Sights on Naru Island

Near the center of the Goto Islands lies Naru Island. From Naru Port, the road follows the coast before turning into a green valley, where white timber walls and pale-blue window frames begin to appear between the trees.

This is Egami Church.

It is not a vast, imposing church or a sightseeing attraction filled with lavish ornament. Instead, it is small, serene, and almost delicate—as though it had been gently set down in the forest.

Behind its modest appearance, however, lies the story of people who endured a long period of religious prohibition and continued to hope for the day when they could pray openly.

Reaching Egami Church means crossing the sea to Naru Island and traveling deep into a quiet valley. The journey takes a little effort, but that sense of distance makes the first glimpse of its white-and-blue exterior all the more memorable.

A Small Church Between Forest and Sea

Egami Church stands in Egami Village on the western side of Naru Island.

The Naru Strait stretches out in front of the village, while large tabunoki, or Japanese bay trees, surround the church. The Egami River flows nearby, carrying spring water from the hillside behind the building.

The church occupies a narrow strip of land in a valley close to the sea. Its white weatherboard walls, pale-blue window frames and shutters, and rows of semicircular-arched windows blend gently into the surrounding greenery.

At first glance, the scene seems almost like an illustration from a storybook.

Yet this peaceful landscape is more than a beautiful setting.

Hidden Christians migrated to this remote valley, cultivated its limited flat land, built homes on the slopes, and maintained their religious community away from the island’s established villages.

The sea, river, forest, settlement, and church are all part of the story preserved here.

A Church Built from the Silver Catch of Kibinago

The ancestors of Egami’s Catholic community were Hidden Christians who migrated to Naru Island from the Sotome area during the period when Christianity was prohibited in Japan.

In 1881, four families in Egami were baptized and began their new life as a Catholic community.

There was no church in the village at the time. Believers gathered for Mass in private homes or traveled by boat to churches in other settlements.

A simple church was built on the present site in 1906, but the community longed for a more permanent and dignified place of worship.

Construction of the present Egami Church began in 1917. The believers commissioned Yosuke Tetsukawa, a master builder responsible for many of Nagasaki’s historic churches, to design and construct it.

Egami was a small community of only around 40 to 50 households, and its residents were far from wealthy.

Even so, they pooled the money earned through kibinago fishing and other work. They cleared tabunoki trees and prepared the site with their own hands.

In March 1918, their long-awaited church was completed.

Egami Church was not funded by a powerful patron or a wealthy institution.

It was built by islanders who went to sea, worked for their living, saved what they could, and joined together to create a place where their community could pray.

When you look at its white timber walls, it is easy to imagine the hopes of those families resting in every board.

Architecture Shaped by Naru Island’s Climate

The charming appearance of Egami Church was not created for beauty alone.

The building stands close to the sea, a river, and a natural spring, making the surrounding environment particularly humid. To protect the church from moisture, its floor was raised high above the ground.

Rather than relying solely on a Western-style brick foundation, the builders used traditional Japanese timber floor supports, creating space beneath the building for air to circulate.

Cross-shaped ventilation openings were also incorporated beneath the eaves. They appear decorative, but they serve the practical purpose of releasing trapped moisture.

The large tabunoki trees surrounding the church help soften the winds blowing in from the sea.

Egami Church is therefore not simply a Western church transplanted onto a Japanese island. It combines Catholic architectural ideas with local carpentry techniques and practical responses to Naru Island’s climate and landscape.

Although it is a relatively small, single-story wooden church, its roof is divided into different levels over the central nave and side aisles. Even from outside, the building hints at the three-part interior space within.

Egami Church was designated a Nationally Important Cultural Property in 2008. It is regarded as one of the finest surviving wooden churches in Japan and an important representative work by Yosuke Tetsukawa.

Inside, a Warm Sanctuary Made of Wood

Step through the door, and the interior feels more formal and spacious than the modest exterior suggests.

A central nave is flanked by two side aisles, while a graceful rib-vaulted ceiling extends overhead. Its curved form is sometimes nicknamed the “bat-wing ceiling” because it resembles the wings of a bat in flight.

Wooden ribs lead the eye toward the altar, giving the small sanctuary rhythm, depth, and a quiet sense of dignity.

The columns are decorated with flowing faux wood-grain patterns, traditionally said to have been drawn by hand using a comb.

Delicate floral designs, including cherry blossoms, appear on the window glass. The altar incorporates motifs such as wheat, grapes, and roses.

These details were not created with extravagant imported materials. They were shaped through the skill and ingenuity of island craftspeople and believers who wanted their church to be beautiful.

That modest craftsmanship gives Egami Church its particular warmth.

It is not simply a historic building. It is a place where the devotion, imagination, and care of the community remain visible in every detail.

Photography and video recording are prohibited inside the church.

Set your camera aside and take time to follow the curves of the ceiling, study the hand-painted columns, and notice the flowers on the windows with your own eyes. You may not leave with a photograph of the interior, but its stillness is likely to remain in your memory.

Why the World Heritage Site Includes More Than the Church

Egami Church lies within the UNESCO World Heritage property “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” inscribed in 2018.

The church building alone, however, is not the full component.

Its official name is “Egami Village on Naru Island (Egami Church and its Surroundings).”

During the period when Christianity was prohibited, Hidden Christians migrated to this secluded coastal valley. They cultivated the small amount of flat land available, built houses along the slopes, and adapted their lives and religious community to the local terrain.

After the ban on Christianity was lifted in 1873, the believers of Egami rejoined the Catholic Church.

Their previously hidden faith gradually became visible. A simple church was built in 1906, followed by the present Egami Church in 1918.

The building therefore represents more than the establishment of a Catholic place of worship. It visibly marks the end of the community’s long period of hiding.

The sea, narrow valley, rice fields, waterways, houses, forest, and church all contribute to the site’s World Heritage value.

When visiting, do not look only at the church itself.

Notice the spring water flowing from behind the building, the damp ground beneath your feet, the trees that shelter the village from the wind, and the small amount of land available for settlement.

The surrounding landscape tells the story of how people lived, adapted, and preserved their faith.

A Church Worth Crossing the Sea to See

Egami Church has no monumental tower or lavish sculptural decoration.

What it offers instead is a white timber exterior, pale-blue windows, a warm wooden ceiling, hand-painted details, and the memory of people who protected their faith while living alongside the sea.

There were the fishermen who turned their earnings into a church.

There were the craftspeople who adapted the building to the island’s humidity and winds.

And there were generations of believers who continued to care for it as a place of prayer.

The appeal of Egami Church lies not in grandeur, but in the presence of those largely unnamed people whose devotion can still be felt throughout the building.

Cross the sea to Naru Island, travel into its green valley, and wait for the moment when the church appears between the trees.

Because it takes some effort to reach, the encounter feels all the more special.

Before You Visit

Egami Church remains an active Catholic church where Mass and other religious services are held. It is not simply a tourist facility, but a sacred place of worship for the local community.

Advance notice is required for both individual and group visits to the interior.

Online requests are generally accepted from six months until two days before the planned visit. For later requests, contact the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region Information Centre directly.

Visitor reception hours are from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The church is closed to visitors on Mondays. When Monday is a national holiday, it is generally closed the following day instead.

On the third Sunday of every month, religious services are held and visitors may not enter either the church or its grounds. Additional closures may occur for Mass, funerals, weddings, maintenance, or other church activities.

Always check the latest official information before traveling.

Visitor parking is available at the site of the former Egami Elementary School next to the church. Cars and bicycles may not enter the church grounds.

Photography and video recording are prohibited inside the church. Do not enter restricted areas near the altar or touch objects within the sanctuary.

Ferries to Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions. It is best to plan your ferry, rental car or taxi, and church visit together.

Before or after visiting Egami Church, consider stopping at the Naru Island World Heritage Guidance Center.

Its displays introduce the history of Egami Village and the Hidden Christians, as well as the architecture of the church. A full-size reproduction of part of the church’s column and decorative structure helps visitors recognize details that may otherwise be easy to overlook.

Once you understand the story, even the raised floor, waterways, white walls, and surrounding trees become part of the experience.

About 15 minutes by car from Naru Port, a winding mountain road leads toward the center of Naru Island.

Leave your vehicle in the parking area and continue up the staircase. After a short climb through the trees, the view suddenly opens.

Blue water fills the spaces between green hills. Deeply indented coastlines curve around small bays and villages. Beyond Naru Island, the silhouettes of neighboring islands overlap one behind another.

This is Shirotake Observation Deck.

From the hilltop, the island no longer appears as a collection of separate beaches, ports, and settlements.

The roads you have traveled, the coves you have passed, and the mountains that seemed to block the horizon become part of one connected landscape.

Shirotake is also more than a scenic viewpoint.

Its name preserves the memory of a medieval castle once associated with the local Naru family, while archaeological finds from the summit reveal connections to the wider maritime world of the 15th and 16th centuries.

Today, visitors come for the panorama, the free high-powered telescope, the sea breeze, and the chance to see sunrise, sunset, or a star-filled island sky.

A Short Climb with a Wide-Open Reward

Shirotake Observation Deck stands near the summit of a wooded hill in central Naru Island.

The official island guide describes the walk from the parking area as approximately three minutes along a path and staircase.

The distance is short, but the route continues steadily upward. Because trees hide much of the view during the climb, the panorama does not reveal itself gradually.

Instead, it arrives all at once.

Step onto the observation area, and the enclosed green path gives way to sea, sky, and islands.

The sense of openness is immediate.

Below, mountain slopes descend toward sheltered inlets. Small settlements occupy the limited flat land beside the water, while breakwaters and harbors extend into the bays.

Farther away, the sea becomes a broad blue corridor linking Naru Island with the rest of the Goto archipelago.

The parking area itself offers attractive views, but the short climb to the observation deck reveals a much broader landscape.

See Naru Island as One Connected Landscape

At road level, Naru Island unfolds one place at a time.

A harbor appears around one bend. A mountain blocks the view beyond the next. The road enters a valley, follows the sea, and then disappears into another wooded slope.

From Shirotake, those separate places begin to fit together.

You can see how the island’s coastline twists around bays and headlands.

You can see why villages developed close to sheltered water and why roads must curve around steep hills.

The close relationship between mountain, sea, and settlement becomes especially clear.

Naru Island has little broad, level land. Homes, ports, fields, and roads occupy narrow spaces between the slopes and the coast.

From above, the landscape does not look as though nature and human life have been arranged separately.

They appear woven together.

The sea is not only scenery. It is a route between islands, a working place, and the foreground to everyday life.

The hills are not only a green backdrop. They shape where people can build, travel, and live.

Shirotake Observation Deck allows visitors to understand these relationships at a glance.

Islands in Every Direction

On a clear day, the view can extend toward Hisaka Island, Fukue Island, and parts of the upper Goto Islands.

The surrounding islands appear in layers.

The nearest hills are strongly defined and covered in deep green vegetation. More distant islands become blue-gray, gradually fading into the haze near the horizon.

Weather changes the scene considerably.

After rain, the forests may look especially vivid, while the bays below take on a bright turquoise color.

On a dry, clear day, distant ridgelines and island silhouettes become easier to distinguish.

When humidity is high, the farthest landforms seem to dissolve into the sky.

You do not need to identify every island to enjoy the experience.

Simply move your gaze slowly around the horizon.

One direction may reveal a sheltered harbor and curved coastline. Another opens toward a broad expanse of sea. Elsewhere, small islands appear to float between Naru and the distant horizon.

The panorama shows why the Goto Islands are best understood not as isolated points of land, but as an archipelago connected by water.

Look Closer Through the Free Telescope

A high-powered telescope is installed at the observation deck and can be used free of charge.

