• It was here in Kagoshima that Christianity was first introduced to Japan in the Far East during the Age of Exploration in 16th century. This tour will explore how the missionary activities of Francis Xavier were accepted in this land of Shintoism and Buddhism, by visiting the centers of the three religions and comparing them.

Kagoshima was the first place where Christianity was introduced in Japan in the mid-16th century. This church was built in 1908 as the first full-scale stone cathedral church in Japan but was destroyed by fire in 1945, during WWII. It has been rebuilt twice since then. Here visitors can learn why Xavier came to Kagoshima and the history of the hardships of Christianity in Japan after its introduction to Japan and its current situation.