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Hidden Christians and electric cars on the Goto Islands.
I was promised that my trip to Fukue the largest of the western islands of Kyushu Goto would be an uneventful My bunk, a single berth with a matte screen for privacy, was comfortable, and the gentle sway of the ferry crossing Genkai sea, combined with a starting midnight, sent me to sleep quickly.
But an alarm 4:00 cried Awake as we approached Uku, the northernmost islands Goto bleary eyes, I watched the first passengers depart, expensive fishing bags and chattering excited that distinguish weekenders of locals The best management of season is to be had in Uku, a fisherman called to another still on the ferry This bravado was dismissed with a wave and a growl, and the man on board slid inside to sleep I followed suit and the ferry is gone again.
The alarm has announced three more stops before reappeared a little after 7 m sun was still rising, and around me was clear for the first time since leaving the lights Fukuoka.
Long gone was the city and even the coast of Kyushu, along which we did most of our trip, was lost beyond the horizon The nearest city, Nagasaki, was 100 kilometers east the surrounding sea was broken by the odd group of uninhabited islands.
Upon arriving at Fukue after such a journey feels significant; the slow passage through the port was more ceremony than the ping of the seat belt sign and the rush for luggage accompanying the arrival by air The city of Goto has steadily grown as we approached and Onidake volcano Fukue naked, stood in the background.
The town is built around the ruins of Castle Ishida, who once hit the sea on three sides, but Marooned by extensive rehabilitation of land The castle was the last to be built in Japan and, having completed in 1863, was nine years before it was seized by the new Meiji government demolished a school and now takes the place of the main keep, safe housing students from a double ditch and two meters high walls.
The castle gardens remain largely unchanged, however, and are maintained by a team of guards, including Sachiko Saitsu Taking a break from spring pruning, Saitsu guided me through the villa gardens, which is elegantly on the edge a small lake and has recently undergone a renovation of five in the guest room, with a golden light diffusing through the translucent paper closed doors Shoji Saitsu told the story of Christian history Goto .
It was not until Luis De Almeida arrived in 1566 that Goto was introduced to Catholicism, he preached the gospel to the feudal lord of Goto, Sumisada Uku, who had his son and heir baptized as Don Luis Sumitaka Uku But this time success didn t last.
As we walked along the outside of the house, walking along the walkway engawa former servants quarters, it developed following the rise of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Christians fell out of favor and were persecuted through the islands in 1597, 26 believers, including St Jean de Goto, were crucified on the hill Nishizaka Nagasaki.
This sustained campaign against Christians resulted in the birth of the Christian movement hidden, recently dramatized in the movie Silence of Martin Scorsese Many Christians fled to the Goto Islands in the hope that the distance from the mainland would reduce the chances of discovery, join the ranks of believers secret among locals it was not until 1873, after the Meiji restoration, that freedom of religion was reintroduced.
In the decades following freedom, churches were built across the archipelago by the communities of hidden Christians in Fukue, the first church in western style building was Dozaki, completed in its current form in 1908 and Red-bricked only 20 meters from the sea, it is dedicated to the 26 martyrs of Nagasaki became a permanent museum to the secret Christians and the Catholic missionaries who brought Christianity Goto.
Located to the west of Fukue is Mizunoura Church which although empty when I arrived, an active congregation has the right of the church is a cemetery, pouring slowly down the hill towards the sea that I stayed there a solitary nun wandered through the headstones, thoroughly clean them and pay his respects She completed this ritual almost every day since he joined the convent of Mizunoura five years ago as one of 28 sisters I asked him how many sisters live there today.
This story is repeated across the island in various forms of Fukue, the population decreased by 60 000 in the 1980s to just under 40,000 in 2016, while the average age is 58 What's left is a population still declining to stores shuttered along the city shopping Goto galleries are a testimony to the fact that there simply is not the demand, once upon a time, and you can not help but notice the lack of young faces however, it does seem to be some resistance to this decline, and there are plans to bring new life to Goto.
Since 2010, the islands were the playground of one of the largest electric vehicle fleets of Japan, by subsidized charging stations related to wind turbines Cars can be rented from any local car rental store and even if a full charge can take a little over an hour, I do not recommend best means of transport to explore the archipelago.
To encourage more visitors to the islands, an offer was launched in 2015 to classify two churches associated with hidden Christians as World Heritage sites by UNESCO visit both nominated churches, and Kyugorin EGAMI is revealed a challenge because both are located at the extreme of the smaller islands, where ferry services are scarce and taxis are the only reliable form of transportation.
Of the two, Kyugorin is easier to reach from Fukue, located on the island Hisaka and 25 minutes from the nearest port, however, the most impressive is Egami, located in the northwest of the island and beautifully built Naru with white wooden slats and details in blue while the islands are waiting for the UNESCO verdict, most of the other more accessible churches have already been designated tangible cultural property by the central government in recognition of their role in history Islands.
If the donation churches t take your fancy, there is much more to appeal to visitors Basically, I meet two fishermen were varieties weekend because the chances of a good catch, or those pursuing an escape from the city life not so much hidden as hidden Christians salarymen reveling in the deals of Goto islands.
On the western shore of Fukue is one of the greatest strengths Takahama beach is half a kilometer of golden sand gently sloping island in the turquoise waters the place swells with people for three weeks in the summer, but up 'that marks the sea Day the start of the swimming season in Japan in July, it is anything but a private beach.
The western point of the island is covered by Osezaki Lighthouse, a solitary tower dressed in white at the end of the cliffs traitors Osezaki The water churns below where two currents meet off the coast of Fukue, courted by boat bold who know him as the first fishing spot.
An abundance of marine life gives the islands their excellent reputation for sashimi Kibinago round herring strip money, is a local specialty Those who are more interested in seeing live fish can enjoy diving or snorkeling with one of schools the seas diving Fukue Goto islands are impeccable, and he was with envy as I watched a boat loaded with fins, tanks and divers from around the uninhabited islands Rojojima and coral reefs under the waves.
Certainly, there are reasons why few people make the Goto islands They are not inaccessible, but they are not easy to reach They do not hold the prestige of Okinawa and Yakushima and never quite made the But tourist track after a weekend ferry, sun and sea so clear that it hurt me it was too cold to swim, the Goto islands were a break from the everyday and a great fun weekend as my tank Fukue left, I could not help but keep my eyes on the islands as they slipped back below the horizon again, and soon.
At Sea The main island, Fukue, is accessible by ferry from Fukuoka Hakata Port eight hours; a day or Nagasaki three hours; three-day Fukuoka Fukue road stops at each of the major islands on his journey by air direct flights to the airport leave Fukue Nagasaki or Fukuoka Airport.
Hidden Christians and electric cars on the Goto Islands The Japan Times, hidden Christians electric cars.