Through it, distant islands that appear as simple green shapes begin to reveal details.

You may be able to distinguish sections of coastline, harbor structures, hillside roads, buildings, or vessels moving between the islands.

Following a boat is one of the most enjoyable ways to use the telescope.

A small vessel may emerge from behind a headland, cross a stretch of open water, and disappear toward another island.

Its white wake remains visible long after the boat itself has moved on.

This small scene captures an essential part of life in the Goto Islands.

The sea may separate one shore from another, but it also carries people, supplies, memories, and daily connections between them.

The telescope is an outdoor facility, and availability may depend on maintenance and weather conditions.

The Name “Shirotake” Remembers a Castle

The Japanese name Shirotake combines the characters for “castle” and “mountain peak.”

According to official local tourism information, the hill received its name because the Naru family, a medieval local ruling clan, established a castle on the summit.

No intact tower, gate, or grand stone wall survives today.

Shirotake was a mountain stronghold rather than the type of formal castle complex many travelers associate with later Japanese history.

Its value lay in the commanding position.

From the hilltop, people could observe the coastline, nearby settlements, boats moving between islands, and activity across a broad area of sea.

Standing at the modern observation deck makes the strategic importance of the site immediately understandable.

What is now a beautiful panorama would once have provided vital information.

A vessel could be noticed before reaching the harbor. Movement along the surrounding water could be monitored. The summit offered both visibility and natural protection.

The same view that attracts travelers today once served a very practical purpose.

Imported Ceramics Found on the Summit

An archaeological investigation was conducted at the Shirotake Castle site in connection with the development of mobile-communication facilities.

The investigation recovered imported ceramics dating mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries, including white porcelain and blue-and-white decorated plates.

These objects provide a glimpse into a period when goods circulated through maritime networks linking the Goto Islands with other parts of Japan and East Asia.

The finds do not reveal every detail of how the Naru family lived or traded.

They do show, however, that objects moving through wider commercial and cultural networks reached this island hilltop.

The quiet view from Shirotake can therefore be imagined as part of a much busier maritime world.

Ships moved through the waters below.

People carried goods, information, and customs between ports.

Imported ceramics eventually reached the summit occupied by the local ruling family.

The archaeological report also notes that later park development and the construction of modern facilities appear to have leveled or disturbed much of the surviving castle structure.

For this reason, visitors should not expect clearly reconstructed defensive walls or marked castle compounds.

The historical value lies in the site, the commanding terrain, and the evidence recovered from it.

Do not move stones, leave the maintained area, or disturb the ground in an attempt to locate castle remains.

Sunrise, Sunset, and an Island Sky Filled with Stars

Shirotake Observation Deck is officially introduced as a place to enjoy sunrise, sunset, and the night sky.

Each time of day gives the landscape a different character.

In the morning, the islands may begin as dark silhouettes before the first light spreads across the sea.

As the sun rises, the water gradually changes from gray-blue to silver and then to brighter shades of blue and turquoise.

During the day, the shapes of the coastline and surrounding islands are easiest to observe.

Late-afternoon light softens the mountains and creates reflections across the bays below.

Toward sunset, the water may turn gold while the islands become dark layers against an orange or violet sky.

After nightfall, the limited artificial light around the hilltop can make stars easier to see than in a large city.

Night visits, however, require preparation.

The staircase, parking area, and mountain road may be difficult to navigate in darkness. Bring a reliable flashlight, confirm the route during daylight, and avoid visiting alone in poor weather.

For sunset, begin your descent while enough natural light remains to see the steps safely.

For sunrise or stargazing, check the forecast carefully and do not continue when fog, rain, or strong wind reduces visibility.

A Scenic Stop for Families

Athletic play equipment is located in the area around Shirotake.

This makes the site suitable for families who want to combine a viewpoint visit with a chance for children to move and play outdoors.

The journey also offers a small sense of adventure without requiring a full mountain hike.

Visitors travel up the hill by vehicle, leave the parking area, and complete the final approach on foot.

At the top, adults can enjoy the panorama and telescope while children explore the outdoor space.

As with any open-air equipment, conditions should be checked before use.

Rain, fallen leaves, moisture, and age can make surfaces slippery. Children should remain supervised near the stairs, slopes, play equipment, and edges of the observation area.

Visit at the Beginning of Your Naru Island Journey

Shirotake Observation Deck makes an excellent first stop after arriving on Naru Island.

From the summit, you can begin to understand the island before driving deeper into it.

The bays below hint at the coastal roads you will follow.

The surrounding mountains explain why destinations that appear close on a map may require winding routes.

The distant islands show that Naru forms part of a much larger maritime landscape.

After seeing the panorama, places such as Miyanohama Beach, Shutogashima Senjojiki, the Yuming Song Monument, and the Naru Island World Heritage Guidance Center no longer feel like unrelated points on an itinerary.

They occupy different parts of one visible island.

The viewpoint becomes a natural introduction to the geography of the day ahead.

Or Save It for the End

Shirotake is equally rewarding as the final stop before returning to Naru Port.

After traveling around the island, the view becomes more personal.

A bay is no longer simply a curve of blue water. It may be the beach where you rested beneath a gazebo.

A ridge may hide the road you followed toward another settlement.

A distant coastline may recall the place where you watched waves cross an ancient rock platform.

Looking down from the summit allows you to retrace the journey without driving it again.

The island appears smaller than it did from the road, but also more connected.

Visiting at the end turns the observation deck into a place of reflection.

It offers one last moment to understand where you have been before the boat carries you away.

A Place to Do Nothing but Look

There is no elaborate café, large museum, or busy souvenir shop at Shirotake Observation Deck.

The essential attractions are the view, the telescope, the wind, and the changing light.

That simplicity is one of its strengths.

You can follow the coastline with your eyes.

You can watch cloud shadows move across the sea.

You can search for a distant boat.

You can count the layers of islands fading toward the horizon.

Or you can simply stand quietly and feel the wind coming up from the water.

A quick photograph may take only a few minutes.

Staying longer allows the landscape to change.

The brightness of a bay shifts as clouds pass overhead. A boat appears and disappears. Distant islands become clearer or softer as the air changes.

Shirotake does not demand a complicated activity.

It rewards attention.

Before You Visit

Shirotake Observation Deck is an outdoor scenic site.

The official attraction page does not publish fixed opening hours or regular closing days. Visiting during safe daylight hours is recommended.

Parking is available near the summit.

From the parking area, the observation deck is reached by climbing a staircase and walking for approximately three minutes.

The route is short but contains continuous steps. Wear comfortable shoes with non-slip soles.

After rain, wet leaves, soil, stone, and wooden surfaces may become slippery.

The mountain road includes curves and narrow sections. Drive slowly, watch for oncoming vehicles, and follow local signs rather than relying exclusively on navigation software.

The observation area is exposed to sea wind. Secure hats, paper, phones, cameras, and other loose belongings.

Do not visit during thunderstorms, typhoons, strong wind, heavy rain, dense fog, or other conditions that make the road, staircase, or observation area unsafe.

The official attraction listing does not identify a shop or visitor toilet at the summit. Prepare drinks and use facilities around Naru Port before traveling uphill.

Ferry services to Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions.

Rental cars and taxis are available on Naru Island, but vehicle numbers are limited. Reserve local transportation when arranging your ferry whenever possible.

There are many viewpoints across the Goto Islands where visitors can admire beautiful blue water.

Far fewer, however, allow you to watch the sea itself moving.

About 15 minutes by car from Naru Port, Odagora Observatory overlooks the Naru Strait between Naru Island and neighboring Hisaka Island.

A roadside sign marks the entrance. From there, a maintained staircase climbs through the greenery toward a small wooden observation deck.

When you reach the top, the trees fall away and the view opens across an expanse of blue sea and overlapping green islands.

Hisaka Island rises directly across the strait. On clear days, the panorama can extend toward Fukue Island and parts of the upper Goto Islands.

Look more carefully at the water below, and you will notice that the surface is not still.

Bands of current stretch across the strait. Fishing boats cut through the moving water, leaving white wakes behind them. The patterns on the sea change gradually with the tide.

Odagora Observatory is not simply a place to look at the Goto Islands.

It is a place to watch the sea breathe, move, and connect one island to another.

A Short Climb with a Dramatic Reward

The entrance to Odagora Observatory lies beside a coastal road on the western side of Naru Island.

There is no large visitor center or elaborate gateway. A sign, an information panel, and a staircase leading into the hillside mark the beginning of the path.

The route is short, but the steps continue upward through dense vegetation.

While climbing, the surrounding trees conceal most of the view. This makes the moment of arrival especially rewarding.

At the top, a compact wooden deck projects toward the sea.

The water of the Naru Strait spreads out below, framed by forested headlands, small islands, coves, and the mountains of Hisaka Island.

The deck is not large, but its elevated position provides a remarkably open perspective.

After the climb, pause before reaching for your camera.

Feel the sea breeze, listen for boats crossing the strait, and allow your eyes to adjust to the scale of the landscape.

Watch the Naru Strait Move

The defining feature of Odagora Observatory is the Naru Strait.

This channel separates Naru Island from the eastern side of Hisaka Island. As the tide rises and falls, the direction and speed of the current change.

From the observation deck, these movements appear as patterns across the water.

You may see long bands with a different texture from the surrounding sea, narrow lines where currents meet, or small waves that seem to travel independently of the wind.

A boat moving against the flow may appear to advance slowly, while another traveling with the current passes more easily through the strait.

Goto City identifies Odagora Observatory as a geopark viewing site where visitors can observe the speed of the tidal current.

The experience changes according to the time of day and the stage of the tide.

On one visit, the sea may appear smooth and almost motionless. On another, the current may be clearly visible as it streams between the islands.

The landscape is never completely the same twice.

Hisaka Island and the Layered Islands Beyond

The large island directly across the water is Hisaka Island.

Its mountainous coastline rises steeply from the Naru Strait, with small settlements occupying the limited flat land between the slopes and the sea.

On a clear day, the view extends beyond Hisaka Island toward Fukue Island and parts of the upper Goto Islands.

The islands appear in layers.

The nearest hills are dark green and sharply defined. More distant mountains turn blue-gray, gradually fading into the light near the horizon.

The resulting depth is one of the most characteristic views of the Goto archipelago.

Rather than one uninterrupted landmass, the landscape consists of islands, channels, coves, and headlands arranged across the sea.

The view also changes with the weather.

After rain, the vegetation may appear especially vivid. On dry, clear days, distant island silhouettes become easier to distinguish. In humid weather, the farthest hills dissolve into soft blue haze.

You do not need to identify every island to enjoy the panorama.

Simply following the coastline with your eyes reveals how deeply the sea enters the land—and how the islands continue beyond what can be seen from road level.

The Sea Was Not a Border, but a Road

Today, there is no regular passenger route directly linking Naru Island’s northwestern communities with the eastern settlements of Hisaka Island.

In the past, however, the Naru Strait was an important everyday route.

Until around the late 1970s, a scheduled vessel connected Okushi on Naru Island, Warabi on Hisaka Island, and Naru Port.

A record from 1973 describes one daily round trip on the Okushi–Warabi–Naru route. The crossing between Okushi and Warabi took approximately 20 minutes.

The route existed because traveling by sea was often more practical than traveling over land.

Before the island’s modern road network was developed, moving between settlements could require walking across unpaved mountain paths and over steep passes.

Those paths were suitable for individuals traveling on foot, but they were less practical for moving large groups or heavy supplies.

Boats could carry people, food, equipment, and other goods more efficiently.

Islanders also learned to read the tide. They understood when the current would flow north or south and planned crossings according to its direction and speed.

The Naru Strait was therefore more than the water separating two islands.

