OVERVIEW

The Koteda family fled their home on the island of Ikitsuki and found refuge in the valley of Ono in 1599. Since it was too far from Shitsu, they set up their own church on a hillside overlooking the sea.
Fr. de Rotz designed the church with distinctive stone walls called ‘dorokabe’ (translated either as ‘mud walls’ or ‘walls made by de Rotz’). The stone wall was piled up by the parishioners using the natural stones from the area.