Nishizaka Martyrs' Shrine and Saint Philip Church
Nishizaka is not a symbolic substitute for the martyr hill; it is the hill itself. The museum interprets the first centuries of Japanese Christianity, the monument names the company, and Saint Philip Church gives the visit a living Catholic horizon.
- Location
- Nagasaki, Japan 32.7547° N · 129.8717° E
- Type
- Martyr shrine
- Dedication
- The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan
The hill where twenty-six Christians would not deny Christ
The documented place of sacrifice matters, but so does the Church that survived it. Paul Miki's preaching from the cross and Magdalene of Nagasaki's later witness belong to the same persecuted Catholic memory.
A public execution became a Catholic place of memory
In the winter of 1596–1597, twenty-six prisoners were forced west to Nagasaki and crucified at Nishizaka. They included Japanese Jesuits and lay Catholics, Franciscan missionaries, and children. The modern shrine complex was developed for the 1962 centenary of their canonization. It presents the martyrs as a company and places their deaths within the longer history of Japan's hidden and persecuted Christians.
The bronze monument faces the execution ground; the museum sits beside it, and Saint Philip Church is recognizable by its two mosaic-covered spires.
The museum is historical, but the hill remains a place of Christian prayer. Move quietly between interpretation, names, and the church.
What to notice.
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The names and figures of all twenty-six martyrs
Read the company together before following one individual story.
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The museum's account of the persecuted Japanese Church
Use the collection to distinguish successive persecutions and martyr groups.
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Saint Philip Church
Enter for prayer when the church is open and worship is not being disturbed.
How to visit well.
Begin at the monument, continue through the museum, and end at Saint Philip Church when it is open. Confirm current opening and liturgical times with the shrine before travel.
Verify museum and church access before climbing Nishizaka.
Hours, admission, and liturgical access can change.
How this place gathers the saints.
Plan your visit.
The site is presented as a collective martyr shrine. Individual relic claims are left to the current custodian.
August 8, 2026
Photo credits
- Hero. BigCheddah / Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.