It was a route that connected families, communities, work, trade, and religious life.

From Odagora Observatory, Hisaka Island appears remarkably close.

Knowing that people once crossed this water as part of daily life changes the view. The sea no longer seems like empty space between the islands. It becomes a road written in moving water.

A View Site in the Goto Islands Geopark

Odagora Observatory is one of the designated viewing sites within the Goto Islands Geopark.

A geopark is not only a place to see unusual rocks or exposed strata.

It encourages visitors to understand how the earth shaped the landscape—and how that landscape influenced ecosystems, settlement, transportation, work, and culture.

From this viewpoint, the relationship is easy to see.

Mountainous islands rise directly from the water.

The coastline curves into small bays and narrow inlets.

Flat land is limited, so settlements developed close to the shore or within sheltered valleys.

The sea fills the spaces between the mountains, creating natural channels that were used for travel.

Looking down from the deck makes the shape of the islands easier to understand than it is from a road or map.

The terrain, waterways, settlements, and routes between islands appear together as a single landscape.

Odagora Observatory is therefore more than a beautiful place to take photographs.

It is a vantage point from which the geography of the Goto Islands begins to make sense.

Blue Water by Day, Golden Water at Sunset

Odagora Observatory is also known as one of Naru Island’s sunset viewpoints.

Depending on the season and the position of the sun, visitors may see it descend toward the open sea rather than disappear behind a nearby island.

The colors begin changing well before sunset.

The blue surface turns silver, then gold. The mountains of Hisaka Island darken into silhouettes, while the sky shifts through pale yellow, orange, pink, and violet.

Boat wakes briefly catch the evening light, forming bright lines across the darker water.

The moments after sunset can be just as beautiful as the sunset itself.

Once the sun has disappeared, color often remains along the horizon while the islands become increasingly still and shadowed.

Arrive approximately 30 minutes before sunset to watch the full transition.

Do not remain on the deck until the path is completely dark.

The staircase and roadside entrance have limited lighting, and the surrounding coastal roads can be difficult to navigate after nightfall. Begin descending while there is still enough natural light to see the steps clearly.

Visit Together with Egami Church

Odagora Observatory is located along the route between Naru Port and Egami Church, making the two sites easy to combine.

At Egami Church, visitors encounter the history of a Hidden Christian community that migrated to a secluded coastal valley and eventually built its own wooden church.

At Odagora Observatory, the wider geography surrounding that history becomes visible.

Across the strait lies Hisaka Island, where Hidden Christian communities also established settlements and later built churches.

Between the islands flows the water that residents crossed for transportation, trade, family relationships, and religious contact.

Visiting the viewpoint before Egami Church provides a geographical introduction to the area.

Visiting afterward allows you to look across the Naru Strait with a greater understanding of the communities that once faced one another from opposite shores.

The two sites offer different experiences—one intimate and architectural, the other broad and panoramic—but together they reveal how closely faith, settlement, and the sea are connected in the Goto Islands.

Add a Geological Stop at the Shukuwa Freshwater Shell Fossils

Travelers interested in the geopark can also combine the observatory with the Shukuwa Freshwater Shell Fossils.

At Shukuwa, rounded fossil patterns remain embedded in rock beside the road.

The shellfish lived in freshwater when the land that became the Goto Islands formed in an ancient river or lake environment.

Today, the fossils are found on an island surrounded by seawater.

The contrast offers a striking reminder of how completely the region has changed over geological time.

At Odagora Observatory, you see the present-day relationship between islands and sea.

At Shukuwa, you encounter evidence of the landscape before those islands existed in their current form.

Together, the two locations turn a scenic drive into a journey through very different scales of time.

A Small Viewpoint That Encourages You to Stay

Odagora Observatory has no café, shop, or large sightseeing complex.

Its main features are the staircase, the wooden observation deck, an information panel, and the view.

That simplicity suits the location.

There is nothing to hurry visitors or compete with the landscape.

You can follow a boat across the strait, watch the current shift, count the layers of islands, or wait for the light to change.

A brief stop is possible, but spending 20 to 30 minutes allows the sea to reveal more of its movement.

Some of the most memorable places on an island journey are not the largest or most famous.

Odagora Observatory is the kind of quiet detour that can remain in your memory long after the better-known attractions have begun to blur together.

Before You Visit

Odagora Observatory is an outdoor scenic viewpoint with no admission fee or fixed visiting hours.

The observation deck is reached by climbing a maintained staircase from the roadside entrance.

The path is short, but it includes continuous steps. Wear comfortable shoes with non-slip soles.

After rain, wet leaves, soil, and wooden surfaces may become slippery.

Official model-course information indicates that visitors can park near the entrance, but this is not a large sightseeing car park. Follow local signs, use only the available parking or turnout area, and do not obstruct the road or access to nearby properties.

The official attraction page does not list toilets, shops, or food and drink facilities at the viewpoint.

Use facilities around Naru Port before departure and carry drinking water, particularly in warm weather.

The deck is exposed to sea wind. Secure hats, paper, cameras, phones, and other loose belongings.

Do not visit during strong winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, typhoons, dense fog, or other conditions that make the stairs or deck unsafe.

When visiting for sunset, begin your return before the route becomes completely dark.

Ferries to Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions. Rental cars and taxis are limited, so arrange transportation in advance and allow enough time to return to Naru Port.

About 10 minutes by car from Naru Port, the road enters the green hills of the Funamawari area. Between the mountains, a vivid blue sea suddenly comes into view.

This is Miyanohama Beach, one of Naru Island’s best-known places to swim and relax beside the water.

Instead of a broad strip of white sand, the shore is covered with small, rounded pebbles polished smooth by the waves.

Clear turquoise water, forested hills, a stone-paved waterfront, and red-roofed wooden gazebos create a quiet landscape that feels distinctly different from a large mainland resort.

In summer, island residents and visitors come here to swim, enjoy marine activities, and spend time beneath the shaded pavilions.

Outside the swimming season, the atmosphere becomes even calmer.

Sit beside the water, listen to the pebbles moving with the waves, and watch the changing shades of blue. Even without entering the sea, Miyanohama Beach offers a wonderfully unhurried taste of island life.

Clear Water Beneath the Green Hills

The greatest attraction of Miyanohama Beach is the clarity and color of its water.

Close to shore, the seabed remains visible through the transparent sea. Depending on the sunlight, clouds, and depth, the water changes from pale emerald and turquoise to a deeper blue.

Behind the beach, the densely forested mountains of Naru Island rise almost directly from the coast.

The combination of blue water and green hills gives the beach an enclosed, peaceful character. Rather than facing an endless, empty horizon, visitors feel surrounded by the natural shape of the island.

There are no extravagant resort buildings competing with the scenery.

The pleasure of Miyanohama lies in noticing the sea itself: ripples of light moving over the water, cloud shadows drifting across the bay, and boats passing quietly near the shore.

Swimming is only one way to enjoy the beach.

Sitting beneath a gazebo and looking across the water can be just as memorable.

A Pebble Beach You Can Hear

Miyanohama is covered not with fine sand, but with small stones rounded by the movement of the sea.

The pebbles vary in color, from pale gray and white to brown and darker shades. Each has been gradually smoothed by waves rolling it against the others.

When the water retreats, the stones shift and touch, producing a gentle rattling sound along the shoreline.

It is a beach to enjoy with your ears as well as your eyes.

The pebble surface also means that sand is less likely to cling to towels, clothing, and bags. However, walking barefoot can be uncomfortable, and stones beneath the water may move underfoot.

Water shoes with secure straps and firm soles are highly recommended, especially for children and anyone planning to spend a long time in the sea.

Take a few slow steps along the shoreline before swimming. The unusual texture and sound are part of what makes Miyanohama different from a conventional sandy beach.

Six Gazebos Facing the Sea

Six wooden gazebos stand along the waterfront.

Their red roofs are one of the beach’s most recognizable features, providing shade and a comfortable place to rest between swims.

After leaving the water, visitors can sit beneath a pavilion, feel the breeze moving in from the bay, and enjoy the view without remaining in direct summer sunlight.

The gazebos also make Miyanohama convenient for families and groups whose members may want to spend the day in different ways.

Some can swim, while others rest in the shade, share a meal, read, or simply watch the sea.

Official tourism information also introduces the gazebos as places where visitors can enjoy a barbecue beside the water.

A meal cooked outdoors, with the blue sea in front and green mountains behind, is an appealing way to spend a summer afternoon on Naru Island.

Fire-use locations and local rules may change, however. Confirm the latest arrangements with the Naru Branch Office before planning a barbecue.

Food, charcoal, cooking equipment, and drinks should be prepared before arriving. Supplies are easier to obtain around Naru Port than at the beach itself.

Leave the gazebo and surrounding area as you found them, and do not abandon rubbish, food, or used charcoal.

Experience the Bay from a SUP Board

Visitors who want to do more than swim can also enjoy stand-up paddleboarding.

A local operator offers SUP rentals for use at Miyanohama Beach, including a board and life jacket.

From the shore, the water already looks inviting. From a board, however, the landscape takes on a different character.

Paddle slowly away from the pebbles and look back toward the beach. The gazebos, waterfront path, and green mountains appear as a single panorama.

When the sea is calm, you can sit or kneel on the board and enjoy the sensation of floating above the clear water.

The experience is suitable for beginners, but conditions should always determine whether it is safe to go out.

Contact the operator in advance to confirm availability, current prices, rental times, meeting arrangements, and the weather forecast.

Always wear the provided life jacket, regardless of swimming ability.

Do not use a SUP during strong winds, rough water, thunderstorms, or other unsafe conditions. A gentle breeze on land can feel much stronger once you are away from shore.

Combine the Beach with a Stay at Miyanomori Campground

Miyanomori Comprehensive Park Campground is located approximately 10 minutes from the beach on foot.

This makes it easy to combine swimming with an overnight stay surrounded by Naru Island’s forests.

The campground offers auto-camping spaces, an open tent area, and 11 bungalows designed for groups of five, eight, or ten people.

The bungalows include useful facilities such as air conditioning, refrigerators, and Wi-Fi. The largest units also provide a private bath, toilet, and kitchen.

Shared facilities include a spacious cooking area and a large communal bath. Rental equipment may also be available, although food and charcoal should generally be obtained in advance.

A stay allows visitors to experience more than the bright colors of the daytime beach.

Swim at Miyanohama in the afternoon, return to the campground for dinner, and then look up at the night sky after the surrounding hills have grown dark.

By spending the night, a simple visit to the beach becomes a fuller island experience of sea, forest, sunset, and stars.

The campground operates separately from the beach. Accommodation, bungalow use, camping spaces, baths, barbecue facilities, and rental equipment may require reservations or additional fees.

Confirm availability and conditions directly with the campground before traveling.

Lively in Summer, Peaceful in Every Other Season

The official swimming and facility season generally runs from around mid-July until late August.

During this period, toilets, changing rooms, and cold-water showers are normally available.

The showers are not heated.

Although a cold shower may feel bracing after swimming, it provides a convenient way to rinse off seawater before changing clothes or returning to the port.

Outside the summer operating period, these seasonal facilities may be closed.

The beach itself, however, remains worth visiting.

In spring and autumn, Miyanohama can be a quiet stop during a drive around Naru Island. The gazebos face the same clear water, the pebbles still move with the waves, and the mountains remain close behind the shore.

Without the activity of the swimming season, it can feel less like a tourist attraction and more like a glimpse into the island’s everyday landscape.

Bring a drink, sit beneath one of the pavilions, and allow time to pass without planning another activity.

On Naru Island, doing nothing beside the sea can be one of the most satisfying parts of the journey.

A Beach for Families—and for Travelers Who Simply Need a Pause

Miyanohama Beach works well for several kinds of visitors.

