Ojika Town
Masaharu Hirata

It has been 8 years since he moved into Ojika for archaeology job. He has contributed to the cultural development of the town, such as involving the World Heritage registration promotion project. It is also “a contributor behind the scene” of World Heritage registration, which has been investigating the history of the island steadily.

Discovered the history of Crypto-Christians, which led to the World Heritage.

“In ancient times, Ojika is a historic town which had traffic with Chinese mainland in the era of Tang Dynasty, and 800-years-old celadon porcelain has been excavated at the port. During the time of the trade between Japan and the Sung Dynasty in China, it was a very rich island such that ships called at Ojika, and the dried abalone was exported from Ojika.”. The history concerning Ojika comes out one after another from the mouth of Hirata, a historical doctor on the island.
Hirata was born in Nagasaki city. 8 years ago, he took office in Ojika as a curator of the museum. Toward the registration of the World Heritage “Crypto-Christians related heritage in Nagasaki and Amakusa region” he has spent eight years on island research and so on.
Crypto-Christians can't explain without next door Ojikajima. It is a sacred place of Shinto where many crypto-Christians moved in to. “Okinokojima Shrine”, which was founded in this area in 704, was built being faced with “Chinokojima Shrine” in Ojika main island. “They established the Nokubi settlement in the center of Nozakijima and the Funamori settlement in the south, and secretly protected their faith by officially having the name of shrine's parishioners”.
In the investigation by Hirata, it became obvious that the Spanish sisters lived in Nozaki Island, from 1974 to 1978 in Funamori Village, and it became possible to announce officially the family register which is the important proof that the residents received baptism to Catholic. By using photos of the residents in the materials of the research, he was also appreciated by them for discovering the history that they forgot and shining a light on them.
To the work to find “history” on the island from excavation of 'ruins'. “I feel lucky to be a curator because I can be involved in the research of Ojika.” he showed his biggest smile on this day.

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