross with the tiled roofs of the temples illustrates how Hirado is an important spot that almost symbolizes the connection between Japan and the West over its long history. This is an ideal spot to take photographs.
Shiodawara no dangai Cliffs

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Ikitsukichouichibu 1560

These cliffs are on the northwest side of Ikitsuki Island, one of the many that dot the seas of Nagasaki Prefecture. The cliffs are approximately 15 minutes by car from Ikitsuki Ohashi Bridge. The sheer cliffs that stretch along the coast are formed from a columnar joint, characterized by rows of five to seven-sided broken pillars of basalt. Lots of the bases of these pillars are lined up like stumps where the waves break below. These magnificent cliffs reach as high as 20 meters and spread north-south over a 500-meter area. They've been chosen as one of the New Top 100 Nagasaki Prefecture Tourist Spots.
Himosashi Church

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Himosashichou 1039

This church is located in Himosashi-cho, Hirado City. A Catholic cathedral second in size only to the Urakami Cathedral in Motoo-machi, Nagasaki City, it was designed by Yosuke Tetsukawa and completed in 1929. Beautiful stained glass fills the Romanesque-style building.
Sacred Places in Hirado and Kasuga Village

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Kasugachou 166 (Information Center)

"It is a part of the ""Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,"" a UNESCO World Heritage, which consists of Kasuga Village in Kasuga-cho, Hirado City, Mt. Yasuman in Shushi-cho and Nakaeno Island in Shimonakano-cho. Many hidden Christians lived in Kasuga Village when the religion was prohibited, and Mt. Yasuman, the highest peak on Hirado Island, and Nakaeno Island, where Christians were executed, are revered at sacred places. Although the faith had continued to be passed on even after the prohibition of the religion ended, events have ceased in recent years due to depopulation."
Hoki Church

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Houkichou 1170

This church located in Hoki-cho, Hirado City was built in 1898. Built by carpenters for temple and shrine construction on Ukujima Island who had been baptized, it has various architectural features such as a structure combining wooden tile roofing with brick. It is a prefecturally-designated tangible cultural property for its valuable construction that shows the history of faith in the area and the history of church architecture that moved from wood to brick.
Nakaenoshima Island

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Shimonakanochou

This uninhabited island off the coast of Hirado Island is located in Shimonakano-cho, Hirado City. It is included in ''Sacred Places in Hirado and Village,'' which forms part of the ''Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,'' a UNESCO World Heritage. It became a holy place for the martyrdom of the Christians executed there in the early days of the prohibition on Christianity. The hidden Christians revered the island and called it by various names including ''St. John,'' and water-drawing ceremonies were held using the island's water as holy water.
Ikitsuki Ohashi Bridge

Travel / Tourism

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Iketsu-cho

This 960-meter bridge runs along Prefectural Route 42 that links Hirado Island and Ikitsuki Island to its northwest. Opened in 1991, it can now be used for free. There is a park at the foot of the bridge on the Ikitsuki Island side, and besides Roadside Station Ikitsuki Ohashi, there is also the adjacent Hirado City Ikitsuki-cho Municipal Museum Shima no Yakata.
Hirado City Ikitsuki-cho Municipal Museum Shima no Yakata

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagasaki Pref. Hiradoshi Ikitsukichouminamimen 4289-1

"This museum is located in Minamimen, Ikitsuki-cho, Hirado City. It has exhibits related to the history and culture of Ikitsuki Island, such as those related to the faith of the many hidden Christians living on the island, the island's whaling that boasted the largest scale in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868), and life on the island. ""Fisherman's Arena"" introduces the fishing industry in the seas near Hirado through a model of fixed shore nets and stuffed specimens of 250 types of fish from the nearby waters."

Nagasaki Hirado

Travel / Tourism

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Nagasaki Areas

This hidden corner of the country is rural Japan at its best, where underground activity is to thank for active volcanoes and bubbling natural hot springs along the Shimabara Peninsula as well as the crystal clear waters of the Goto Islands off the west coast. Less well known than Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, Nagasaki commemorates its own past at the Nagasaki Peace Park, which sits alongside the charming Meganebashi stone bridge and a mix of religious buildings with beautiful architecture, such as the Zen Buddhist Sofukuji Temple, the Confucian Shrine, and the Oura Christian Church.