MONUMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRS OF UNZEN

Unzen Jigoku, the hell of Uzen, is the most famous site of the Unzen municipality. A cross is planted on the top of the hill, amidst the fumaroles and sulphur fumes that emanate from it, as if challenging the Devil himself on his own ground. The cross, but also a memorial stone, is dedicated to the Christian martyrs who were crucified on this cursed land in the 16th century on the orders of the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi.