Our friend Yoshiko Toyama has contributed this breathtaking photo of the Sakitsu Catholic Church (崎津教会), built by French priests in 1934.
The church is situated on a complex series of bays in southern Amakusa, the outer of which has the unusual name Youkakuwan (羊角湾 - “goat horn bay”), and the inner, Hayaura (早浦). “Ura” might be best translated as “estuary.” In the 1970s, a plan to dam Hayaura and convert it to farmland was killed by incensed fisherman. The plan was similar to that which befell Nagasaki’s Isahayawan (諫早湾）, but with 400 years experience concealing their Christianity, these are not people to mess with.
The warm Kuroshio Current interacts with cold northern winds to create fog. A park on the opposite side of Youkakuwan provides an excellent photography site. If you have a car and a tent, a few days poking around the area is highly recommended. (You probably won’t need the tent; some local will invite you inside.) Below: Toyama-san’s photo and a satellite view. - William