1 upcoming voyage calls at Fukue
Times shown are as scheduled and can change. Weather, sea conditions and port operations may shorten a call or prevent it — always check the latest information from NYK Cruises, and once aboard, from the ship.
About Fukue
The main island of the Goto chain, off the west coast of Kyushu and closer to the continent than to most of Japan. Christians fleeing persecution settled these islands from the late eighteenth century and practised in secret for generations; when the ban was lifted they built churches, and fifty-odd of them stand across the group. Two of the Goto sites were inscribed by UNESCO in 2018 — though not the one most visitors see.
Within reach of the port
Dozaki Church
Brick, finished in 1908, standing at the water on the north-east of Fukue island — the first church built in Goto after the ban ended. It holds a museum of the hidden years. A Nagasaki Prefecture cultural property; the World Heritage inscription covers other Goto sites, not this one.
Goto City (official) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it
The World Heritage villages
What UNESCO inscribed in 2018 is the settlements: Kuga island, and the Egami village on Naru island with its wooden church of 1918. Both are off Fukue by boat, and both are places people lived rather than monuments.
Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (official, English) ↗
The island itself
A volcano at one end, cliffs on the west, and beaches of pale sand. Goto udon is made here, hand-pulled with camellia oil, and the camellia is also pressed for the oil the islands sell.
Goto tourism (official) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it
Shore excursions
NYK Cruises run their own guided excursions at each port, booked by guests themselves through My ASUKA PLANS — the booking window opens before departure and depends on your cabin class. They are conducted in Japanese. Going ashore independently is always an option.
Official sources
- Goto City World Heritage pages (official) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it