Ojika Town
Kozo Nishi

In June this year, “Crypto-Christians related heritage in Nagasaki and Amakusa region” of Ojika-cho which was long-cherished wish was just registered as a world heritage. It is predicted that tourists from all over the world will visit in the future, and there are also many urgent issues such as improvement of tourism. In 2018, Ojika made a fresh start.

To a new starting point by being registered as a World Heritage.

This time, “Crypto-Christians related heritage in Nagasaki and Amakusa region” was certified as a world heritage. It consists of 12 assets acrossing Nagasaki and Kumamoto Prefecture, and from Ojika, “The Site of Settlement on Nozaki Island” which is the Crypto-Christians settlement corresponds to its asset.
“Although the graves remained barely in Nozaki Island, there was little evidence regarding the crypto-Christians secretly had been inherited under the ban, and it was extremely difficult to prove.” In the age of the ban, Nozaki Island where the former Nokubi Church of the brick building stands in the center of the island is the island that the crypto-Christians who moved from other place organizationally continued their faith by pretending to be the parishioner of Okinoshima Shrine. In order to see the historical background, architecture and settlements, tourist from all over the country visit this island where no one lives now.
Ojika-cho is where most of the island is designated as Saikai National Park because of its majestic nature and beautiful coast. The settlement landscape that has developed with people's lives and vocation and the landscape created by agriculture and fishery are specific to Ojika and selected for the cultural landscape of the country.
We are focusing on branding of fish caught in the island, and it is recommended to eat pigfish 'Chikasaki', the brand of fish boasted by Ojika, as sashimi due to having plenty of fat. Our own sales channels are also expanding, such as direct wholesale to a pub, and a shop called “local tavern, Nagasaki Goto Island Ojikacho” located in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, is very popular because fresh seafood of Ojika is served in the middle of Tokyo.

Interviewed in May, 2018
Writer : Hideko Takahashi / Photographer : Hiroyuki Tamura