Our pilgrimage begins as we board our flight to Tokyo (not included).

Upon arrival in Tokyo, we will proceed to our hotel for check-in before gathering as a group for Mass at Takanawa Church, which commemorates the Great Martyrdom of Tokyo. We will gather for our first dinner tonight as a group.

Overnight in Tokyo

We will start our first day of touring with Mass at Kanda Catholic Church, the second church built in Tokyo. The church is dedicated to the great missionary to Japan St. Francis Xavier and contains his relic. On the way there, we will pass by Tokyo Imperial Palace, residence of the Emperor of Japan. Afterwards, we will set out for the breathtaking Mount Fuji where we will explore the beautiful mountain area and the chance to pray at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Fuji. We will return to Tokyo for the night.

Overnight in Tokyo

This morning, we will check out of our hotel and fly to Nagasaki, sometimes called the “Little Rome of Japan.” We will begin our time here with Mass at St. Philip’s Church. Then, we will walk a short way to the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument where we will learn the incredible story of Catholicism in Japan over the centuries, giving us a foretaste of the sites that we will visit during the pilgrimage. The museum will also highlight the twenty-six martyrs of Japan, including that of St. Paul Miki, who preached forgiveness while hanging on his cross. We will also be privileged to see original letters written by St. Francis Xavier.

Overnight in Nagasaki

We will begin our day with Mass and a Holy Hour at St. Maximilian Kolbe’s Seibo no Kishi – Hongouchi Church, where afterwards we will visit the St. Kolbe Memorial Museum, pray at the Lourdes Grotto built by St. Maximilian in the 1930s, and pray the rosary along the Rosary Walk. This afternoon, we will have the chance to visit St. Maximilian’s first friary in Nagasaki as well as the Oura Cathedral and Museum, the site where the Hidden Christians were first discovered. All these visits are included and can be visited at our own pace, which also provides the chance to shop in the nearby commercial area. Time permitting, we will visit Our Lady of the Cape, a statue erected at the entrance of Nagasaki Bay on August 15, 1949, the 400th anniversary of St. Francis Xavier bringing Christianity to Japan on Our Lady’s Feast Day. Tonight, we will come together for dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant. 

Overnight in Nagasaki

We will begin the day at Shimabara Catholic Church for Mass. Afterwards, we will visit the Unzen Hot Springs martyrdom site, which commemorates the tremendous sacrifice of the many Christians who stood strong against persecution here, preferring torture in the boiling ‘hells’ of the hot springs rather than to give up their faith. Nearby, we will visit the site of the Shimabara Rebellion and Hara Castle where, in 1637, local Christian farmers were fed up with the persecution they were experiencing and gathered in revolt fighting bravely against the Shogunate army. In response, the army murdered 37,000 Catholics. Today we will also get to see Holy Maria Kannon of Hara Castle, the largest wooden statue of Our Lady in the world, standing at 32.5 feet tall, carved in memory of all those who died in the rebellion.

Overnight in Nagasaki

This morning, Fr. Elias will celebrate Mass at the Urakami Cathedral in the Chapel of the Hibaku Maria (Atomic Bomb Maria). We will then tour the Nagasaki Hypocenter Park and Atomic Bomb Museum, before heading to Nyoko-do and visiting the Servant of God Dr. Takashi Nagai Memorial Museum. Dr. Nagai was a Catholic radiologist, author, and survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing. His subsequent life of prayer, service, and courage in the face of adversity earned him the affectionate title “Saint of Urakami.” Later this afternoon we will take the Bullet Train to Hiroshima.

Overnight in Hiroshima

We will start our day with Mass at the Assumption of Mary Cathedral, also called the Memorial Cathedral of World Peace, the location of the miraculous atomic bomb survival of the Jesuits of Hiroshima. From there we will visit Peace Memorial Park where the direct and indirect victims of the atomic bomb are commemorated. We will spend time at the A-Bomb Museum and the A-Bomb Dome, a building exactly below the detonation site of the bomb. Remarkably, the building was not decimated and stands today as a visual reminder of the events. Today we will also visit Hiroshima Castle which now serves as a museum of local history before World War II.

Overnight in Hiroshima

In the morning, we will take the Bullet Train to Osaka. Today we get to experience Osaka’s many shopping and cultural sites. We will begin with Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, also known as Catholic Tamatsukuri Church, which features a commemoration of Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, a Japanese Catholic Samurai with heroic virtue in the 17^th century. He was beatified in 2017. Nearby, we will make a visit to Osaka Castle, a landmark of Japan famous for its history and stature, and recently popularized with its depiction in an American television drama. We will have free time this afternoon to explore the extensive shopping malls Osaka has to offer.

Overnight in Kyoto

This morning, we will go to the Kawaramachi Church, which commemorates the 52 Kyoto Martyrs, and have Mass in the Our Lady of Miyako Chapel. Our last stop is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the early 17th century and still in remarkable condition today: Nijo Castle. We will have more free time today to explore shopping and cultural sites in Kyoto.

Overnight in Kyoto

Today, we will have Mass again at Kawaramachi Church before we head to the airport for our flight to Akita. When we land, we will have a little time to explore the area before dinner.

Overnight in Akita

Today we will gather for Sunday Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of Akita Seitai Hoshikai, a convent with a chapel that is home to the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Akita, modeled after the statue of Our Lady of All Nations, which from 1973 until the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows in 1981, one could find miraculously shedding tears – sometimes for days at a time and other times at various intervals. Following Mass, we will have a ceremony of consecration and enrollment in the Miraculous Medal. After we break for lunch, we will gather back at the convent grounds to pray the Outdoor Stations of the Cross and have a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction.

Overnight in Akita

This morning, we will return to the convent for Mass and have some time for prayer. Seitai Hoshikai is home to one of the few Catholic gift shops in Japan, so we will have some time to shop there today. This afternoon, we will spend time exploring Kakunodate, the Samurai District, and the Aoyagi Samurai Manor. Tonight, we will enjoy a Farewell Dinner together.

Overnight in Akita