Families can combine swimming with shaded rest beneath the gazebos.

Groups can enjoy marine activities or, after confirming the rules, an outdoor meal.

Campers can use the beach as part of a longer stay at Miyanomori Comprehensive Park.

Solo travelers and couples can stop during an island drive and enjoy the waterfront without needing to swim.

The beach is also close to the Kasamatsu Hirotomo Memorial Museum, which occupies the former Funamawari Elementary School building.

Visiting the museum and beach together creates a natural connection between art and landscape.

Inside the museum, visitors encounter paintings shaped by the artist’s memories of the Goto Islands, the sea, faith, family, war, and peace.

Outside, the blue water and green hills that formed part of his island world are waiting nearby.

Miyanohama is not a place that demands a complicated itinerary.

It simply offers several good reasons to stay a little longer than expected.

A Relaxing Beginning—or Ending—to a Naru Island Journey

Miyanohama Beach is approximately 10 minutes from Naru Port by car.

Its location makes it a convenient first stop after arriving on the island.

After crossing from Fukue, leave the port, follow the road into the hills, and arrive at a sea so clear that the journey immediately feels worthwhile.

The beach also works well as the final stop before returning to the port.

After visiting Egami Church, Shutogashima Senjojiki, the Yuming Song Monument, or the island’s viewpoints, spend the remaining time beneath a gazebo and look back on the day.

An itinerary filled entirely with sightseeing can make an island visit feel rushed.

Leaving even 20 or 30 minutes for the beach allows the pace of the journey to match the pace of Naru Island itself.

Whether you come to swim, paddle, camp, take photographs, or simply sit beside the water, Miyanohama offers a place to slow down.

Before You Visit

Miyanohama Beach is an outdoor natural attraction with no general admission fee or fixed sightseeing hours.

The official swimming season and the opening of seasonal facilities generally run from around mid-July until late August. Exact dates may vary each year, so check the latest official information before traveling.

Toilets, changing rooms, and cold-water showers are normally available only during the seasonal operating period.

The beach is covered with pebbles rather than sand. Wear secure water shoes when walking along the shoreline or entering the sea.

Children should remain closely supervised, even near the water’s edge. A properly fitted life jacket provides additional protection for young swimmers and participants in marine activities.

Do not swim or use a SUP during strong winds, high waves, heavy rain, thunderstorms, typhoons, or other dangerous conditions.

Use the gazebos considerately and share the space with other visitors.

When planning a barbecue, confirm current fire-use rules and permitted locations in advance. Remove all rubbish and equipment after use.

Ferries serving Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions.

Rental cars and taxis are limited. Arrange your ferry, island transportation, accommodation, and activities together whenever possible.

On the northwestern side of Naru Island, the coastal road leads toward the small community of Okushi.

There, filling the gap between two steep hills, stands a massive wall of earth and stone.

This is the Nokobiura Windbreak.

From the village side, its broad slopes resemble a rock-fill dam built deep in the mountains. Climb a little higher, however, and the landscape changes dramatically.

Beyond the embankment lies Nokobiura—a narrow cove framed by rugged cliffs and opening directly onto an endless blue sea.

Strong wind rises from the coast. Behind you, fields, houses, and the sheltered landscape of Okushi stretch across the opposite side of the ridge.

The structure is not a dam, and it does not hold back water.

It was built to hold back the powerful northerly winds that sweep through this narrow valley toward the village.

Part protective structure, part dramatic viewpoint, and part geological field site, the Nokobiura Windbreak is where the natural forces that shaped the Goto Islands meet the practical ingenuity of the people who live here.

A Massive Wall Between the Sea and the Village

The Okushi area lies in northwestern Naru Island.

Calmer waters and the settlement extend to the south, while Nokobiura faces the more exposed sea to the north. Between them, the land narrows into a slender neck surrounded by steep hills.

This narrow valley was created along a geological fault.

Its shape acts like a corridor, gathering winds from the northern coast and directing them toward the village.

Typhoons in late summer and autumn, along with cold winter winds, have long been a powerful presence in the lives of local residents.

The windbreak was built across this natural corridor to weaken those winds before they reached homes and farmland.

Seen from below, the embankment appears almost to be part of the mountain.

Seen from above, it becomes clear that it stands directly between two very different landscapes: the exposed open sea on one side and the inhabited village on the other.

Excavated Rock from a Tunnel Became Protection

The story of the windbreak is closely connected to the Enmeiji Tunnel, which carries the road toward Egami Church and the western settlements of Naru Island.

Before the tunnel opened, travel between the island’s central area and communities such as Egami and Okushi was more difficult.

The Enmeiji Tunnel, measuring approximately 770 meters, entered service in 1994 and became an important part of everyday transportation on the island.

Its construction produced a large quantity of excavated earth and rock.

Rather than transporting all of this material away, it was piled into the fault-formed valley at Nokobiura and used to create the windbreak.

One public works project therefore produced two forms of protection for island life.

The tunnel improved access across the mountain, while the excavated material became a barrier against the wind.

What might otherwise have been treated simply as construction spoil was transformed into a structure that protects the nearby community.

Climb a Little, and the Ocean Suddenly Appears

A short climb beside the windbreak leads to an open view over Nokobiura.

The sea appears between steep, green-covered cliffs, extending toward the horizon without another large island immediately blocking the view.

Below, the broad earth-and-stone embankment seems to stretch across the valley like a dam holding back the ocean.

It is this unusual perspective that gives the site its striking visual impact.

The most memorable part of the experience, however, may not be the scenery alone.

It is the wind.

Conditions can change significantly from day to day. Even when the village side feels relatively calm, the top of the embankment may be exposed to powerful gusts rising from the sea.

On some days, official tourism information warns that the wind can be strong enough to make standing difficult.

Feeling that force directly makes the purpose of the structure immediately understandable.

Turn toward the sea, and you face the exposed natural environment.

Turn back toward Okushi, and you see the homes and fields the windbreak was built to protect.

Standing between the two offers one of the clearest examples on Naru Island of how local life has adapted to the island’s terrain and climate.

A Fault Beneath the Windbreak

Nokobiura is important not only because of its unusual protective structure.

It is also one of the few places where visitors can observe evidence of the fault activity that helped divide the Goto region into its principal islands.

Geologists interpret the Nokobi Fault as a northwest–southeast-trending normal fault with a left-lateral component.

It is associated with tectonic forces that affected the region around seven million years ago, when faulting helped form the channels between the major islands and contributed to the deeply indented coastline seen today.

At Nokobiura, the fault includes a zone of fractured and crushed rock approximately 50 meters wide.

Differences between the rock layers on either side suggest that vertical movement along the fault may have reached several hundred meters.

The valley occupied by the windbreak is therefore not an ordinary dip between two hills.

It follows a major weakness in the earth created by tectonic movement.

The same geological forces that helped give Naru Island its narrow bays and complex outline also created a natural passage for strong winds.

Much later, people filled part of that passage with excavated rock to protect their community.

Black Volcanic Glass Along the Coast

The coast around Nokobiura also contains deposits associated with obsidian.

Obsidian is a dark, glass-like volcanic rock created when silica-rich magma cools rapidly.

Because it breaks into extremely sharp edges, it was widely used to produce knives, arrowheads, and other tools from Paleolithic times through the Jomon period.

Obsidian tools have been discovered elsewhere in the Goto Islands.

Although Nokobiura contains substantial deposits, no artifacts have yet been definitively identified as having been made from Naru Island’s obsidian.

This raises an intriguing question.

Was the material difficult to reach? Was its quality unsuitable for toolmaking? Or have objects made from it simply not yet been identified?

Recent geological research has added another layer to the story.

A study conducted in 2025 and 2026 reported that some of the dark, band-like volcanic intrusions at Nokobiura, once described as obsidian, have altered over time into a rock known as pitchstone.

The same study suggested that a major volcanic event may have occurred around Nokobiura approximately 12 million years ago.

This remains a developing scientific interpretation, but it reveals that the quiet coast may preserve evidence of both major volcanic activity and later fault movement.

The relevant outcrops lie along rugged shorelines rather than a maintained sightseeing path.

Visitors should not attempt to reach them casually or alone. A local geoguide or organized field visit is the safest and most rewarding way to explore the geology.

Where Geology and Island Life Meet

A geosite is not valuable only because it contains an unusual rock or visible fault.

Its deeper appeal lies in the relationship between the earth and the people who live on it.

At Nokobiura, fault movement created a narrow valley.

That valley concentrated winds from the sea.

People established their homes and fields on the more sheltered side of the ridge.

A modern tunnel was later built to improve access across the island.

The material excavated from that tunnel was then used to block the wind passing through the fault-formed valley.

Geology shaped the land.

The land influenced where and how people lived.

And people responded by creating a new human-made landform within the natural one.

The Nokobiura Windbreak is therefore more than an unusual piece of civil engineering or a dramatic photo spot.

It is a visible record of the continuing relationship between Naru Island’s geology, climate, infrastructure, and everyday life.

Visit Together with Egami Church

The Nokobiura Windbreak lies beyond Egami Church in the northwestern part of Naru Island.

Visiting the two places together reveals very different sides of the island.

At Egami Church, visitors encounter a small wooden church adapted to the humid environment of a coastal valley and built through the collective efforts of local believers.

At Nokobiura, they encounter a vast earth-and-stone structure built to protect an exposed settlement from the wind.

One is a place of prayer.

The other is a practical barrier against the weather.

Yet both demonstrate the same underlying principle: people on Naru Island have learned to work with the landscape rather than ignore it.

The white-and-blue church surrounded by trees and the rugged windbreak facing the open sea form a striking contrast.

Together, they reveal both the gentleness and the raw power of Naru Island.

Before You Visit

The Nokobiura Windbreak is an outdoor scenic and geological site with no admission fee or fixed visiting hours.

Visit during daylight, when the access route and surface of the embankment can be clearly seen.

The slope and upper areas include loose gravel, exposed earth, stones, and uneven ground. Wear sturdy walking shoes with non-slip soles.

Wind is the most important safety consideration.

Conditions at the top may be much stronger than they appear from the village side. Secure hats, phones, cameras, and loose belongings.

Do not climb when gusts are strong enough to affect your balance.

Stay well away from steep edges, and do not visit during typhoons, thunderstorms, heavy rain, high waves, or other severe weather.

Official spot information does not list a dedicated visitor parking area, toilet, shop, or other tourist facilities.

The surrounding roads serve local residents. Park only where it is safe and permitted, without blocking traffic, driveways, agricultural access, or emergency vehicles.

Prepare drinking water and use toilets around Naru Port before traveling to the site.

The coast where faults and volcanic rocks can be observed has poor footing and includes rocky shoreline sections.

Do not descend to the shore without appropriate experience or local guidance. Never remove rocks or damage an outcrop.

Ferries to Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions.

Rental cars and taxis are limited, so arrange your ferry and island transportation together before traveling.

At the southern end of Naru Island, beyond a beach covered with smooth, rounded pebbles, a vast platform of exposed rock stretches toward a small green islet.

This is Shutogashima Senjojiki, one of Naru Island’s most distinctive scenic and geological sites.

The name “Senjojiki” literally suggests a space large enough to hold one thousand tatami mats.

Reddish-brown rock, unusual formations shaped by erosion, the vivid green of the offshore islet, and water that shifts from emerald to deep blue combine to create one of the island’s most memorable landscapes.

Yet the appeal of Senjojiki goes far beyond its appearance.

The rocks beneath your feet preserve traces of a time when the Goto Islands were not islands at all. Depressions interpreted as the footprints of rhinoceroses or other large mammals, along with fossils of freshwater shellfish, offer clues to an ancient environment of rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

Senjojiki is both a coastal viewpoint and an open-air museum of the earth.

