page_title: Ikitsuki, Nagasaki
section_title: Yamada Church
hierarchical_section_title: Ikitsuki, Nagasaki / Places of interest / Yamada Church
caption_attribution_description: 日本語: 長崎県平戸市生月町にある山田カトリック教会。　２０１１年６月４日撮影。 English: Yamada Catholic Church, Hirado City, Nagasaki, Japan. Taken on 04 June 2011.
context_page_description: Ikitsuki was a town on the island of the same name located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
  As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 7,392 and a density of 445.84 persons per km². The total area was 16.58 km².
  On October 1, 2005, Ikitsuki, along with the town of Tabira and the village of Ōshima, was merged into the expanded city of Hirado.
  Ikitsuki is known historically for two primary reasons: a legacy of whaling and hidden Christians. Near the south end of the island is a museum with exhibits on both these aspects of Ikitsuki's history.
  Nearly all the people of Ikitsuki live on the east side of the island. The west side faces out into the open ocean and is very windy. In addition, much of the west side of the island is cliff-face, with only a few spots which are flat enough even for terraced farming.
  The scenery is stunning in Ikitsuki, and has attracted a great number of domestic tourists since road access was available through bridges connecting Hirado Island with the mainland and Ikitsuki Island to Hirado. The dialect of Ikitsuki can be difficult to understand, even for Japanese people who live in nearby towns.
context_section_description: This church is the last remaining one in Nagasaki Prefecture to have an organized group of Hidden Christians (Kakure Kirishitan) in practice and existence.  Located near Yamada Elementary School, this small church holds much history as one of the first and last outposts of Christian belief and persecution in Japan.
caption: Yamada Church
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