One of the great centres of Christian activity in the 16th and 17th centuries in Japan was the area around Yatsushiro.
Columban missionary, Fr Harry O’Carroll explains the history to the Christian Martyrs’ Park in Yatsushiro which commemorates the beatification of the 11 Yatsushiro martyrs. They were among 187 Japanese martyrs declared blessed in a ceremony in Nagasaki on 24th November 2008.
As part of the Columbans’ centenary celebrations, the region of Japan funded the development of Martyrs’ Park in Yatsushiro. Columbans have been working in Japan for almost 70 years.