★★★★★ 5.0
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Old Cathedral of St. Joseph
900 square meters of land... that's exactly what French missionaries bought from the Japanese government on July 2nd, 1874, right here where you're standing. This plot of earth in Akashi-cho would become Tokyo's very first Catholic church, the Old Cathedral of St. Joseph, breaking centuries of Christian persecution. Look at those six magnificent Doric columns rising before you... they're survivors of tragedy. The original wooden church that stood here was obliterated in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, but when they rebuilt in 1927, they chose to mirror La Madeleine Cathedral in Paris. Notice the gable above... those aren't just decorative flourishes, but hand-carved lilies and roses, symbols of purity and divine love. Inside, you'll find something extraordinary... a statue of St. Peter that literally survived the earthquake's devastation. You can still see the damage marks on his weathered face, a testament to that September morning when Tokyo burned. You're standing in what was once Tokyo's foreign concession, where American and British ships anchored just beyond these streets. This sacred ground witnessed Japan's dramatic opening to the world... and to faith.
Did You Know?
- Old Cathedral of St. Joseph, also known as Tsukiji Church, was the first Catholic church in Tokyo, founded in November 1874 by the Paris Foreign Missions Society—just one year after Japan lifted a centuries-old ban on Christianity, making it a symbol of religious freedom and resilience in a country where Christians once faced severe persecution.
- The church’s striking architecture is inspired by St. Madeleine Cathedral in Paris, featuring a classical facade with six Doric columns and a gable adorned with carvings of lilies and roses, giving it the grandeur of an ancient Greek temple—a unique blend of European and Japanese design sensibilities in the heart of Tokyo.
- After being destroyed in the devastating 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the church was rebuilt in 1927 and later recognized as a historic Tokyo building in 1999, serving not only as a place of worship but also as a living museum of Tokyo’s Catholic heritage and a witness to the city’s recovery from disaster.