The Church in Japan
Latter-day Saint missionaries first arrived in Japan in 1901. The mission closed between 1924 and 1948, but a few faithful members of the Church continued to meet together. The Church experienced gradual growth in Japan, and the first temple in Asia was dedicated in Tokyo in 1980. Japanese Latter-day Saints have donated many hours to earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts.
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History of the Church in Japan
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first sent missionaries to Japan in 1901. Although political tension closed the Japan Mission between 1924 and 1948, members of the Church continued to practice their faith, share the gospel, and build the Church in Japan. When the Church returned to Japan at the end of World War II, a small group of faithful Japanese converts, few having been baptized, were found meeting together regularly.
Since World War II, the Church in Japan has experienced gradual yet steady advancement. The Japanese Saints have shown great devotion to the restored gospel. In 1965, many sacrificed time and wages to travel to the temple in Hawaii. In the 1970s, this devotion led to the construction of a temple in Tokyo—the first temple in Asia and the first of three in Japan. Japanese Saints today make important contributions to their communities and nation. For example, in 2011, after the East Japan earthquake and tsunami devastated many areas, Japanese Saints spent many hours distributing relief supplies and helping their neighbors to repair the damage.
The history of the Church in Japan is one of conviction that transcends national boundaries and political disagreements.
Stories of Faith
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Notes
- Britsch, R. Lanier. “The Blossoming of the Church in Japan.” Ensign, Oct. 1992, 32–38.
- Katanuma, Seiji. “The Church in Japan.” BYU Studies, vol. 14, no. 1 (1973): 16–28.
- Neilson, Reid L. Early Mormon Missionary Activities in Japan, 1901–1924. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2010.
- Neilson, Reid L. and Van C. Gessel, eds., Taking the Gospel to the Japanese. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2006.
- Nelson, Terry G. “The Church in Japan Comes of Age, 1968–1980.” In Taking the Gospel to the Japanese, edited by Reid L. Neilson and Van C. Gessel. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2006, 345–61.
- Parshall, Ardis E. “‘Courage to Follow Convictions’: Tsune Ishida Nachie.” In Women of Faith in the Latter Days, vol. 3, 1846–1870, edited by Richard E. Turley Jr. and Brittany A. Chapman. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2014, 122–30.
- Takagi, Shinji. The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901–1968. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2016.
- Walker, Ronald W. “Strangers in a Strange Land: Heber J. Grant and the Opening of the Japan Mission.” BYU Studies, vol. 43, no. 1 (2004): 231–62.
- Watanabe, Kan, Kiyoshi Sakai, Shuichi Yaginuma, Mildred E. Handy, and Grace Vlam. “Japan: Land of the Rising Sun.” Ensign, Aug. 1975, 36–43.