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Q-⓭ Amakusa Islands Drive

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Q-⓭ Amakusa Islands Drive Travel Guide of Scenic Byway Kyushu Q-⓭ Amakusa Islands Drive Kami-amakusa City, Amakusa City and Reihoku-machi Town (Kumamoto Pref.) Rebellion of Amakusa-Shimabara, Sunset Road in West Coast, and Geopark Island The Amakusa Islands are more than 120 large and small islands that straddle between Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures, and are included in Shimabara-Amakusa National Park. The scenery route area of "Amakusa Islands Drive" consists of five important islands among them, and the local governments are Kami- amakusa City, Amakusa City and Reihoku Town of Kumamoto Prefecture. Many islands in this scenic area are tied by bridges. Since the Amakusa Five Bridges was built in 1966, the Amakusa Seto Ohashi Bridge was constructed between Amakusa-Kamishima Island and Amakusa-Shimoshima in 1974, and the Haiya Ohashi bridge was built between Amakusa-Shimoshima and Gesu-jima Island in 1997. The main islands from Uto Peninsula to Gesu-jima are connected by many long bridges and are now in the state of a peninsula. (1) Amakusa First Bridge (Tenmon Bridge) crossing Misumi Strait The Amakusa Islands had several remarkable events related at [Access] The Amakusa Islands can be reached by plane, boat or car. home and abroad. In the mid-16th century, Christianity spread to There are regular flights from Fukuoka Airport and Kumamoto the Amakusa Islands. Also, four boys of the Tensho mission to Airport to Amakusa Airport. There are ship routes from the ports Europe brought a Gutenberg printing press to the island, and of Mogi, Shimabara, Misumihigashi and Nagashima to Amakusa. published a book about Aesop’s stories ahead of other places of our JR Misumi Line are also available to Misumi Station in Uki City, country at the end of the 16th century. Amakusa, on the other hand, and express buses service from Fukuoka City and Kumamoto City is a hidden Christian island that was persecuted by the Edo to the Hondo Machi in Amakusa City. Due to these traffic Shogunate from the 17th to 19th centuries. conditions, access to islands is very convenient. (9) Fossil of Dinosaur in Goshoura Island (9) Fossil of Ammonite of Goshoura Island (5) ImpregnableTomioka Castle in Reihoku-Town. 1 [Main Road] An overview of the roads and traffic for driving Another attraction is the Geopark of Amakusa Islands. An through the Amakusa Islands is as follows (see the map). important place is the Goshonoura Islands where fossils of Misumi West Port, which is registered as a “World Industrial dinosaur and ammonites were found. On the west coast of Heritage in the Meiji era”, is located at the tip of the Uto Peninsula Amakusa Shimoshima Island, there are strangely shaped rocks, and is the starting point of this scenic route. From there, if you cross and a Tropical Ocean Park in the south. In addition, the Amakusa Oyano Island on the opposite bank, the main roads of the islands Islands are a production base of stone for ceramic, accounting for are National Roads 266, 324 and 384, but in some places where you 80% in the whole country. need to pass through prefecture roads. Gesu Island needs prefecture and city roads. You can reach the Goshoura Islands by (1) Misumi Port & (2) Amakusa Pearl Line Road. boat, and prefecture road 333 is avalable for the tour of the islands. The first bridge of Amakusa-Gokyo (five bridges) is the “Tenmon” [Scenic Resources] The scenic route has two important resources. bridge, and the “Tenjyokyo” bridge (2018, 463m in length) parallel One is the riot in Amakusa island and Shimabara peninsula from to it. These cross the Misumi Strait near the current Misumi West 1637 to 1638, which was led by a 16-year-old Christian boy, Port. The section of the five bridges from the 1st bridge on National Amakusa Shiro. He was coincidentally about the same age as the Road 266 is called Amakusa’s Pearl Line. As some scenic spots Orleians maid, Jeanne d’Arc. along the Pearl Line, there are "Amakusa Shirou" Memorial Hall The battle began at Suwa Shrine (3) on Amakusa-Kamishima and Takamoku Tombolo Island. After crossing these five bridges, Island. After fierce battles at Hondo Castle (4) and Tomioka Castle you will arrive at the Matsushima Onsen (hot spring). From the (5), rebel farmers crossed over Shimabara Bay. Then, they built a barricade at Hara Castle on the Shimabara Peninsula and desperately resisted. This story is similar to Hebraic people escape from Egypt in the Old Testament. Eventually, however, over 37,000 farmers were killed, or committed suicide. No such tragedy can be found anywhere in the world. Then, Christianity was banned and forced to switch to Buddhism, but in the southern part of Amakusa City, the hidden faith of Cristian