A Vast Stone Corridor Extending into the Sea

Senjojiki begins at the southern end of Shutogashima Beach and extends across a broad, relatively flat rocky area toward a small offshore islet.

From the beach, it resembles a natural stone corridor laid across the sea.

Cracks run in several directions across the exposed surface, while layers of sandstone and mudstone appear along the edges. In some places, erosion has carved the rock into shapes that resemble steps, shelves, or enormous slices of layered cake.

On a clear day, the warm brown and reddish tones of the rock contrast dramatically with the blue sea and the dense green vegetation covering the islet.

Small pools of seawater collect in depressions across the platform. When the surface is calm, these tide pools reflect the sky and reveal tiny marine creatures beneath the water.

The scenery changes with every few steps. Looking back toward the beach, out toward the open sea, or down into the layered rock each offers a completely different view.

The Small Islet That Protected the Rock Platform

The broad, flat surface of Senjojiki was shaped through a long interaction between different types of rock and the power of the sea.

Much of Naru Island is built from the Goto Group, layers of sandstone and mudstone formed from ancient sand and silt.

At Senjojiki, waves and weather gradually stripped away softer material and exposed the broad bedding surface visible today.

The small islet at the end of the platform is made from harder rock created when magma cooled and solidified.

This hard mass of rock acted like a natural shield against powerful waves. The strata behind it were partly protected from erosion, allowing the wide, flat platform to survive while the surrounding coastline continued to wear away.

What appears to be a quiet arrangement of rock and sea is therefore the result of millions of years of geological change.

Why Are There Rhino Footprints on Naru Island?

While walking across Senjojiki, you may notice several rounded depressions in the rock, some measuring around 30 centimeters across.

They are believed to be fossilized footprints left by rhinoceroses or related large mammals.

The idea of rhinoceroses walking across a small Japanese island may sound surprising. The explanation is that Naru Island did not yet exist in its present form when the tracks were made.

The Goto Group formed approximately 22 to 17 million years ago, when the land that would become the Goto Islands was still connected to the Eurasian continent.

At the time, rivers and lakes crossed the landscape. Sand and mud accumulated along their banks and across wet, low-lying areas.

Large animals walking over the soft ground left impressions behind. Those impressions were buried beneath later sediment, hardened into rock, and preserved within the strata.

Much later, tectonic movement separated the land from the continent, and erosion exposed the ancient surface once again.

Fossils of freshwater shellfish have also been discovered around Senjojiki.

Finding evidence of freshwater life and large land animals beside the modern sea reveals just how dramatically this landscape has changed.

The footprints and fossils can easily blend into the natural patterns of the rock. Learning what to look for before your visit—or joining a local geoguide—makes exploring the site feel like a geological treasure hunt.

The Landscape Grows as the Tide Falls

The visible size and character of Senjojiki change with the tide.

As the water recedes, more of the rock platform emerges from beneath the sea. The broad surface becomes easier to appreciate, and the connection between the beach and the offshore islet appears more clearly.

At higher tide, lower sections of the platform disappear beneath the water. Waves move through the cracks and channels, making the rock appear to float between sections of blue sea.

Both conditions are beautiful, but visiting around low tide generally makes it easier to observe the exposed strata and experience the scale suggested by the name “Senjojiki.”

The sea can return quickly, however.

Before walking far across the platform, check both the current tide and the expected conditions during your return. Wind and offshore waves can also send water across apparently dry sections of rock.

Never continue toward the islet when waves are breaking over the route, and avoid the platform entirely during rough weather.

A Beach of Pebbles Polished by the Waves

Shutogashima Beach, located beside Senjojiki, is also worth exploring.

Instead of fine sand, the shoreline is covered with rounded pebbles in shades of white, gray, brown, and black. Waves have polished their edges over time.

The pebble beach extends for approximately 500 meters.

As each wave retreats, thousands of small stones roll against one another, producing a gentle rattling sound that is unique to this type of shore.

During the summer swimming season, changing rooms, toilets, and free cold-water showers are normally available. The facilities are generally open from around mid-July until late August, although exact dates may vary from year to year.

Outside the swimming season, the beach becomes especially quiet.

Even without entering the water, walking along the pebbles, listening to the waves, and looking toward Senjojiki offers a peaceful introduction to Naru Island’s coastline.

A Key Geosite in the Goto Islands Geopark

Shutogashima Senjojiki is one of the representative geosites of the Goto Islands Geopark.

A geopark is not simply a collection of unusual rocks.

It is a place where visitors can understand how geological processes created the land and how the landscape has influenced ecosystems, history, and human life.

At Senjojiki, the story can be read almost entirely from the scenery.

Sand and mud accumulated beside continental rivers and lakes.

Those sediments hardened into sandstone and mudstone.

Tectonic forces separated the land from the continent and divided it into islands.

Waves and weather exposed the strata, while the harder offshore islet helped preserve the broad rock platform.

The surrounding Shutogashima–Nagizaki Coast is also designated as a Nagasaki Prefectural Nature Conservation Area. Its protected landscape includes a submerged coastline, sea cliffs reaching approximately 50 meters in height, and large-scale sheet-like joints.

Do not remove fossils, stones, plants, or marine life.

Even an ordinary-looking fragment may form part of the geological record that makes this place valuable.

More Than a Beautiful Seaside View

Senjojiki offers a different experience from a viewpoint where visitors simply look at a landscape from a distance.

Here, you can step into the scenery.

You can walk across the exposed strata, listen to waves moving through cracks in the rock, observe tide pools, and feel the sea breeze coming from the open water.

Look down, and you may be standing near evidence of animals that crossed an ancient continental wetland millions of years ago.

Look ahead, and the small green islet reveals why the platform beneath you survived the force of the sea.

At first glance, the landscape appears to contain little more than rock, water, and vegetation.

The more you learn, however, the more stories it begins to tell.

That combination of beauty, mystery, and geological time makes Shutogashima Senjojiki one of the most rewarding places to visit on Naru Island.

Before You Visit

Shutogashima Senjojiki is an outdoor natural site with no admission fee or fixed visiting hours.

Visit during daylight and allow enough time to return before sunset.

The rock platform contains wide cracks, uneven surfaces, loose stones, and sections that become extremely slippery when wet. Wear sturdy walking shoes with non-slip soles rather than sandals or heels.

Check the weather, waves, and tide before entering the platform.

Do not walk onto the rocks during strong winds, high waves, heavy rain, thunderstorms, or typhoon conditions. Even during low tide, isolated waves may wash across lower sections.

Children should remain closely supervised, particularly near the edge of the platform and around tide pools.

Parking is available beside Shutogashima Beach.

Toilets, changing rooms, and cold-water showers are generally available only during the summer swimming season, usually from around mid-July to late August.

Prepare drinking water and use facilities around Naru Port before visiting outside that period.

Ferries to Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions. Check the latest operating information before departure and reserve island transportation in advance.

On the eastern coast of Hisaka Island, beside the narrow waters of the Naru Strait, lies the small settlement of Gorin.

From the visitor parking area, a mountain path winds through the trees before following the shoreline. After about 10 to 15 minutes on foot, a modest wooden church appears between the forest and the sea.

This is Former Gorin Church.

Without the cross and pointed-arch entrance, it could almost be mistaken for an old schoolhouse or village meeting hall. Yet beyond its simple doorway lies an authentic church interior, complete with three aisles and a wooden rib-vaulted ceiling.

Former Gorin Church is not a grand or lavish building. There is no monumental tower or elaborate stone façade.

Even so, visitors cross the sea, travel deep into the island, and walk the final path to see it.

The church preserves the story of people who protected their faith, moved an entire place of worship from one village to another, and saved it from demolition for future generations.

A Place of Prayer at the End of the Road

Former Gorin Church stands beside a small inlet on the eastern side of Hisaka Island.

Dense forest rises immediately behind the settlement, while the waters of the Naru Strait stretch out in front of it. The church occupies a narrow strip of land between the hillside and the sea.

Cars cannot travel all the way to the building.

Visitors leave their vehicle at the designated parking area and walk approximately 500 meters along a mountain and coastal path. The journey usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes.

This slight inconvenience is part of the experience.

As you walk beneath the trees and catch glimpses of the sea, the remoteness of Gorin becomes increasingly clear. The landscape helps explain why Hidden Christians once established communities in isolated places such as this, away from the island’s older settlements.

When the trees finally open and the church’s small cross comes into view, reaching it feels like more than simply arriving at another sightseeing spot.

From Hamawaki to Gorin: A Church That Crossed the Sea

Former Gorin Church was not originally built in its present location.

It was constructed in 1881 as Hamawaki Church, the first Catholic church on Hisaka Island.

For the descendants of Hidden Christians who had endured the long prohibition of Christianity—and the severe persecution experienced on Hisaka Island in the late 1860s—the ability to build a public place of worship represented the beginning of a new era.

Around 50 years later, Hamawaki Church was scheduled to be replaced with a new building.

The original wooden church might have been demolished, but the Catholic community of Gorin had long hoped for a church of its own. The building was therefore given to the believers of Gorin.

In 1931, it was carefully dismantled.

Because Gorin lies beneath steep hills and was difficult to reach by land, the building materials were transported by sea and reassembled at the present site.

The church itself had crossed the water and begun a second life.

For approximately half a century, it served the Catholics of Gorin and nearby Warabikojima as their spiritual home.

In 1985, a new Gorin Church was built nearby to replace the aging wooden building. Former Gorin Church ceased to function as an active church and once again faced the possibility of demolition.

A preservation campaign supported by local residents saved it.

The building was transferred to the former Fukue City, now Goto City, and underwent extensive restoration. In 1999, it was designated a Nationally Important Cultural Property.

Former Gorin Church has therefore been rescued twice: first when it was moved from Hamawaki, and again when local people chose to preserve it rather than let it disappear.

Japanese on the Outside, Gothic on the Inside

The first impression of Former Gorin Church is one of striking simplicity.

It is a small, single-story wooden building with a traditional tiled roof. Its weathered timber boards and plastered walls resemble an old Japanese house or school.

Only the pointed arches of the entrance and windows clearly reveal that it is a Christian church.

Step through the doorway, however, and the atmosphere changes.

The interior is divided into a central nave and two side aisles. Wooden rib vaults—sometimes known in Japan as “bat-wing ceilings”—extend above both the nave and aisles.

The ribs in the side aisles begin at a lower point than those in the central nave. This carefully considered arrangement makes the nave appear higher and gives the small building a greater sense of space and dignity.

Natural timber surfaces and white plaster walls create a calm, intimate sanctuary. Rather than relying on expensive stone or imported decoration, the builders used familiar materials and local carpentry techniques to create a Western-style place of worship.

The contrast between the Japanese exterior and the Gothic-inspired interior is the church’s most distinctive architectural feature.

It also makes Former Gorin Church an important surviving example of the earliest phase of wooden Catholic church architecture in Nagasaki.

A Handmade Substitute for Stained Glass

Above the entrance is a colorful cross-shaped design that initially appears to be stained glass.

Look more closely, however, and you will discover something more personal.

It was made by placing colored cellophane between two sheets of transparent glass.

The side windows once featured similar handmade decorations. Watercolor paintings with geometric designs were placed between sheets of glass to imitate the appearance of stained glass. Some surviving examples are now preserved at the Goto Tourism and Historical Materials Museum.

These were not substitutes created carelessly.

They reflect the ingenuity of island believers who had limited access to expensive materials and specialist craftsmanship but still wanted to make their church beautiful.

Rather than reproducing a European church perfectly, the community used what was available to create a sacred space of its own.

