HOKKAIDO Motomachi Roman Catholic Church Japanese Name: カトリック元町教会
The Motomachi Roman Catholic Church has an old history along with Yamanote Church in Yokohama and Ohura Church in Nagasaki.
In 1860, a temporary church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built by Paris Evangelical Missionary Society priest Mermet Cachon. It was only in 1924 that the present church was constructed after the 1921 Hakodate Great Fire.
The church’s magnificent interior is characterized by Gothic architecture, a type quite rare among cathedrals in Japan. All the statues, including the central altar, were made of wood from the Tirol district of Italy (now part of Austria) and were sent to the church by Pope Benedict XV.
Operating Hours
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The church is closed from December 30 to January 5.
Schedule of Mass
Masses are held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. headed by Chief Priest Gengo Konda.
Note that masses are not in English.
Access
Take the Shiden “Jyuji-gai” train station, then walk for 10 minutes going to the church.
Address: 15-30 Motomachi, Hakodate City, Hokkaido Prefecture
Contact Details
Phone Number: 0138-22-6877
Website
