About Citizens’ Association for Minamishimabara World Heritage
Greetings
We are Citizens’ Association for Minamishimabara World Heritage which was formed by volunteer citizens in Minamishimabara of Nagasaki prefecture. We engage in activities for community development surrounding a significant cultural heritage, the “Remains of Hara Castle” located in our city. It is one of the components of “Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki and Amakusa Region”, registered as World Heritage in 2018.
Hara Castle is the site of a major battlefield during Shimabara Rebellion (Shimabara – Amakusa rebellion), well known to Japanese people from history textbooks at elementary and junior high schools. The rebellion was the largest uprising of Japanese Christians and civilians during the Edo period. It is said that a total of 37,000 people, from both sides of the battle, died in Hara castle.
To console and remember those who died there, a Japanese sculptor Eiji Oyamatsu spent the past 40 years of his life carving a wooden statue of St. Mary, solely by himself. With a height reaching over 10 meters, it is the largest wooden statue of St. Mary in the world, making an impressive statement of meaning and artistry. One can even say it is a treasure of the world.
The statue of St. Mary is currently in the last phase of completion in the artist’s atelier in Fujisawa city. But this historical project is not yet finished until the statue is transported and stands completed in its new housing in Minamishimabara. Inspired by the pure devotion and dedication of the sculptor, and with a passionate desire to do something for the future of our home town, we are working hard every day to complete this magnificent project.
This project is a shared passion between us the citizens of Minamishimabara and the sculptor.
Representative Director
Yoshinori Ishikawa
History
June 30, 2018
‘Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki and Amakusa Region’ was registered as a World Heritage
March 13, 2020
‘Citizens’ Association for Minamishimabara World Heritage’ was established
May 15, 2021
General assembly of Citizens’ Association for Minamishimabara World Heritage was held
Organization
Representative Director:
Yoshinori Ishikawa
Director:
Hirofumi Matsuzaki
Yoshikuma Kusuda
Mitsunori Sato
Minoru Urata
Kazumi Kondo
Tetsutoshi Uchiyama
Hidemitsu Nagahashi
Takeo Harada
Yoichi Sakai
Manager:
Hiroshi Mizota
Kozo Kusuda