Once you notice these modest handmade details, Former Gorin Church no longer feels like an anonymous historic structure.

It becomes a record of the people who built, decorated, and worshipped within it.

The World Heritage Site Is More Than the Church

Former Gorin Church stands within the UNESCO World Heritage property “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” inscribed in 2018.

The church building is not an independent component of the property.

It lies within the component officially known as “Villages on Hisaka Island.”

From the late 18th century onward, Hidden Christians migrated to Hisaka Island from areas including Sotome. They established new communities on the edges of existing Buddhist villages or in isolated places such as Gorin and Zazare.

They cultivated land, worked alongside Buddhist residents, and maintained their faith in secret while outwardly participating in the surrounding society.

After the ban on Christianity was lifted in 1873, many of these believers rejoined the Catholic Church and began constructing public places of worship.

Former Gorin Church reflects that transition from hidden faith to open Catholic worship.

The World Heritage value of Hisaka Island, however, is not represented by the church alone.

Rice fields cultivated by migrant communities, Hidden Christian graveyards, places associated with persecution, former church sites, Buddhist fishing settlements, and the island’s distinctive terrain together reveal how different communities lived alongside one another.

When visiting Former Gorin Church, take time to look beyond the building.

Notice the steep hillside immediately behind it, the sea only a few steps away, and the limited amount of flat land available for homes and cultivation.

The surrounding landscape explains how the settlement developed and why the sea was essential to everyday life.

Quiet, Modest, and Unforgettable

Former Gorin Church has no grand bell tower, marble altar, or lavishly decorated façade.

What remains is a weathered wooden exterior, a tiled roof, a hand-built vaulted ceiling, and modest decorative details created from the materials available to island residents.

Yet every part of the building holds a human story.

There were the believers who accepted the dismantled church and transported it to Gorin.

There were the generations who prayed here for almost 50 years.

There were the residents—including members of the local Buddhist community—who recognized its value and helped save it from demolition.

The church’s appeal does not come from monumental scale or the name of a famous architect.

It comes from the fact that ordinary people repeatedly chose to protect it.

After crossing the sea and walking the final path, visitors often discover that this small church has a presence far greater than its size.

A Landscape Best Experienced Slowly

Former Gorin Church is more than a building to photograph and leave behind.

Its location is an essential part of the visit.

The sound of waves reaches the church grounds. Forest rises behind the settlement. Stone walls, homes, graves, and the neighboring present-day Gorin Church remain close together within the narrow coastal space.

The journey also encourages visitors to slow down.

There is no large tour-bus parking area directly beside the church and no busy commercial district at the entrance.

The final approach must be made on foot.

That walk creates time to notice the shape of the coast, the closeness of the hills, and the distance separating Gorin from the island’s main port.

By the time you reach the church, the landscape has already begun to tell its story.

Before You Visit

Advance notice is required for both individual and group visits.

Online requests may generally be submitted from six months until two days before the planned visit. When the online deadline has passed, contact the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region Information Centre by telephone or email.

Church attendants are normally present from Tuesday through Sunday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

No attendant is present on Mondays or on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The church is normally left unlocked and may still be visited, but advance notice remains necessary.

Former Gorin Church is no longer used for Mass or other religious services. Catholic services are held at the present Gorin Church nearby.

Although the former church is owned and managed as a cultural property, the neighboring church remains an active place of worship. Visitors should therefore behave quietly and respectfully throughout the settlement.

Unlike most Catholic churches in Nagasaki, personal photography is permitted inside Former Gorin Church.

Photography or filming for interviews, advertising, publications, websites, television productions, or other commercial purposes requires a separate application and permission.

The path from the parking area includes unpaved and occasionally slippery sections. Wear comfortable shoes with good grip, particularly after rain.

There are few visitor facilities in Gorin. Carry drinking water and prepare anything else you need before leaving the port area.

Ferry services and smaller boats may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions. Plan your boat, rental vehicle or taxi, and church visit together, allowing enough time to return to the port.

About 10 minutes on foot from Naru Port, the Naru Island World Heritage Guidance Center occupies part of the same building as the Naru Branch Office of Goto City.

Its low, white exterior is understated. There is no monumental entrance or grand museum façade.

Step inside, however, and a much larger story begins to unfold.

The center introduces the UNESCO World Heritage property “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” with particular attention to Egami Village, Egami Church, and the communities that preserved their Christian faith during Japan’s long period of religious prohibition.

Displays include orasho prayers and higuri religious calendar books once kept by believers, a Maria Kannon statue, an abalone shell used as a devotional object, and a full-scale reconstruction of architectural details from Egami Church.

Maps, photographs, visual presentations, and a multilingual smartphone audio guide also help visitors understand both the World Heritage story and the wider attractions of Naru Island.

The center is rewarding after visiting Egami Church, when you can reflect on details you have already seen.

Its greatest value, however, may come before the journey.

Once you understand the history, the church’s raised floor, surrounding waterways, sheltering trees, and remote valley location no longer appear to be unrelated details.

They become parts of a single story about migration, adaptation, community, and faith.

Why Visit Before Egami Church?

Egami Church is immediately memorable for its white timber walls, pale-blue window frames, and peaceful forest setting.

It is easy to see why travelers are drawn to its gentle appearance.

Yet the building alone does not fully explain why the site belongs to a UNESCO World Heritage property.

The official component is named “Egami Village on Naru Island (Egami Church and its Surroundings).”

The designation therefore includes more than the church.

It includes the secluded coastal valley where Hidden Christians settled, the limited flat land they cultivated, the water that flows through the community, the houses and fields that developed around the landscape, and the church built after believers were once again able to worship openly.

The guidance center explains these relationships through panels, objects, maps, and architectural displays.

After visiting, details that might otherwise be overlooked begin to carry meaning.

The church floor was raised to protect the wooden building from the valley’s humidity.

Openings beneath the eaves helped circulate air.

Large trees reduced the force of winds coming from the sea.

The village developed within a narrow space shaped by hills, water, and the coastline.

Egami Church was not placed in an empty landscape.

It emerged from the life of a community that had learned how to survive there.

Twelve Components, One World Heritage Story

“Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region” was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.

The serial property consists of 12 components: ten villages, the remains of Hara Castle, and Oura Cathedral.

Together, they tell a story spanning several centuries.

Christianity reached Japan through European missionaries in the 16th century. It was later prohibited, and Christian communities faced surveillance, persecution, and punishment.

After the missionaries had disappeared, believers in the Nagasaki region continued to transmit elements of the faith within their families and small communities.

Some lived in existing settlements. Others migrated to remote islands, coastal valleys, and places where they could establish new communities away from close official attention.

Their religious tradition changed during more than two centuries without priests, churches, or regular contact with the wider Catholic world.

Yet the communities preserved prayers, calendars, sacred objects, leadership roles, and shared ceremonies that retained the core of their Christian faith.

When the prohibition was officially lifted in 1873, different communities made different choices.

Many rejoined the Catholic Church and constructed public places of worship. Others continued the independent religious traditions that had developed during the prohibition.

The 12 World Heritage components help visitors understand these successive stages as one connected history.

Egami Village represents a community established by migrants in a remote coastal valley and the eventual transition from hidden worship to an openly visible Catholic church.

The guidance center places this small Naru Island village within the wider World Heritage narrative.

Small Objects That Preserved a Hidden Faith

Some of the center’s most affecting exhibits are also among its smallest.

They do not possess the visual scale of a church or a historic landscape.

Instead, they reveal how faith survived within everyday life.

The orasho are prayers preserved by Christian communities through generations. During the prohibition, when there were no priests to lead worship, prayers were transmitted within families and local groups.

Their words and pronunciation changed over time, but continuing to recite them helped maintain a connection to the community’s Christian origins.

The higuri books served as religious calendars.

They helped community leaders keep track of important days, observances, periods of fasting, and ceremonies. In an era without public churches or contact with the official Catholic calendar, maintaining the correct sequence of religious events required careful local knowledge.

A Maria Kannon represents another form of adaptation.

To an outside observer, it resembles a Buddhist image of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Within some Christian communities, however, such a figure could also be understood in connection with the Virgin Mary.

The familiar outward appearance allowed religious meaning to be carried within an object that did not openly announce itself as Christian.

An abalone shell displayed as a devotional object may appear even more ordinary.

It is precisely this ordinariness that makes it powerful.

When openly Christian statues, paintings, medals, and books could bring danger, believers gave sacred meaning to objects available within their daily surroundings.

The objects were not valuable because they were made from expensive materials.

They were valuable because generations of people entrusted their prayers to them.

Study Egami Church at Full Scale

One of the center’s signature displays is a full-scale reconstruction of a pillar and decorative band from Egami Church.

At the actual church, these architectural details form part of a complete interior.

Visitors naturally look toward the altar, the rib-vaulted ceiling, the hand-painted columns, and the overall atmosphere of the sanctuary. Details above eye level can be difficult to study closely during a limited visit.

The full-scale model changes that experience.

You can stand near the reconstruction, understand the true size of its components, and examine how timber was shaped to create a Western-style church interior using Japanese wooden-building techniques.

The display also introduces the work of Yosuke Tetsukawa, the builder responsible for Egami Church and many other historic churches in Nagasaki Prefecture.

His architecture did not simply copy European buildings.

It combined Western ecclesiastical forms with local materials, Japanese carpentry, and practical responses to island climates.

Studying the model before visiting the church gives you something specific to look for.

Instead of seeing only a beautiful interior, you begin to notice how the individual pieces were assembled and decorated.

The model is particularly useful because photography and video recording are prohibited inside Egami Church.

At the center, you can study the architecture carefully. At the church, you can put the camera away and experience the space itself.

Maps That Turn History into a Journey

The guidance center is not only a museum about Christianity.

It is also a useful planning point for exploring Naru Island.

Photographs and maps introduce attractions across the island, including Egami Church, Shutogashima Senjojiki, Odagora Observatory, the Yuming Song Monument, Miyanohama Beach, the Kasamatsu Hirotomo Memorial Hall, and the Nokobiura Windbreak.

A table map helps visitors understand how the island’s deeply indented coastline, mountains, settlements, and roads fit together.

This is especially useful on a day trip.

Naru Island may look compact on a map, but its attractions extend in different directions, and travel times are influenced by narrow roads, hills, and coastal routes.

Seeing the island as a whole makes it easier to decide what can realistically be visited before the return boat.

The Goto View Scope offers another way to discover destinations across the islands.

Rather than presenting history only through long blocks of text, the center uses visual and digital tools to make the material approachable for visitors of different ages and levels of prior knowledge.

You may arrive intending to see only Egami Church and leave with two or three additional places added to your route.

Use Your Smartphone as a Multilingual Audio Guide

The center provides the multilingual Wi-Fi audio-guide service “jaj.jp.”

Visitors can connect a smartphone to the facility’s Wi-Fi and listen to explanations without paying an additional fee.

The service is useful when written panels contain unfamiliar historical or religious terms.

Listening while looking at an object can make the relationship between the display and the wider story easier to understand.

It is also helpful for international groups whose members prefer different languages or want to move through the exhibition at their own pace.

Bring a charged smartphone and headphones.

Headphones allow you to listen comfortably without disturbing other visitors, while sufficient battery power is important if you also plan to use your phone for maps, ferry information, and photography during the rest of the day.

Connection instructions and currently supported languages should be confirmed at the center.

From the Exhibition Room to the Egami Landscape

The drive from the center to Egami Village takes you away from the port area and into the quieter western side of Naru Island.

Roads pass through tunnels and along the coast before entering a green valley.

Eventually, the white-and-blue church appears between the trees.

Without historical context, the scene may seem like a charming church hidden in the forest.

After visiting the guidance center, the same view becomes more complex.

