Oura Cathedral

NAGASAKI CULTURE

The Oura Cathedral is the oldest wooden church of Gothic architecture in Japan.
French missionary Furet designed the church, while French Bishop Petitjean served as its first Catholic priest. Construction was supervised by Koyama Hidenoshin. The church was completed at the end of 1864 and officially opened in February the following year. In March 1865, the hidden Christians of Urakami visited and proclaimed their belief. After 250 years of harsh persecution.
The church was designated as a national treasure in 1933, but was partly damaged in the atomic bombing of World War II. In 1953, it was once again designated as a national treasure for being the oldest existing church in Japan. The church has been inscribed on the list of the UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage in 2018.