Церковь Иисуса Христа Святых последних дней в Японии

Церковь Иисуса Христа Святых последних дней в Японии
Храм Токио, Япония
Членство	130 340 (2019) [1]
Ставки	28 (2019)
Районы	13 (2019)
Подопечные	157 (2019)
ветви	104 (2019)
Всего конгрегаций	261 (2019)
Миссии	6 (2019)
Храмы	3 рабочих, 1 в стадии строительства
Центры семейной истории	64 (2019)

Церковь Иисуса Христа Святых последних дней (Церковь СПД) ( яп . 末日 聖徒 イ エ ス ・ キ リ ス ト 教会) была основана в Японии в 1901 году, когда 12 августа прибыли первые миссионеры церкви. Среди них был Хибер Дж. Грант , который был затем стал членом Кворума Двенадцати, а позже стал седьмым президентом церкви . Гораций С. Энсин, Луи А. Кельш и Альма О. Тейлор сопровождали Гранта. Первое крещение Церкви СПД в Японии состоялось 8 марта 1902 года, когда Грант крестил Хадзимэ Накадзаву, бывшего каннуши ( синтоистского священника). Книга Мормонапереводился трижды. Первый перевод, на который потребовалось более шести лет, был завершен Тейлором в 1909 году. Затем было рекомендовано перевести Книгу Мормона на бунсё , более элегантный литературный стиль, что было сделано Чоко Икута в 1909 году, незадолго до того, как она была написана. опубликованы и распространены. Второй перевод в 1957 году сделал Тацуи Сато. В 1995 году Книга Мормона снова была переведена на более разговорный стиль.

Миссионерская работа с момента открытия Японской миссии до 1924 года была сложной из-за языковых барьеров и культурных различий, а также землетрясения в Токио 1923 года и Закона об иммиграции 1924 года . За это время было совершено несколько крещений. Из-за этих трудностей Японская миссия была закрыта с 1924 по 1945 год, вплоть до окончания Второй мировой войны . В течение двадцати лет миссионерская работа в Японии была остановлена, работа была перенесена на Гавайи, чтобы охватить живущих там японцев. Небольшое количество Святых последних дней в Японии собирались вместе в частном порядке в своих домах с 1924 по 1945 год под руководством Фудзия Нара, а затем Фудзивара Такео.

Миссия была вновь открыта в 1948 году Эдвард Л. Clissold в качестве президента . Миссионерская работа процветала после 1948 года, когда число крещений увеличивалось, что потребовало открытия новых миссий. Церковь СПД решила открыть Мормонский павильон во время выставки Expo '70 в Осаке. После Expo, крестины в два раза с 1969 по 1970 Два дня после того, как Экспо закончена, первая в церкви доля в Японии была основана в Токио в 1970 году в Токио Япония Храм , первый храм в Японии , так и в Азии, был посвящен в 1980 году.

По состоянию на 2018 год Церковь СПД сообщила о 129 335 членах, 7 миссиях и 3 храмах в Японии.

История [ править ]

1901–1924: Основание Японской миссии [ править ]

Миссионерские усилия [ править ]

Уолтер М. Гибсон , посланный Бригамом Янгом , попытался отправить миссионеров в Тихий океан в 1861 году, но прекратил свою миссию на Гавайях. ^[2] Он написал книгу строгих инструкций по нравственно и физически чистой жизни, которым должен следовать гавайский народ, под названием «Санитарные инструкции». ^[3] Он был отлучен от церкви в 1864 году за продажу церковных офисов островитянам и использование денег для покупки большого количества земли на Ланаи. ^[4] В 1895 году японский консул в Сан-Франциско спросил Авраама Х. Кэннона , есть ли планы открыть миссию в Японии. Однако он умер до того, как миссия была создана. Затем в 1901 году Первое Президентство церквиобъявил об открытии Японской миссии. ^[5]

Хиберу Дж. Гранту, члену Кворума Двенадцати Апостолов, а затем седьмому президенту церкви, было поручено основать первую миссию Церкви СПД в Азии со штаб-квартирой в Токио . ^[6] Паника 1893 года заставила его пойти в много долгов, так что в то время, он был в тяжелом финансовом бедствии. ^[7] Первое Президентство дало ему один год, чтобы расплатиться с долгами, что он и сделал в отведенное время. ^[7]

Грант лично выбрал первых трех миссионеров, которые будут служить с ним в Японии: Горация С. Энсайн, Луи А. Келш и Альма О. Тейлор. Они стали известны как «Японский квартет». ^[8] Они прибыли в Японию 12 августа 1901 года. Несмотря на свое прибытие, миссионеры еще не получили разрешения от правительства на обращение в свою веру, поэтому они потратили свое время на изучение языка. После лоббирования с начальником полиции миссионеры получили разрешение проповедовать в начале октября. ^[9] Миссионеры, особенно Грант, испытывали большие трудности с изучением языка. ^[10] Миссионеры встретили Такахаши Горо, который ранее опубликовал защиту мормонов в периодическом издании The Sun.. Такахаши хорошо говорил по-английски и знал другие языки. Он решил помочь Гранту, написав книгу, которая познакомила бы японский народ с миссией Святых последних дней. ^[11] Накадзава Хадзиме стал первым крещеным членом в Японии. ^[12] Накадзава вскоре начал просить Гранта денег для открытия нового бизнеса, и, поскольку Церкви СПД запрещено давать членам ссуды деньги для открытия бизнеса, Грант отказался. Накадзава был пойман на грабеже миссионерского дома, отлучен от церкви и арестован. После ареста Накадзавы Такахаши больше не поддерживал миссионеров, описывая Гранта как жестокого и «хладнокровного» за отказ платить Назакаве. ^[13]

