Travel Guide of Scenic Byway Kyushu

Q-⓭ Amakusa Islands Drive
Kami-amakusa City, Amakusa City and Reihoku-machi Town (KumamotoPref.)－Rebellion of Amakusa-Shimabara, Sunset Road in West Coast, and Geopark

Island－The Amakusa Islands are more than 120 large and small
islands on the border between Kumamoto and Kagoshima,
and are included in Shimabara-Amakusa National Park.
The scenery route area of "Amakusa Islands Drive"
consists of five important islands among them, and belongs
to Kami-amakusa City, Amakusa City and Reihoku Town
as local governments.
Many islands in this scenic area are tied by bridges.
Amakusa Five Bridges was built in 1966. In 1974, theAmakusa Seto Ohashi Bridge between AmakusaKamishima Island and Amakusa-Shimoshima Island, andin 1997, the Haiya Ohashi bridge connecting AmakusaShimoshima Island and Gesu-Shima Island was built. In
short, islands from Uto Peninsula to Gesu Island areconnected by a lot of long bridges.
The Amakusa Islands have experienced several
remarkable events related to home and abroad.
Christianity spread to the Amakusa Islands in the mid16th century. Also, four boys of the Tensho mission toEurope brought a Gutenberg printing press to the island,(1)

Amakusa First Bridge (Tenmon Bridge) crossing Misumi Strait

and published a book of Aesop’s stories ahead of otherplaces in our country at the end of the 16th century.
Amakusa, on the other hand, is islands of hidden
Christians persecuted by the Edo Shogunate in the 17thcentury.

(8) Fossil of Dinosaur in Goshoura Island(8) Fossil of Ammonite of Goshonoura Island(5) ImpregnableTomioka Castle in Reihoku-machi Town.

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(Main Road). The following is an overview of roads andsuicide. No such tragedy can be seen anywhere in thetraffic for traveling the Amakusa Islands.
world.
The Misumi West Port, which is registered a “WorldChristianity was subsequently banned and forced toIndustrial Heritage in the Meiji era”, is located at the tip ofswitch to Buddhism, but in the southern part of Amakusa
the Uto Peninsula and is the starting point of this scenic
City, hidden faith of Cristian continued for over 200 years.
route. The main roads on the islands are National Routes
After the Meiji era, the ban on Christianity was lifted, and266, 324 and 384, but some spots require the use of
the Oe Church and Sakitsu Cathedral were built. Fiveprefectural roads. Gesu Island needs to drive by car onliterary youths visited these churches from Tokyo to learn
prefectural and city roads, and the Goshono-ura Islands
about European literature and tackle its development.
must be approached by boat, and prefectueral road 333 isThat is the work of "Five pairs of shoes," and in that sense,
needed in islands.
Amakusa is the beginning of modernization in Japan.
(Access). The Amakusa Islands can be reached by plane,
Another attraction is the Geopark of Amakusa Islands.
boat or car. There are flight courses from Amakusa Airport
An important place is the Goshono-ura Islands whereto Fukuoka Airport and Kumamoto Airport. By boat, there
fossils of dinosaur and ammonites were found. On the west
are routes from Mogi, Shimabara, Misumi-higashi andcoast of Amakusa Shimoshima Island, there are strangely
Nagashima to Amakusa. There are also JR Misumi Line
shaped rocks, and a Tropical Ocean Park in the south. Inand high-speed buses from Fukuoka City and Kumamotoaddition, the Amakusa Islands are a production base ofCity to Misumi Town in Uki City or Hondo Area inceramic stone, accounting for 80% in the whole country.
Amakusa City. Due to these traffic conditions, access toislands is very convenient.
(Scenic Resources).
The scenicroute has two important resources.
One was the riot in Amakusa andShimabara from 1637 to 1638, led
by a 16-year-old Christian boy,
Amakusa Shiro. Coincidentally, he
was about the same age as theOrleians maid, Jeanne d’Arc, whodied at age 19.
The battle started at Suwa
Shrine (3) in Amakusa-KamishimaIsland. After fierce battles atHondo Castle (4) and Tomioka
Castle (5), the rebel farmers
crossed Shimabara Bay. Then, theybuilt a barricade at ShimabaraCastle on the Shimabara Peninsulaand desperately resisted. This story
is similar to the Hebrew escapefrom Egypt in the Old Testament.
Eventually, however, over 30,000(1) Misumi Port (1887) of World Industrial Heritage
farmers were killed or committed(2) Amakusa 4th-Bridge (Maejima Bridge)(Kami-Amakusa City)(3) Octopus Highway (National Road No.324).

(3) Trace of Nanban-Ji Temple (Current ShokakujiTemple). (Amakusa City)(3) Ooshimako Suwa Shrine of started
point of Battle (Amakusa-Kamishima)(2) Isles in Amakusa Matsushima and 5 Bridges in Amakusa Pearl Line.

(4) Statue of Amakusa Shiro. (Amakusa City)2

(1) Misumi Port & (2) Amakusa Pearl
Line Road.
The first bridge of "Amakusa-Gokyou(Five Bridges)" is called Tenmon Bridge,
and it crosses the Misumi Strait near thecurrent Misumi West Port. The section ofthe five bridges from the 1st bridge on
National Route 266 is called Amakusa
Pearl Line. As some scenic spots alongAmakusa Pearl Line, there are"Amakusa Shiro" Memorial Hall andTakamoku Tombolo Island. After crossingthese five bridges, you will arrive at theMatsushima Onsen (hot spring). Fromthe hillside observatory, you can see
interesting views of many islands like aminiature garden.
(3) Area along Shimabara Bay.