continued for over 200 years. In the Meiji era, the ban on Christianity was lifted, and the Oe Church and Sakitsu Cathedral were built. Five literary youths visited these churches from Tokyo to learn about European literature and tackle its development. That is the work of "Five- pairs of Shoes", and in that sense, Amakusa is the starting point of modern (1) Misumi Port (1887) of World Industrial Heritage literature in Japan. (2) Amakusa 4th-Bridge (Maejima (3) Octopus Highway (National Road 324). (3) Trace of Nanban-Ji Temple (Current Shokakuji Bridge) (Kami-Amakusa City) Temple). (Amakusa City) (3) Ooshimako Suwa Shrine of started point of Battle (2) Isles in Amakusa Matsushima and 5 Bridges in Amakusa Pearl Line. (4) Statue of Amakusa Shirou. (Amakusa City) 2 that it was reported that the water near the stone bridge of the river was stained with blood. By the way, the rare stone girder bridge with many pillars is 29m long and is a national important cultural property. The monument shown in the photo (4) is for the war dead of both troops. The gorgeous Myotokuji Temple was founded in 1645 to (4) Arch Stone Bridge (14.3m. 1879) in Kusuura, and Japan’s largest Stone Girder bridge (Gion Bridge. 28.6m.1832). (Amakusa City convert from Christianity to Buddhism. These are the main locations in the Hondo region associated with the Amakusa Rebellion. If you stop by the nearby Amakusa Christian Museum, you can learn more detail about the Amakusa and Shimabara rebellion and hidden (4) Martyrdom thousand people Christians. (4) Hondo district (CBD in Amakusa City) and mounds. (5) Dolphin Watching and Tomioka castle Amakusa-Seto Ohashi Bridge. ruins in Reihoku Town. The main attractions in this areas are the sea dolphin watching and Tomioka Castle. At the entrance of Shimabara Bay in the northwest of Amakusa Shimoshima Island, you can see a group of natural dolphins from a boat, which is impressive. Then, proceed while gazing at the (5) Dolphin Watching Tour in (5) Strange Rock seen at low tide. natural rocks in the shape of a chest Amakusa Bay Mouth. (Reihoku Town) made of waves (Photo (5)), you will arrive at Tomioka Island. Due to the pond and rugged terrain, the rebels gave up occupying Tomioka Castle. You will understand whys by visiting it and looking at it. During the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries), the Amakusa domain was under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate, and the magistrate's office was in Tomioka Castle. The castle offers views of Tombolo and the sandbar, and the magistrate's building is now restored (4) Tower Gate with Nio-Guardians of Myoutokuji Temple as a visitor center displaying materials on hillside observatory, you can enjoy interesting views of many the history, nature, and culture of islands like a miniature garden, as in Photo (2). Amakusa Islands. (3) Areas along Shimabara Bay. (6) & (7) Oe and Sakitsu districts in Amakusa City When going from National Road 266 to National Road 324, there After going south on the National Road 389 and reaching to the is a section nicknamed “Tako (Octopus) Road”. If you enter a side southern part of Amakusa city, you will find Shimoda Onsen (hot street from the Tako road, you will find the ruins of an old Christian spring), and proceeding further south, the spectacular sunset church (Nanban-ji Temple) built in the 16th century. At the peak, scenery of Amakusa which dye huge rocks red is spectacular (Photo more than 3,500 people became believers, and Nanban culture (7) ). developed. However, after the riot of Shimabara-Amakusa There are two famous churches in the south. French priest (1637~1638), Nanban-ji Temple was destroyed. Instead, Shokaku- Garnier built an elegant white Oe church on a hill to spread ji Temple was built to convert to Buddhism, but it has a unique Christianity and Western culture by pouring his property, as atmosphere compared to a pure Japanese style of temple. shown in the photo (7). (4) Areas of Hondo Castle. On the other hand, in the Edo period, there was a Shoya (village If you pass Oshimago Suwa Shrine on the way and cross mayor) residence adjacent to the Sakitsu fishing port. Under the Amakusa Seto Ohashi Bridge which has a loop approach, you Christian ban, villagers were tested there to step on the picture of arrive at the center of Amakusa City. At the Yamaguchi River and Christ to prove they were not Christians. After the lifting of the ban the ruins of Hondo Castle, a fierce battle of Amakusa was fought so on Christian, a magnificent Gothic church, Sakitsu Cathedral (1934), was built in the same place. In addition, Christians hidden 3 around the church created villages for agriculture and fishery. It has a unique landscape and is now an important cultural and regional landscape of our country.
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