Wednesday, December 9, 2009

St. Xavier Memorial Church

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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.

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It was designed by the Italian architect Rugieri, and is constructed of marble and concrete.

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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.

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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.

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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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4 comments:

  1. 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!

    Great pictures, as always.
    Phil

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  2. I'll post some more churches....maybe tomorrow :)

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  3. What a beautiful church. Is it mostly just a tourist site or do they hold mass there? I love the metal artwork around the cross.

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