The St. Xavier memorial Church is located in Yamaguchi City. It was built in 1998 to replace an earlier church that "mysteriously" burnt down in 1991.
It was designed by the Italian architect Rugieri, and is constructed of marble and concrete.
St. Francis Xavier spent 6 months in Yamaguchi in 1550 as the guest of the local daimyo and it is said it was the happiest 6 months of his life.
The church bells can be heard all over downtown Yamaguchi, and they made me realize how much I miss the sound of church bells. Much nicer than the piped muzac spouting from the PA's in every other Japanese town.
There is a small Christian museum in the basement of the church with a small entrance fee. Entrance to the church itself is free.
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Living in a country where the landscape (or cityscape) is often defined by the presence of churches, I was struck during my recent visit to Japan how very few churches were to be seen. Of course, a Japanese visitor may be be struck by how few temples there are here, too!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, as always.
Phil
I'll post some more churches....maybe tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful church. Is it mostly just a tourist site or do they hold mass there? I love the metal artwork around the cross.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fully functioning church.
ReplyDelete