Hisaka Island is a 20-something square mile slab of rocky scrubland floating in the East China Sea. With a population in the low three digits and only the most basic tourist development, its treasures—stunning views of the sea, remote highlands and legacy as a bolthole for the clandestine kakure Christians—means that visitors feel more like explorers than stragglers on a well-trod tourist trail.
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The most popular route to get to Hisaka is the ferry between Fukue Island's Fukue Port and Hisaka Island's Tanoura Port, although there are other options, including a ferry from Fukue’s Okuura Port, and the Seagull which features windows in the bottom of the boat (not much to see, though, until the boat pauses at Hisaka). The ferries out to Tanoura Port will cost under 1000 yen and take about twenty minutes. Watch that you’re getting on the right ferry, buy tickets once the ship leaves port, and make sure to note when the next ferry is leaving from Tanoura back to Fukue.
The tourist information center is a good first stop when you arrive on the islands, and a good way to get a feel for how you are going to strike the destinations on your list. Like the rest of the larger Goto Islands, there is a fleet of rental electric vehicles, part of a Nagasaki Prefecture pilot program started in 2010. There is a tourist taxi option, but the electric rental cars are great option, if you want to see more of the island than you could on foot and don’t want to rely on a driver.
Tourist Information Center
Inside tourist information center
Conditions are somewhat rustic on Hisaka, so make sure that you’re prepared! Come prepared with meals for your daytrip, and something to drink because the Japan Agricultural Cooperative (JA) is basically the only place on the island to buy food, apart from the vending machines at the port. The only restaurant on the island is the Harumi Shokudo, located in the new tourist information center; Harumi Shokudo requires three days’ advance booking, but it’s a unique experience to have island residents preparing traditional meals from the products of the island and its fishery.
The Origami Viewing Platform is a fine place to get an overview of the island and a view out onto the East China Sea. Looking east, there is no shred of land separating the Goto Islands from the coast of China. On most days, the viewing platform is deserted, making it the perfect place to relax in ocean breezes and enjoy the view.
Get a birds eye view of the island from the Origami Viewing Platform
- 折紙展望台
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- 長崎県五島市蕨町
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- 0959-72-6111
View AllThe Old Gorin Church, a short drive along the coast from the ferry port, is a reminder of the legacy of the Goto Islands as a refuge for Christians fleeing persecution. When Christianity was made illegal and the faithful faced execution or torture, the rocky islands of the Goto archipelago became sanctuary. Years later, when the kakure Christians resurfaced the missionaries returned to find Japanese congregations that had hidden and transformed their beliefs. They set about helping the kakure reconstruct their spiritual infrastructure, resulting in churches like the ones on Hisaka, melding Japanese esthetics with Western architecture.
- Former Gorin Church
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- Nagasaki Pref. Gotoushi Warabichou 993-11
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- [Hours available for viewing…
View AllHamawaki Church stands at the spot that the Old Gorin Church once stood, functioning as the main church for the dwindling number of believers on Hisaka. Persecution, exile and a tough life on Hisaka did not break the spirits of the kakure but modern life and the lure of life in Nagasaki and beyond has sapped the Goto Islands of most of their demographic vitality. The peace and serenity of the islands is attractive, but places like Hamawaki Church, now mostly sitting idle, can make Hisaka feel haunted.