Inheritance of faith(10)
Father De Rotz
Frenchman Marc Marie de Rotz went to Japan in 1868, when the suppression of Christians was ongoing, prepared to die. He achieved many things in addition to performing his missionary work.
In 1879, Father de Rotz, who had become the senior priest in the Sotome district of Nagasaki Prefecture, fully realized that, “It’s necessary to save not just the soul, but also the body, and to help people make a living.” So, in 1883, he began building a village centered on a church and established the Former Shitsu Aid Center, a vocational training facility.
De Rotz, who was born into nobility, used his own fortune to undertake various projects for the people of the Sotome District to provide the spirits of independence, who affectionately called him De Rotz-sama. The Former Shitsu Aid Center is part of the “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region” UNESCO World Heritage, and it is located in “Shitsu Village in Sotome.”
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Former Shitsu Aid Center
The Former Shitsu Aid Center is made up of the following assets, which it has preserved and repaired:
- Vocational Training Workshop (Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property)
- De Rotz Wall (Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property)
- Pharmacy (Nagasaki Prefecture Designated Historical Landmark)
- Macaroni Factory (Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property)
- Old Flour Mill (Nagasaki Prefecture Designated Historical Landmark)
Location: 2696-1 Nishishitumachi, Nagasaki-shi
PH: 0959-25-1002 (Former Shitsu Aid Center)
Website: Former Shitsu Aid Center
https://shitsu-kyujoin.com/en/publics/index/
Closed: Mondays (on the following day if a public holiday), Dec 29 to Jan 3
Admission: 400 yen (adults), 250 yen (junior high/high school), 200 yen (elementary and below)
Transportation: 5 to 10 min walk from “Shitsu Bunkamura” bus stop
Approx. 50 min from JR Nagasaki area by car
Approx. 60 min from Kyushu Odan Expressway Nagasaki-Oita Line Nagasaki Interchange
Parking: Available (3 locations, approx. 45 cars)