Arima Christian Heritage Museum

This small museum sits on the road to Hara Castle, the World Heritage site where over 20,000 rebels held off 120,000 shogunate troops for months during the 1637 Shimabara Rebellion before being massacred. One striking exhibit is a large-scale model of the castle's main gate excavation, complete with human bones marked by sword and spear cuts. Cases nearby hold crosses, rosary beads, and arquebuses found at the site, alongside medals depicting Jesuit saints Ignatius and Francis Xavier that must have been smuggled in years after Christianity was banned in 1614. A second room covers European trade contact and includes a full-size printing press.