Shimabara Peninsula

Introducing Shimabara Peninsula

The most popular route between Nagasaki and Kumamoto is via the hilly roads of Shimabara hondō (main route). Local bus services connect with ferries from Shimabara to the Kumamoto coast, and tour buses operating between Nagasaki and Kumamoto explore the peninsula.

It was an uprising on the Shimabara peninsula that led to the suppression of Christianity in Japan and the country’s subsequent two centuries of seclusion from the West. The peasant rebels made their final valiant stand against overwhelming odds (37, 000 versus 120, 000) at Hara-jō, at almost the southern tip of the peninsula. The warlords even chartered a Dutch man-of-war to bombard the hapless rebels, who held out for 80 days before being slaughtered.

On 3 June 1991, the 1500m peak of Unzen-dake erupted after lying dormant for 199 years, taking the lives of 43 journalists and scientists. Over 12, 000 people were evacuated from nearby villages before the lava flow reached the outskirts of Shimabara.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009