Japan and Korea – 2027 Experience

Theme:  The Blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church.  

We will learn about the great love and perseverance that Japanese and Korean Christians bore for the Faith amidst difficult and trying circumstances.  Our goal as well, is to give guests an appreciation of the cultural and natural beauty of Japan and Korea. We will be visiting the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagasaki.  We will be focusing on the Japanese Martyrs, and the culture in which they brought the Light of Christ to this beautiful land.  Throughout our time, we will also learn about what distinguishes Christianity from Buddhism and Shintoism – that Christ’s path was a way of salvation for these Christians.

November 2: We begin in Tokyo with an Opening Dinner Reception and a talk on the importance of martyrdom in the Church and bearing witness to Christ, especially in a modern world that can be hostile to him.  

November 3: We will have Mass in St. Francis Xavier Church and venerate the relic of St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis Xavier was a jesuit missionary who baptized thousands of the  Japanese people during his time.  He performed many miracles for them, and was even known to have raised the dead back to life. We will then explore the Senso-Ji Temple in the district of Asakusa, and learn about the Buddhist Culture of Japan.  This area is one of the oldest areas of Tokyo.  We will have lunch at a traditional Japanese Restaurant in Asakusa.  Weather permitting, we will see the Meiji Temple of Japan and learn about Shintoism. 

November 4: We will enjoy the culture and nature of Tokyo.  Our first visit will be at the Tokyo National Museum which has a good collection of artifacts from Ancient Japan, as well as some Kirish’tan artifacts and sacred images called fumi’e.  After an impressive sushi lunch, we will explore the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.  Dinner for tonight will be a Sukiyaki Dinner served in the traditional manner. After dinner, we will take a drive through the Shibuya District.

November 5: We shall fly from Tokyo to Nagasaki.  Arrive in Nagasaki for Mass at Oura Cathedral, where the Hidden Christians revealed themselves to Foreign Missionaries in the mid-1800s.  We will have a Dinner Reception introducing our guests to the History of Nagasaki.

November 6-9: In Nagasaki, we will discover the legacy of the Japanese Martyrs commemorated there.  We will visit the Monument and Site of Martyrdom, as well as the adjoining museum.  After Mass, there will be a chance to venerate a relic of the saintly samurai, Paul Miki.  We travel into the countryside to pray at the Unzen Onsen, where martyrs were executed in the Hot Springs. We will visit the Urakami Cathedral, which was devastated by the Atomic Bomb. A visit to Hongouchi Monastery built by St. Maximilian Kolbe, which miraculously survived the atomic bomb.

November 9-11: We will then take a train to Kyoto and stay in this ancient city for two nights.  We will visit various temples and gardens, such as the impressive Golden Pavilion, the Roan-Ji Temple Rock Garden, and the Gion district of town.  We will not leave Kyoto without a Kaiseki Dinner at a premier restaurant. 

November 11-14: From Kyoto, we will fly to Seoul, South Korea. Seoul will be home base for our stay to explore the various impressive shrines that dot the countryside outside of the city.  Most of these rural destinations are about 1.5 hours from Seoul itself.  They comprise of Cathedrals, Churches and Martyrdom Sites:  Jeonju and its Jeondong Cathedral; Gyonegju which is famous for traditional Korean Architecture and an international Martyrs Shrine; Jeoldusan Martyr’s Shrine.  Aside from religious sites, we will taste Korean Imperial Cuisine as well as the famous, Hanwoo Beef.

On November 14, after Mass, guests will bid farewell to South Korea..