This surprising Gothic-inspired church, built in 1931 with a tatami floor, stands in the heart of the samurai district. It pays homage to Jesuit missionary Saint Frances Xavier and to the 36 Japanese Christians who were martyred here in 1868 for refusing to renounce their faith. A small museum next to the church chronicles the history of the Christians persecuted during the Meiji era. Every year a great mass is celebrated on May 3rd in memory of the tragedy.