The valley is no longer simply picturesque. It is the remote place chosen by a migrant Christian community.

The water is not merely part of the scenery. It helped make cultivation and settlement possible while also creating a humid environment that influenced the church’s construction.

The raised floor is not only a visual feature. It protects the wooden building from moisture.

The surrounding trees are not only beautiful. They help shelter the church and village from sea winds.

The church itself is not simply an architectural monument. It represents the moment when a faith that had long remained hidden became publicly visible.

The guidance center does not replace the experience of visiting Egami Village.

It gives you the language needed to read the landscape when you arrive.

A Valuable Indoor Stop on a Rainy Day

Many of Naru Island’s attractions are outdoors.

Beaches, geological sites, coastal viewpoints, and village landscapes are all affected by rain, wind, and changing sea conditions.

The Naru Island World Heritage Guidance Center provides an especially useful alternative when the weather disrupts an itinerary.

You can watch visual presentations, study the architectural model, examine devotional objects, and reorganize the rest of your route using the maps.

A brief visit may take around 30 minutes.

Allow approximately 45 minutes to one hour when using the audio guide, reading the panels carefully, and exploring the island information.

Admission is free, so the center also works well when you have a short period between arriving at Naru Port and collecting a rental vehicle, or before boarding the return boat.

It is close enough to the port to visit without committing to a long journey across the island.

The Beginning and the End of an Island Journey

The guidance center works equally well at the start or end of a visit.

At the beginning, it provides context.

You learn why Egami Village became a World Heritage component, which details to notice at the church, and how other places on Naru Island relate to its history and geography.

At the end, it provides reflection.

After seeing the valley, church, coastline, and settlements for yourself, you can return to the exhibits with your own memories attached to them.

A model of a church pillar is more meaningful after standing beneath the real ceiling.

A map is more vivid after driving the island’s narrow roads.

A display about migration carries greater weight after looking across the sea that families once crossed to reach Naru.

Whether it becomes your first or final stop, the center helps transform a collection of sightseeing destinations into a connected island story.

Before You Visit

The Naru Island World Heritage Guidance Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Last admission is at 4:30 p.m.

From January through June and from November through December, the center is closed on Mondays. When Monday is a public holiday, it is closed on the following day instead.

From July 1 through October 31, the center is open on Mondays.

It is closed during the New Year holiday period from December 29 through January 3. Temporary closures may also occur because of exhibition work, facility management, severe weather, or other circumstances.

Admission is free.

Parking and toilets are available.

Ask staff before taking photographs or recording video, as conditions may differ according to the display and intended use.

A visit to the guidance center does not constitute a reservation for Egami Church.

Advance notice for an interior visit to the church must be arranged separately through the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region Information Centre.

Ferry and high-speed boat services may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions.

Check the latest opening and transport information before departure, particularly when planning a short day trip.

About 10 minutes by car from Naru Port, an old school building stands near the clear blue water of Miyanohama Beach.

This is the Kasamatsu Hirotomo Memorial Hall, an art museum dedicated to Hirotomo Kasamatsu, a Western-style painter born on Naru Island.

The building was once Funamawari Elementary School. For approximately 132 years, generations of island children studied here before the school closed in 2007.

Rather than demolishing the familiar local landmark, the community gave it a new purpose. The classrooms and corridors were adapted into exhibition and creative spaces, and the memorial hall opened in 2008.

Inside, visitors encounter paintings inspired by the sea of the Goto Islands, family, Christian faith, the memory of war, and the hope for peace.

Outside, the landscape that shaped the artist remains close at hand.

Miyanohama Beach lies nearby, its water shifting from turquoise to deep blue. A protected grove of warm-climate trees rises beside the former school, while the forested grounds of Miyanomori Comprehensive Park extend behind it.

The result is more than a museum devoted to one painter.

It is a place where art, island memory, and the natural scenery of Naru meet.

A 132-Year-Old School Given a Second Life

The building that houses the memorial hall was originally Funamawari Elementary School.

Established in the early Meiji period, the school served the local community for approximately 132 years. It closed in March 2007 as the island’s school population declined and was consolidated with Naru Elementary School.

The building was not stripped of its history when it became a museum.

Its entrance and much of the first floor retain the atmosphere of the former school. Walking through the building, visitors can still sense the proportions of the classrooms and corridors that once formed part of everyday life for children in Funamawari.

The main exhibition spaces occupy former school rooms, creating an experience very different from entering a purpose-built urban gallery.

Here, large paintings appear in spaces that still carry the memory of lessons, school events, friendships, and the sounds of children moving between classes.

The memorial hall opened on July 5, 2008.

A place that once introduced young people to the wider world through education now introduces visitors to Naru Island through art.

A Boy Who Began Painting on Naru Island

Hirotomo Kasamatsu was born on Naru Island on January 12, 1938.

As a boy, he sometimes saw artists visiting the island to paint its scenery. Their presence fascinated him, and he began drawing and painting independently during his teenage years.

In 1954, he attended the Nagasaki Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan and became a Christian.

Faith would later become one of the central currents running through his work—not always through explicitly religious imagery, but through repeated themes of prayer, compassion, human suffering, and hope.

After graduating from Kaisei High School in Nagasaki City in 1957, Kasamatsu moved alone to Tokyo to pursue a life as a painter.

He enrolled at the Asagaya Art Academy and, in the same year, submitted a work depicting a souvenir shop in Nagasaki to the 25th Dokuritsu Exhibition.

He was only 19 years old when the painting was accepted.

From that point onward, he continued to present work primarily through the Dokuritsu Art Association, gradually establishing his place in Japan’s postwar art world.

Although he lived and worked far from Naru Island, the sea and memories of the Goto Islands never disappeared from his paintings.

Distance seems to have made his relationship with home even stronger.

One Artist, Many Different Worlds

The memorial hall preserves 82 large-scale paintings as well as smaller works, displaying them in rotation.

Visitors should not expect to see the entire collection in a single visit. The works on display change, which means the experience can differ from one season or exhibition period to another.

Kasamatsu’s style also changed dramatically during his lifetime.

His artistic development is generally divided into several periods:

• Early Works, 1957–1969

• Children’s Room, 1970–1973

• Night Sea of Goto, 1974–1980

• Daytime Landscapes, 1981–1988

• Showa History, 1989–1998

• Hidden Christian Cave, 1999

• Angel Series, 2000–2005

The differences between these periods can be striking.

Early in his career, Kasamatsu created abstract paintings using a palette knife to apply paint with force and physical energy.

Later works introduced rooms, human figures, mannequins, ships, distant coastlines, European towns, angels, and the sea of his birthplace.

Colors shift from dark blue and black to vivid yellow, red, green, and white. Some paintings feel enclosed and deeply private, while others open toward light, distance, and the sky.

Walking through the exhibition is therefore not simply a matter of viewing several works by the same artist.

It is a journey through the changing inner world of one person.

The Mysterious Night Sea of Goto

In 1974, Kasamatsu began the series now known as Night Sea of Goto.

These paintings marked a significant change in his work.

Dark island waters appear behind silent interiors, wooden piers, departing boats, and headless mannequins. The figures are motionless, but the scenes feel filled with waiting, memory, and emotional tension.

Kasamatsu’s official museum describes the night sea of his childhood—particularly memories of squid fishing with his father—as one source of this imagery.

The paintings do not explain their stories directly.

Who is waiting beside the sea?

Has someone just left, or are they expected to return?

Does the water represent home, separation, fear, or the path toward another place?

The viewer is left to complete the scene through personal memories.

That openness is one of the strengths of Kasamatsu’s work.

For people who grew up on an island, the sea is rarely only a beautiful landscape. It is also a working place, a transportation route, a source of food, and a physical distance separating family and friends.

The darkness in these paintings carries that complexity.

From the Night Sea to the Light of Day

From 1981, Kasamatsu’s work changed again.

The deep, restrained atmosphere of the night-sea period gave way to brighter scenes commonly described as his Daytime Landscapes.

Colors became more vivid. Light entered the compositions. Figures and objects appeared within spaces suggesting travel, spring, departure, celebration, and renewal.

The emotional tone is not simply cheerful, but the paintings feel more open.

In 1983, Kasamatsu received the Independent Prize—the highest award of the Dokuritsu Exhibition—for works presented at its 51st exhibition.

The following year, he was recommended for membership in the Dokuritsu Art Association.

The recognition marked an important point in his career, yet his art continued to change.

He did not settle permanently into the successful style that had brought him the award. Instead, he moved toward subjects that were increasingly historical, spiritual, and concerned with peace.

The Sea of Goto, War, and Peace

From 1989 to 1998, Kasamatsu worked on the Showa History series.

The title refers to the Showa era, a period encompassing war, defeat, reconstruction, and enormous social change in Japan.

Kasamatsu spent formative years in Nagasaki soon after the Second World War. Goto City materials describe the scars left by the atomic bombing as a powerful influence on him.

Decades later, he turned toward the history of war in his paintings.

The Showa History works place images of destruction and human suffering alongside the rich, beautiful sea of the Goto Islands.

The contrast is central to their meaning.

The sea is not merely a scenic background. It becomes an image of nature continuing beyond human violence—a landscape that deserves to be protected from destruction.

Kasamatsu did not treat peace as an abstract slogan.

In his paintings, it is connected to familiar places, family life, the coast of his childhood, and the simple possibility of people living without fear.

Visitors who have already seen Naru Island’s blue water may recognize that the sea in his work carries both beauty and moral weight.

Hidden Christians and the Meaning of Prayer

In 1999, Kasamatsu created work centered on a cave associated with Hidden Christians.

The subject connected his personal Christian faith with the history of the Goto Islands, where communities preserved Christian beliefs throughout the long prohibition of the religion in Japan.

The following year, he began the final major phase of his career: the Angel Series.

In these paintings, towns and landscapes are often viewed from above. Angels appear over European streets and human communities, watching the world from the sky.

The viewpoint is broad, but the feeling remains personal.

After years spent painting the sea, war, isolation, and historical memory, Kasamatsu’s angels seem to carry a wish that people below might be protected.

He continued working until shortly before his death on July 17, 2005.

An unfinished large-scale painting titled Spring, the sixth work in the Angel Series, was later shown at the 73rd Dokuritsu Exhibition.

Because it remained incomplete, the work preserves something especially moving: the moment at which the artist’s hand stopped, while the creative intention was still moving forward.

Why He Is Called the “Painter of Love and Prayer”

Hirotomo Kasamatsu is often described as the “Painter of Love and Prayer.”

The phrase refers to more than his use of Christian subjects.

Throughout the changing periods of his career, several concerns continued to return.

One was his relationship with two places he considered home: Nagasaki and the Goto Islands.

Another was prayer—not only formal religious prayer, but the desire to protect life, remember suffering, and imagine peace.

A third was love for family.

These themes may appear through a dark sea, an empty room, a ship, a mannequin, a historical scene, or an angel above a distant town.

Kasamatsu’s visual language changed, but the emotional foundation remained remarkably consistent.

Visitors do not need specialist knowledge of modern Japanese painting to appreciate the work.

Begin with the picture that first attracts your attention.

Look at the direction of the figures’ eyes—or at the absence of a face. Notice where the sea begins, how the light enters, and what has been left unexplained.

The paintings often become more powerful when the viewer allows uncertainty to remain.

More Than a Memorial to One Artist

The Kasamatsu Hirotomo Memorial Hall was created not only to preserve the work of one painter, but also to support artistic activity on Naru Island.

It has served as a central facility in the “Goto Montparnasse” initiative, which seeks to use art as a source of cultural exchange and regional vitality.

Former classrooms have been used as artists’ studios and spaces for community art lessons.

