Церковь Святейшего Сердца Иисуса, Catholic church in Azabu district, Tokyo, Japan.
The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, known as Azabu Church, stands in Nishi-Azabu, Minato, Tokyo. The current church building, completed on 13 April 1952, replaced the 1916 structure that was destroyed in the 1945 Tokyo air raids. The parish also runs the Azabu Mikokoro Kindergarten.
The parish began in 1882 as a mission chapel of Tsukiji Church near Akabanebashi, named Holy Cross. In 1889 the priest Jack Edmond Papinot leased land in Azabu and built a church, completed in 1890. Rebuilt in 1916, it burned in the 1945 air raids; the present church was completed on 13 April 1952.
The church's formal name is the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Iesu no Mikokoro), while locals call it Azabu Church. It runs Azabu Mikokoro Kindergarten on the same grounds, entrusted to the parish by the Shinkokai society. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Tokyo.
The building is easily accessible and situated in a quiet residential area with good public transportation connections. Visitors should check ahead about worship times, as these may vary seasonally or by occasion.
The church's Japanese name, Azabu Kyōkai, honors its neighborhood, but its formal dedication is to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Iesu no Mikokoro). The parish grew so much that by 1921 it had the largest congregation of Tokyo's six Catholic churches, despite decades of low-profile activity.
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