September 2027 departure program
01 Saturday, September 11, 2027 · Tokyo
Arrival and the first gathering
- Arrival Mass at Takanawa Catholic Church.
- Visit to the Imperial Palace area.
Stay in Tokyo
02 Sunday, September 12, 2027 · Tokyo
Retreat day or city visits
- Mass with Tokyo MIM members.
- MIM participants remain for the Day of Reflection, an all-day retreat incorporating talks, prayer, and fellowship.
For pilgrims not attending the retreat
After Mass, the separate sightseeing program visits Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Scramble Crossing, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
Stay in Tokyo
03 Monday, September 13, 2027 · Mount Fuji / Tokyo
A pilgrimage visit near Mount Fuji
- Mass at Fujiyoshida Catholic Church.
- Visit to Our Lady of Mount Fuji Shrine, between the second and third stations.
- Return to the Tokyo hotel.
Stay in Tokyo
04 Tuesday, September 14, 2027 · Tokyo → Nagasaki
Nishizaka and the Twenty-Six Martyrs
- Morning flight from Tokyo to Nagasaki.
- Mass at St. Philip’s Church.
- Visit to the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument and Museum.
Stay in Nagasaki
05 Wednesday, September 15, 2027 · Nagasaki
The places of Kolbe’s mission
- Mass at Seibo no Kishi (Hongouchi Catholic Church).
- St. Maximilian Kolbe’s museum, rosary walk, and Lourdes Grotto.
- Oura Cathedral, the former seminary museum, and Kolbe’s first friary on Oura Cathedral hill.
Stay in Nagasaki
06 Thursday, September 16, 2027 · Unzen / Shimabara
Remembrance on the Shimabara Peninsula
- Visit to the Unzen Hells hot springs torture site.
- Mass at Shimabara Catholic Church.
- Hara Castle ruins and the Holy Maria Kannon of Hara Castle statue.
Stay in Nagasaki
07 Friday, September 17, 2027 · Nagasaki
Urakami and the legacy of Takashi Nagai
- Mass at Urakami Cathedral.
- Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park.
- Nyoko-do, Dr. Takashi Nagai’s hermitage and museum, and the Nagai family gravesite.
Stay in Nagasaki
08 Saturday, September 18, 2027 · Nagasaki → Akita
Travel to northern Japan
- Early Mass in Nagasaki.
- Air travel to Akita, with connecting flights as required.
Stay in Akita
09 Sunday, September 19, 2027 · Akita
First visit to Seitai Hoshikai
- Planned Mass at Seitai Hoshikai Catholic Convent.
- Outdoor Stations of the Cross and Rosary Walk.
Stay in Akita
10 Monday, September 20, 2027 · Akita
Prayer and remembrance in Akita
- Return to Seitai Hoshikai Catholic Convent for Mass and quiet prayer.
- Visit to Catholic Akita Church, commemorating the 32 Catholic samurai and their families martyred in 1624.
Stay in Akita
11 Tuesday, September 21, 2027 · Akita → Tokyo
Closing Mass and departure
- Mass at Catholic Tsuchizaki Church.
- Travel to Tokyo for the journey home; the Mass time and domestic flight arrangements will follow the final departure schedule.
End of the Japan program