Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Stone Church, Memorial church and museum in Nagakura, Japan.
Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Stone Church is a place of worship and biographical museum in Nagakura with interlocking arches of stone and glass throughout its design. The building rises across three levels, with the main hall on the upper floor and memorial spaces below.
Construction finished in 1988 to honor Uchimura Kanzo, who spread Christianity throughout Japan during the Meiji and Taisho eras. The building stands as a lasting tribute to his spiritual work and influence.
The building's stone and glass arches embody masculine and feminine principles found in Japanese spiritual thought. This duality shapes how the space feels and what it represents to those who enter.
The site sits next to Hotel Bleston Court and takes about 20 minutes to reach on foot from Naka-Karuizawa Station on the Shinano Railway. The layout includes both outdoor areas to explore and indoor rooms suited for visitors at various levels of mobility.
The building serves both as a place of worship and biographical museum, with functions spread across three levels in an organic design. This dual purpose is uncommon among religious structures.
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