From Pure Land to Hell: Introducing four culturally hybrid UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Gotō Archipelago

Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan's Gotō Archipelago, inscribed in 2018, reveal a complex cultural hybridity shaped by the interplay of Hidden Christian (HC) refugees and their environment during the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite economic and tourist-driven motivations behind the World Heritage campaign, these sites offer a deeper understanding of HC identity through oral history and historical documents, challenging simplistic narratives. The study demonstrates that HC communities, often marginalized in broader Japanese history, integrated religious practices with local ecological conditions, including harsh winters and coastal resources. By analyzing four key sites—supported by new oral histories—the research reorients East Asian historical narratives to include these interstitial, marginal spaces, emphasizing the significance of human-environmental interactions in shaping cultural heritage.

McClelland, G. (2022). From Pure Land to Hell: Introducing four culturally hybrid UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Gotō Archipelago. Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.21463/shima.130