(4) Arch Stone Bridge (14.3m. 1879) in Kusuura, and Japan’s largest Stone Girder
bridge (Gion Bridge. 28.6m.1832). (Amakusa City)(4) Hondo district (CBD in Amakusa City) andAmakusa-Seto Ohashi Bridge with loop approach.

(4) Martyrdom thousand peoplemounds. (Amakusa City)

When going from National Route 266 toNational Route 324, there is a section
nicknamed “Taco (Octopus) Road”. If you
enter a side street from the Taco road, youwill find the ruins of an old Christianchurch (Nanban-ji Temple) built in the
16th century. At the peak, more than
3,500 people became believers, andNanban culture developed. However,(5) Dolphin Watching Tour in(5) Strange Rock seen at low
Amakusa Bay Mouth.
tide. (Reihoku Town)
after the riot of Shimabara-Amakusa(1637~1638), Nanban-ji Temple wasdestroyed. Instead, Shokaku-ji Temple was built
to convert to Buddhism, but it has a uniqueatmosphere compared to a pure Japanese styleof temple.
(4) Area of Hondo Castle.
Then, if you pass Oshimago Suwa Shrine on
the way and cross Amakusa Seto Ohashi
Bridge, which has a loop approach, you arrive at
the center of Amakusa City. A fierce battle in theAmakusa rebellion was fought in the Yamaguchi(4) Tower Gate with Nio-Guardians of Myoutokuji Temple
River and the ruins of Hondo-jo castle. It is said
Next, while looking the natural rocks in the shape of athat the water near the stone bridge in the river waschest made of waves (Phot. (5)), you will arrive at thestained with blood.
Tombolo Island. As you can be seen from the harsh island
The rare stone girder bridge with many pillars is 28.6m
topography, it is the island of Tomioka Castle that even thelong and is a national important cultural property. TheAmakusa Rebellion could not occupy.
monument shown in photo (4) is for the war dead in bothIn the Edo period, the Amakusa domain was under thetroops. The luxurious Myotoku-ji Temple was founded indirect control of the Shogunate, and the magistrate's office1645 to change the religion from Christian to Buddhist.
was in Tomioka Castle. The castle offers views of Tombolo
If you stop by the nearby Amakusa Christian Museum,and the sandbar. Tomiokajima is a great spot to learn about
you can learn more detail about the rebellion between
Amakusa's history, beliefs, and the sea.
Amakusa and Shimabara and hidden Christians.
(5) Dolphin Watching and Tomioka castle ruins in Reihoku
Town.

(6) & (7) Southern area (Oe and Sakitsu) in Amakusa City
After going south on Route 389 and returning toAmakusa, you will arrive at Shimoda Onsen (hot springs).
Further south, you can enjoy the eight beautiful views of
the Amakusa sunset over the strange rocks.
There are two famous churches in the south. By pouring
his property, French priest Garnier built an elegant white
Oe church on a hill to spread Western culture.

The main attractions in this area are the ocean dolphin
watching and Tomioka Castle.
At the entrance of Shimabara Bay in the northwest ofAmakusa Shimoshima Island, you will be thrilled to see agroup of dolphins from the boat.

3On the other hand, in theEdo period, there was aShoya(villagemayor)
residence adjacent to theSakitsu fishing port. There,
under the Christian ban,the villagers were tested tosee if they could step on thepicture of Christ to prove(7) Fishing Port and Church of Sakitsu District (Amakusa City)(7) Ooe Church (Amakusa City)
they were not Christians.
And after the Christian ban
was lifted, the magnificent
Gothic church, Sakitsu
Cathedral (1934), was built
in the same place. Inaddition, Christians hiding
around the church built
their villages for agriculture(7) Replication of Gutenberg Printing Machine (Amakusa Collegio Museum)(8) Ushibuka Haiya Ohashiand fishery. It has a uniquea rare village landscape surrounded by stone walls.
landscape and is now an important cultural and regional
Although it is a device to prevent strong winds in eachlandscape of our country.
house, it is close to the port and can be reached in about(8) Ushibuka Area in Amakusa City.
one hour, so it is recommensded to access from Tanasoko
Ushibuka district is the birthplace of Haiya folk music,Port, too.
in which "Haiya" means the south wind. The song andThe Goshoura Islands in Amakusa City were once adance began at a party held temporarily by a crew member
world geopark. However, it is currently designated as a
who stayed at the port to wait for the wind of the voyage.
Japan Geopark along with other Amakusa islands.
Every spring, a large-scale dance parade is held near
Dinosaur skeletons and ammonite fossils have been
Haiya Ohashi Bridge.
discovered and displayed in the fossil park and the island(9) Goshoura Islands in Amakusa City.
museum.
It would be interesting to roam the island to find fossils
Goshoura-jima Island is accessible from several ports onin the stone walls and stones of home garden. You can also
Amakusa Kamijima and Shimojima, and the main port isrent a bicycle on the island to see the lives of the people of
Hondo Port. However, as shown in photo (9), when you use
the island where nature and fossils coexist.
Tanasoko Port on Amakusa Kamijima, you will encounter(6)~(8) Sunset Scenery at the Southern West Coast in Amakusa Shimoshima.

(5) Amakusa Island and Tomioka Bay from Tomioka Castle.

(9) Houses surrounded with Stone Walls forWind Protection in Tanazoko District.
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○(9) Goshonoura Islands of fossil (Japan Geopark).
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