Travel Guide Îles Amakusa

The Amakusa Islands were for many years refuges for the many Japanese converts to Christianity. This group of islands is located about 60 kilometers southwest of the city of Kumamoto. The isolated and rural area offers beautiful natural scenery. This isolation allowed missionaries to convert a considerable percentage of the inhabitants to Christianity before the religion was banned in the early Edo period. Today, there are museums and churches that highlight this heritage. The three main islands of Amakusa are Shimoshima, Ueshima and Oyano. Wild dolphins can be seen on boat trips.