Francis Xavier Memorial Church, Hirado

St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church stands on a hillside overlooking Hirado harbor in Nagasaki Prefecture, commemorating the arrival of Christianity to the region. Originally constructed in 1913 as Hirado Catholic Church, the building was relocated and reconstructed at its present location in 1931. The church received its current name after a statue of St. Francis Xavier was erected in 1971, honoring the Spanish Jesuit missionary who introduced Christianity to Japan and visited Hirado in 1550. Xavier reportedly won more converts in just 20 days of preaching in Hirado than he did in a whole year in Kagoshima, and Japan's first church was built here in 1551.

The church features reinforced concrete construction with Gothic architectural elements, including a large central steeple topped with a cross, a smaller steeple on the left side, pointed arches above windows and doors, clusters of spires, and flying buttresses on the sides. The building's distinctive emerald green walls have made it one of the most photographed religious structures in Kyushu. The church is surrounded by bamboo groves and Buddhist temples, creating the popular photographic composition known as "the view of a Christian church and Japanese temple", which represents the cultural blend of Japanese and Western influences in Nagasaki.

Visitors can explore the church interior and grounds, including the statue of St. Francis Xavier and nearby monuments such as the Monument to the Martyrdom of Fr. Camillus Costanzo, an Italian missionary. The church remains an active place of worship and is part of Nagasaki's significant Christian heritage sites. Photography inside the church is typically not permitted, and visitors should maintain silence and remove shoes before entering.

From Nagasaki Station, take a train to Sasebo, then change for Tabira, which takes approximately 90 minutes. Express buses from Nagasaki Station take 1 hour and 40 minutes. From Fukuoka, JR trains run to Hirado-guchi Station in Tabira. The church is accessible on foot from Hirado town center. Admission is free, though there is a donation box inside for voluntary contributions. The church may be closed on Sunday mornings during mass services.