Tabira Church

Tabira Church is an active Catholic parish church dedicated to the 26 Martyrs of Japan who were executed in Nagasaki city. The church is situated on a hillside on the Kyūshū island side of Hirado, overlooking the Hirado Strait. This is one of the ruggedest of the Kyūshū churches, made of red brick and featuring a single octagonal domed bell tower. The brick exterior uses the English bond technique, combined with a decorative scheme that alternates standard red bricks with dark maroon bricks to create horizontal stripes and complex shading. The mortar between the bricks was made using lime produced by burning the seashells that were gathered by the early congregation. The remains of the pit used for burning the shells can still be seen in front of the building. While the brickwork is foreign, the roof tiling is unmistakeably Japanese. At the gable ends, instead of the ogre traditional on Japanese buildings the onigawara features a gold cross.

In contrast to the Brick Romanesque exterior, the interior of the church features the classic Gothic three-tier division, with a main arcade, a deep gallery, and an upper clerestory. Light mint-green columns, accented with gold, support a rib-vaulted ceiling. German-made stained glass windows behind the altar depict the 26 Martyrs, while twenty-six camellia flower motifs carved into the interior woodwork continue the tribute. The congregation specifically integrated this decorative scheme to honour their local saints.

A brick wall and stone steps enclose the church grounds, preserving the original layout from the early twentieth century. A Catholic cemetery occupies the slope facing the sea, an arrangement uncommon within Japanese church precincts. The graves overlook the water, reflecting the maritime routes that brought the original settlers to this specific hillside.

Descendants of Hidden Christians migrated here from Sotome and Kuroshima in Nagasaki. In 1886, they started to clear and cultivate the land around Tabira. Instead of hiring a foreign architect, they commissioned Tetsukawa Yōsuke, a prolific regional builder, to design the church, which the community consecrated in 1918. Tetsukawa wasn’t Catholic, yet he became known as the father of church architecture across Kyūshū. The congregation assisted the construction process, carrying bricks, timber, and shells up the steep slope from the port below.

Ultimately, Tabira Church was Yōsuke’s finest brick building, and its unique architectural style, combined with its location, leaves a lasting impression.

Information

Name in Japanese: 田平天主堂
Pronunciation: ta-bi-ra ten-shu-doh
Address: 19 Tabira-chō Kotedamen, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-4824