Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (Japanese: 長崎と天草地方の潜伏キリシタン関連遺産) is a group of twelve places in Nagasaki Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture that are connected to the history of Christianity in Japan. These sites are special because each one shows how Christianity returned to Japan after being officially banned for a long time.

In 2007, these sites were submitted together for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List under criteria ii, iii, iv, v, and vi. At that time, the group was called "Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki" on the Tentative List. On January 30, 2018, the sites were officially recognized as a World Heritage Site.

The first list included 26 sites, but after review, Nagasaki Prefecture reduced the number to 13. Finally, 12 sites were chosen. Scholars have written many studies about these Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region.

Christianity in Japan

Christianity came to Japan in 1549 when a Jesuit missionary named Francis Xavier arrived. From Nagasaki, the new religion spread and gained many followers, including some powerful leaders called daimyōs. Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu punished people who practiced Christianity. After the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637–1638, the government officially banned Christian practices and started a long policy of keeping Japan isolated from the outside world for more than two hundred years.

In the 1850s, Japan opened its doors to Western countries again, and after the Meiji Restoration, missionaries returned to Japan. Some people who had secretly practiced Christianity for many years were discovered again. The Ōura Cathedral, built in 1864, was the first church constructed during this time.

On June 30, 2018, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe thanked UNESCO for adding the Hidden Christian Sites to the World Heritage List. He said these sites show how a unique form of Christianity developed in Japan and that they are a special part of the world’s cultural heritage.