Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary's Cathedral) description and photos - Japan: Tokyo (Topic)

St. Mary's Cathedral description and photos - Japan: Tokyo. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is St. Mary's Cathedral.

Photo and description

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered one of the most unusual buildings in the Japanese capital. Although it is built in the shape of a cross - traditional for many temples, it has eight original, hyperbole curved facades.

If you look at the cathedral from the side, it resembles a headdress - either a nun, or perhaps and the conquistador - the conquering traveler, because Christianity penetrated into Japan together with the Portuguese merchants who were wrecked near the island of Kyushu. When they reached the coast, they became the first Europeans to set foot on Japanese soil. It happened in 1543. The local population greeted them quite warmly, and later traders from the Old World paved the sea route to the islands of the archipelago, and missionaries arrived with them. Catholic cathedrals gradually began to appear in the major cities of the country. Christianity spread very quickly among the Japanese.

The rulers of Japan at first did not prevent the penetration of the new religion, but in 1587 one night the then ruler Hideyoshi banned the activities of missionaries. This first decision by Hideyoshi was to expel all missionaries from the country, but the anger quickly passed and the mission resumed. The second fit of anger was more terrible - several Catholics - Spaniards, Portuguese and even Japanese in a disfigured form were taken through the streets of the city of Nagasaki for general intimidation, and then crucified on crosses. The next ruler, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, abolished the anti-Christian laws of his predecessor. However, when Japan began to isolate itself from the outside world, the persecution resumed.

Today, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the current cathedral of the Japanese archdiocese. The first mention of it dates back to 1964. However, it is known that earlier on this place there was a wooden church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built at the very end of the 19th century and burned down during the Second World War. The modern building was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange with the participation of his German colleague Wilhelm Schlombs. The author of the project won the competition and began work in 1961.

Inside, the church is decorated very modestly and looks even gloomy. 40 meters from the building of the cathedral there is a bell tower, which is 60 meters high.

The cathedral is popular not only among tourists, it is visited by many parishioners.

Topic: Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary's Cathedral) description and photos - Japan: Tokyo.