Shimabara
Discover Shimabara
Shimabara is a castle town on a peninsula in the far south-east corner of Nagasaki Prefecture, on the flanks of Mt. Unzen, an active volcano dominating the region. After nearly 200 years of dormancy, Mt Unzen last erupted in 1991, killing 43 and devastating the southern district of town with the resultant pyroclastic flows. The city is also the site of the Shimabara Rebellion in which Christians and locals who were unsatisfied with grossly high taxes and oppression of Christianity fought to regain control of the territory. They were unsuccessful, and with the help of the Dutch, the Japanese stopped the rebellion and beheaded approximately 37,000 Christians and peasants. It also led to the ousting of the Portuguese who they no longer trusted, making the Dutch the only Europeans the Japanese were willing to trade with. Although Christianity had already been banned prior to the rebellion, the rebellion made the government even more anti-Christian and even stricter enforcement of the religious ban was established.
What to Experience in Shimabara
Taste of Shimabara...
Not available
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsTrains run direct from Isahaya, near Nagasaki along the private Shimabara line. As with many private lines in Kyushu, the Shimabara line departs from a slightly hidden "platform zero" within the JR station. Don't leave through the JR gates, just hop on the train and buy your tickets from the driver. Various ferry options will let you reach Shimabara from neighbouring Kumamoto. The local train service runs between Shimabara Port and Shimabara central station, closest to the castle. Limited bus services exist around town and run approximately hourly servicing the three main areas of castle/central train station, the port, and the southern part of town with stops about a 10-minute walk away from the disaster hall and another right outside the Mizunashi-honjin Fukae road station (see below). Although some run close, none go up to Unzen Geopark. As the various attractions are each about 3 km from the port, if coming by sea, walking around town may be a desirable option....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The local train service runs between Shimabara Port and Shimabara central station, closest to the castle. Limited bus services exist around town and run approximately hourly servicing the three main areas of castle/central train station, the port, and the southern part of town with stops about a 10-minute walk away from the disaster hall and another right outside the Mizunashi-honjin Fukae road station (see below). Although some run close, none go up to Unzen Geopark. As the various attractions are each about 3 km from the port, if coming by sea, walking around town may be a desirable option. However, despite Shimabara's beauty, like most Japanese cities, much is a desolate ferro-concrete urban wasteland, in this case a thin strip bordering the highway that runs directly through town. If you do choose to walk, the route between the port and the castle could potentially be quite pleasant if one were to carefully avoid said main highway and weave their way north.
Money & Budget
The usual array of edible souvenirs can be picked up from within the port.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Shimabara
a tall white building sitting next to a forest
View of a town with trees and the ocean.
a tall white building sitting next to a forest
View of a town with trees and the ocean.
a tall white building sitting next to a forest
View of a town with trees and the ocean.
a tall white building sitting next to a forest
View of a town with trees and the ocean.
a tall white building sitting next to a forest
View of a town with trees and the ocean.
a tall white building sitting next to a forest
View of a town with trees and the ocean.
a tall white building sitting next to a forest