Stone Church in Karuizawa was built in commemoration of Uchimura Kanzo (1861-1930) who was the foremost leader of the Non-church Movement, Japanese author, and Christian evangelist. The church is only 20+ years old, but it looks like it has been here from the ancient days. The building, designed by an American architect, Kendrick Kellogg (1934-), integrates its surroundings naturally. Kellogg was careful to make sure that the building would not change the surroundings: air flow, water stream, and the slope of the land. When I first visited here in around 1990, I was touched and very impressed with this novel design. I felt that the building looked futuristic but also very primitive. Kellogg's concept was that the repetition of stone and glass arches would symbolize male and female, bride and groom. At the ground level is a chapel, and below that is a memorial hall of Uchimura Kanzo.
Series: Beautiful churches in Naka-Karuizawa
- Karuizawa Kogen Church
- Karuizawa Stone Church
Tomoko Kamishima @tomoko.kamishima
Japan is a small island nation, but we have a huge number of surprising things to discover here. Many of these delights can be found when you step off the main street onto small side paths. I really enjoy studying about and researching various aspects of traditional Japanese culture, and then sha...