The building has also hosted exhibitions by other artists, displays of work by local residents, creative workshops, and classical music performances.

An anagama climbing kiln stands in the former school grounds and has been used for ceramic production and firing.

This continuing activity gives the building a purpose beyond preserving the past.

A school is naturally a place where people learn and create. By turning its classrooms into studios and galleries, the memorial hall has allowed that role to continue in a new form.

The voices of pupils may no longer fill the corridors every day, but the building remains a place where ideas are shared and new work can begin.

Step Outside and Continue the Exhibition in the Landscape

The experience of the memorial hall does not have to end when you leave the galleries.

Beside the building is the Funamawari Shrine Grove, designated a Natural Monument by Nagasaki Prefecture.

The grove contains warm-climate species including holt’s machilus, nataore trees, isu trees, Japanese bay trees, and large akou figs. Several nataore trees have trunk circumferences exceeding three meters.

The dense greenery offers a glimpse of the natural environment characteristic of the central Goto Islands.

Miyanohama Beach is also nearby.

Its clear water and rounded pebble shore make it an ideal place to visit before or after the museum.

Inside the galleries, the sea appears through Kasamatsu’s memory and imagination.

Outside, the real water reflects the sky beneath the green mountains of Naru Island.

Looking at the paintings first and the sea afterward creates one experience.

Seeing the beach before entering the museum creates another.

Either way, the landscape and artwork begin to speak to each other.

Miyanomori Comprehensive Park and its campground are located behind the museum area, making it possible to combine art, a coastal walk, and time in the island’s forests.

A Quiet Place for a Rainy Day

Many of Naru Island’s attractions are outdoors: coastlines, rock platforms, beaches, and observation decks.

The Kasamatsu Hirotomo Memorial Hall is therefore particularly valuable when rain or strong wind changes an island itinerary.

Rain also suits the atmosphere of the former school.

The sound of water outside, the quiet corridors, and the large paintings can create a contemplative experience quite different from a bright summer visit.

A quick visit is possible, but allowing around 45 minutes to one hour provides time to follow the development of Kasamatsu’s work, notice the details of the old school building, and explore the immediate surroundings.

The museum is suitable not only for dedicated art lovers.

It may also appeal to visitors interested in abandoned-school architecture, island communities, Christianity in the Goto Islands, postwar history, or simply a calm indoor pause during a busy day of sightseeing.

Before You Visit

The Kasamatsu Hirotomo Memorial Hall is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Last admission is at 4:30 p.m.

It is closed every Monday and Wednesday, as well as during the New Year period from December 29 through January 3.

The admission fee is 100 yen for adults and 50 yen for students. Residents of Goto City may enter free of charge.

Parking is available.

The reception desk and principal exhibition spaces are located on the second floor. Visitors who find stairs difficult should contact the museum in advance to confirm the current access arrangements and available assistance.

Because the collection is displayed in rotation, works featured on the official website or in tourism materials may not be on view during your visit.

Temporary exhibitions, gallery changes, events, facility maintenance, or severe weather may also affect normal operations.

Ask staff before taking photographs or recording video. Rules may vary according to the work, exhibition, and intended use.

Ferries to Naru Island may be delayed or canceled because of weather and sea conditions.

Rental cars and taxis are limited on the island, so it is best to arrange your ferry and local transportation together.

A short uphill journey from Naru Port leads to the gates of Nagasaki Prefectural Naru High School.

Enter the school grounds with permission, and a simple stone monument can be found in the garden on the left-hand side.

Engraved on its surface are the handwritten words of Japanese singer-songwriter Yumi Matsutoya—widely known by her nickname, Yuming—and her song “Hitomi wo Tojite,” often translated as “Close Your Eyes.”

The monument is not large or elaborate.

It stands quietly on a stone-covered base, surrounded by trees and the everyday atmosphere of a working island school.

Yet the story behind it reaches far beyond the school grounds.

The song began with a letter written by a high school student on a small island. That letter crossed the sea, reached a young musician in Tokyo, and returned to Naru Island as a piece of music.

Although “Hitomi wo Tojite” was never adopted as the school’s official anthem, generations of students continued to sing it. Over time, it became something even greater: a song associated with Naru Island itself, its sea, its departures, and the people who continue to remember home after leaving.

A Student’s Letter Sent Across the Sea

The story began in 1974, when the present-day Naru High School was still the Naru Branch of Nagasaki Prefectural Goto High School.

The branch used the main school’s anthem, but its lyrics had little connection to the landscape or daily life of Naru Island.

One of the students wanted a song that felt like their own.

She wrote to a late-night radio program and asked Yumi Arai—the name under which Yumi Matsutoya was then performing—to compose a school song for the students of Naru.

It was an audacious request from a small island school to a young singer-songwriter working far away in Tokyo.

But the letter was read.

And Yuming responded.

She imagined Naru Island’s sea and mountains, the distance between friends, and the feelings of people separated by the water. From those images, she wrote and composed “Hitomi wo Tojite.”

A single letter had traveled across the sea.

A song came back in reply.

An Island Imagined Before It Was Visited

When Yuming wrote “Hitomi wo Tojite,” she had not yet visited Naru Island.

She created its landscape through the student’s message and her own imagination.

The song evokes the sea, the hills, distant islands, and the wish to send one’s thoughts to a friend living far away.

Those images closely matched life on Naru Island.

The sea is never far from view. Travel to another island or city begins with a boat. Many young people leave after graduation to continue their studies or begin working elsewhere.

For residents of Naru, distance is not an abstract idea. It is visible in the stretch of water between the island and the rest of the world.

“Hitomi wo Tojite” was included on Yumi Arai’s second original album, MISSLIM, released on October 5, 1974.

The song became known throughout Japan, but on Naru Island it carried a different weight.

Here, it was not simply a track on a celebrated album.

It was a song written in response to one of the island’s own students.

Listening to it before visiting the monument—and then listening again while looking out over the sea—reveals why it has remained so closely connected to Naru.

Not the Official School Song, but the Island’s Song

“Hitomi wo Tojite” was not ultimately adopted as the official school anthem.

A different song later became Naru High School’s formal school song.

Yet Yuming’s composition did not disappear.

When the school became the independent Nagasaki Prefectural Naru High School in 1976, “Hitomi wo Tojite” continued to be sung as an aishoka—a cherished school song or community song passed down outside the formal anthem tradition.

Students sang it at graduations and other important occasions.

Its meaning became especially powerful when graduates left Naru Island for university, employment, or a new life elsewhere.

At the port, families, teachers, classmates, and neighbors would watch departing students board the boat.

As the vessel pulled away, “Hitomi wo Tojite” was played alongside “Hotaru no Hikari,” the Japanese farewell song set to the melody of “Auld Lang Syne.”

The song was no longer only about an imagined separation.

It had become the soundtrack to real departures.

Those remaining on the island watched the boat grow smaller.

Those leaving looked back at the port, the mountains, and the people standing on the shore.

Repeated across generations, these moments helped transform “Hitomi wo Tojite” from a song associated with one school into an unofficial anthem of Naru Island.

A Monument Built by Graduates

Fourteen years after the song was written, former students began planning a permanent monument.

The project gained momentum when “Hitomi wo Tojite” was selected for inclusion in a school music textbook.

The monument was created through the efforts of Naru High School alumni and erected in the school garden.

Its unveiling ceremony was held on August 14, 1988.

The words carved into the stone reproduce Yuming’s own handwriting.

Yuming attended the ceremony herself, visiting the island that inspired the song for the first time.

The sequence feels almost like a long exchange of letters.

First, a student wrote from Naru Island.

Yuming answered with music.

The students and islanders kept that music alive.

Then, years later, the graduates responded by creating a monument and inviting its composer to the place she had once imagined from afar.

The stone is therefore more than a memorial to a famous musician.

It represents a relationship built between a song, a school, and an island community.

Look for the Warmth in Yuming’s Handwriting

The monument stands just inside the school gate, on the left-hand side of the grounds.

There is no large visitor center, dramatic entrance, or elaborate exhibition.

The natural form of the stone has been preserved, and the monument rests on a base faced with pale pieces of stone.

Its most important feature is the writing itself.

The words are not reproduced in a standard printed typeface. They follow the shapes of Yuming’s handwritten characters.

That detail gives the monument a personal quality.

The inscription connects the stone directly to the person who answered the student’s request in 1974.

Take time to look not only at the text, but also at the setting around it.

This remains an active school where students attend classes, participate in clubs, and prepare for their own futures.

The song belongs to the past, but it is also surrounded by the continuing life of Naru High School.

That contrast is part of what makes the monument meaningful.

A Song About Departure on an Island Reached by Boat

To understand the emotional importance of “Hitomi wo Tojite,” it helps to spend time around Naru Port.

There is no bridge connecting Naru Island to the mainland or the neighboring major islands.

Arriving and leaving usually means traveling by boat.

For a visitor, the ferry or high-speed vessel is part of the excitement of an island journey.

For residents, however, the port is also where many important farewells take place.

A student leaving for further education.

A young person beginning a job in another city.

A friend moving away.

A family member returning after a short visit.

Modern communication makes it easier to stay in touch, but watching someone disappear across the sea still gives distance a physical form.

After visiting the monument, return toward Naru Port and look across the water.

The relationship between the song and the island may become clearer.

The sea is beautiful, but it also separates people.

At the same time, it connects them. Letters, music, boats, memories, and people all cross it.

Why Visit Even If You Are Not a Yuming Fan?

For admirers of Yumi Matsutoya, the monument is an important destination associated with one of her early songs.

But knowledge of her music is not required to appreciate the place.

The story is also about a teenager who believed that someone far away might listen.

It is about a musician who chose to answer.

It is about graduates who continued to care for a song long after leaving school.

And it is about a community that gave the song new meaning by singing it through decades of departures and reunions.

The monument demonstrates how a work of music can become larger than the person who created it.

Once a song enters the lives of listeners, it begins to gather their memories.

For Naru Island, “Hitomi wo Tojite” carries the memory of school days, friendships, graduation ceremonies, port farewells, and the view of home from a departing boat.

The visit itself may be brief.

But once you know the story, the modest stone monument can become one of the most memorable stops on the island.

Visit at the Beginning—or End—of Your Naru Island Journey

The Yuming Song Monument is approximately five minutes from Naru Port by car and around 24 minutes on foot.

Its location makes it easy to visit near the beginning or end of a trip.

Visit soon after arriving, and the story of “Hitomi wo Tojite” can accompany you as you explore Naru Island’s coastline, hills, churches, and settlements.

Visit before your return boat, and the experience takes on a different meaning.

You will soon be the person leaving the island.

The port will recede, the hills will become smaller, and Naru Island will gradually disappear from view.

At that moment, the story of a song about remembering distant friends and landscapes may feel unexpectedly personal.

Before You Visit

The Yuming Song Monument is located inside the grounds of Nagasaki Prefectural Naru High School.

This is an active educational institution, not a public park or a purpose-built tourist facility.

Visitors should contact the school in advance or speak to a member of staff upon arrival before entering the grounds.

The monument is located on the left after passing through the school gate.

Do not enter the school buildings or walk into areas unrelated to the monument without permission.

Keep voices and other noise low, particularly while classes, examinations, club activities, or school events are taking place.

Do not photograph students, teachers, or other members of the school community without their permission.

When listening to “Hitomi wo Tojite” at the site, use headphones rather than playing the song through a loudspeaker.

Admission is free.

Parking is available with the school’s permission. Speak to Naru High School before using the parking area.

There is no visitor toilet specifically provided for the monument. Use facilities around Naru Port or another public facility before arriving.

Access may be restricted during examinations, school events, holidays, maintenance, or other school operations. Confirm the visiting arrangements before making a special trip.