THE HOLY MOTHER OF NAGASAKI

In commemoration of 80 years since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

Nagasaki, an important port city on the southern island of Kyūshū, thriving Christian state with a long history of Hidden Christians (隠れキリシタン), who had suffered from persecution, expulsion, and martyrdom until 1873. When the atomic bomb was dropped on the 9^th August 1945, three days after Hiroshima, Nagasaki was devastated, and roughly 74,000 people perished. Yet, under the rubble of the Urakami Cathedral, the head of a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was miraculously saved.

Based on this story, the Noh play begins with a pilgrim from Tsuwano, a place known associated with the persecution and martyrdom of Christians, visiting Nagasaki. He was amazed by its glorious cathedral, rebuilt by the hands of Christians, a brick by brick. From the priest he learnt a story of what had happened at the night on the atomic bombing, whereby an anonymous injured woman cared attentively for the injured and the sufferers. Next morning she was nowhere to be found, but a white lily had been left. 

Image credit: 銕仙会  TESSENKAI