Rainy Day in Hirado

Awhile ago I went on a tour through the Navy base to Hirado. Hirado is an island that is part of the Nagasaki Prefecture. It was a port of call for ships between the Asian mainland and Japan since the Nara period. It was an awesome trip; however, in true Japanese fashion it poured! Our tour guide was atually one of my coworkers Eriko, she is amazing and is a walking Japanese encyclopedia and is so excited about everything.

We went to the grave of William Adams, who the TV show Shogun was based on.

Hirado Castle: was the seat of the Matsuura clan, the three dots in the first picture represents the Matsuura Clain.










<strong>As we were walking along the street we came across a bath. Seriously, in the middle of the town on a little side street there was this heated bath filled with mineral water and you could just sit there and soak your hands and feet. The only thing that could have made this better was sitting there with a glass of wine and staying there all day. Your skin immediately feels softer and nicer. The last picture is like that because of the steam!





St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church, formerly known as Hirado Church. This church was built in 1931 and has become one of Hirado`s popular tourist spots, as it looks out over the town and the harbour. Formerly known as Hirado Church it was renamed St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church in 1971 to honor the missionary’s visit to Hirado in 1550. You couldn't get into the Church but could peek through this little window in the foyer.







At one of our castles you could try on the Kimonos: