Nagasaki Prefecture is often referred to as the 'home of Christianity' in Japan. The Christian faith first came to Japan in the mid-16th century. As Nagasaki was one of the ports for overseas trade at the time, many became believers. But what followed was a long and painful era for Japanese Christians. The Shogunate banned their faith and oppressed the believers for over 250 years. However, in many parts of Nagasaki, people secretly kept their faith, which has been passed down to their descendants to this day.