Some worry that World Heritage status could bring waves of rude tourists to Nagasaki’s churches
Today’s Asahi.com cover story is about the central government’s decision in January to register a group of 20 Christian sites in Nagasaki Prefecture as a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage listing. According to the article, many residents are hoping that their prefecture will be able to get an economic boost from the tourism such a status could bring, some in the Christian community are worried about the negative effects of tourism [emphasis added]:
“On one side of my heart, I am pleased with the registration. But, to be honest, I also feel that the churches should be left alone,” said Catholic priest Fumitake Torise, 46, whose Catholic Shitsu church in the Nishi-Shitsumachi district is among those on the list.
[...]
Acts of sacrilege include visitors extinguishing their cigarettes in holy water, taking photographs during Mass, trouping around during a funeral, drawing graffiti on the wall of a church, and littering.
“Such acts are insulting to our religion,” Torise said.[...]
In response to concerns by the archdiocese about tourist manners, the prefectural government plans to hold seminars on this and other issues. It has already earmarked about 8 million yen in its fiscal 2007 budget for this program.
You mean those little water bowls by the door weren’t for putting out cigarettes? No way!
[Via FG]
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Those water bowls are for shitsu….
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Is this a case of simple ignorance, or is there really that much animosity towards Catholics in Japan?
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Pure ignorance I would say. There simply aren’t enough Catholics in Japan for the majority to actively hate them. Few enough know the correct procedures for Buddhist rites these days anyway.
Frankly I’m more concerned with this over-zealous grab for World Heritage status, for the prestige and tourism. The more secondary sites there are like this, the more the genuinely superlative places get diluted. Shouldn’t it be about the best of the best, not merely local or even national, but worthy of preserving for the entire world?
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i dont care how it all works out, but i only ask one thing. we all have differant ways to do things in our own country. some things are jus not present, like the water bowls for instance. dont call me a prick for doing it [i wouldnt anyway, even if i was a smoker] but some people would jus asume.
maybe some signs to say dont throw fag butt in here, its special water [for what i dont know] no litter please, place in the rubbish bins provided, 50 pound on the spot fine [exchange into yen] maybe a few police around or guards. even take your shoes off like you would do in a mosque or buddist temple. but really, unless the building is really old hat, and not a young church, its hardly worth bothering about.
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