С 1902 по 1924 год восемьдесят восемь миссионеров обратились в свою веру в двадцати девяти местах, в основном в Токио, Саппоро и Осаке , совершив 166 крещений. ^[14] Однако 7 августа 1924 года Грант, тогдашний президент церкви, закрыл миссию, чтобы дождаться более благоприятного времени, из-за малого числа крещений. ^[15]

Несколько причин способствовали низкому количеству крещений. Постоянные проблемы миссии включали сложность языка, а также культурные различия. Кроме того, небольшое количество миссионеров и их длительное служение вызвали у них усталость и трудности для их близких. Были и внешние проблемы: землетрясение в Токио в 1923 году остановило прозелитизм, Закон об иммиграции Соединенных Штатов 1924 года вызвал расовую напряженность между Японией и Соединенными Штатами. Наконец, общее чувство пораженчества миссионеров в Японии и руководителей церкви в Солт-Лейк-Сити повлияло на решение закрыть миссию в Японии. ^[16] Тем не менее, несмотря на то, что они не крестили многих членов, они перевели Книгу Мормона.на японский. Они также написали сборник гимнов на японском языке, историю Церкви, биографию Джозефа Смита и другую литературу. Миссионеры, как и Церковь в целом, приобрели опыт, который сделал восстановление миссии в 1948 году более успешным. ^[17]

Первые члены японской церкви [ править ]

Первым крещеным японцем стал Хадзиме Накадзава, бывший синтоистский священник. Он крестился 8 марта 1902 года на берегу Омори в Токийском заливе . ^[18] Хотя он был первым крещеным членом Церкви, он не был первым активным членом Церкви СПД. После крещения он и его жена попросили у миссионеров значительную сумму денег. Миссионеры отказались, и позже он был пойман на попытке ограбить дом миссионеров, возможно, указывая на то, что он согласился креститься только в надежде получить деньги от церкви. Затем он был отлучен от церкви и впоследствии арестован. ^[19]

Одним из самых видных первых членов японской церкви был Томидзо Кацунума , ветеринар и иммиграционный инспектор в Гонолулу, которого почитали как «отца иммигрантов». Он известен как один из первых членов Церкви СПД японского происхождения. ^[20] Он переехал в США во время эмиграционной лихорадки. ^[20] У него было много контактов с членами Церкви СПД в Логане, штат Юта, что повлияло на его решение креститься 8 августа 1895 года. После его смерти заголовок некролога гласил: «Умер доктор Кацунума, первый японский мормон. " ^[21]

Токудзиро Сато был еще одним из первых японцев, обращенных в церковь. Токудзиро иммигрировал на Гавайи из Японии. Тукуджиро предположительно присоединился к церкви в 1892 году, хотя из-за отсутствия записей неясно, когда он был крещен и крестился ли он вообще. Он был внесен в членских записях в Waipio Branch , но нет крещения записи. Однако крещения его детей были записаны, и, несмотря на отсутствие записей, Таокудзиро всю свою жизнь посещал церковь СПД. ^[22]

Изображение церкви в Японии [ править ]

Другие христианские церкви часто проповедовали против Церкви СПД, критиковали ее доктрины, но признавали странную склонность, которую она, казалось, проявляла к привлечению последователей. Доктрина церкви и полигамии в частности рассматривалась как угроза японской культуре и идеалам цивилизации общества Мэйдзи. Несмотря на то, что японцы узнали о церкви через миссию Ивакура в США в 1872 году, самым ранним официальным печатным представлением японцев о Церкви СПД, вероятно, был перевод на японский язык сочинения Жюля Верна « Вокруг света за 80 дней» 1879 года. . Жан Паспарту, персонаж книги, услышал лекцию о мормонизме и полигамии, которая его встревожила. Журнальные статьи помогли распространить знания о церкви в Японии, однако статьи были сосредоточены на полигамии и ее опасностях для женщин и общества в стране, которая все больше и больше западничает. ^[23] Некоторые японцы считали полигамность Святых последних дней прямым оскорблением попыток отменить законы и традиции, окружающие наложниц. ^[24] Когда церковные миссионеры рассказывали японцам о доктрине церкви, часто приходилось опровергать предположения японцев о церкви и полигамии. Японский перевод книги Краткая история Церкви Иисуса Христа Святых последних днейвключила дополнительную главу о полигамии, чтобы прояснить, что Церковь LDS больше не практикует ее. ^[25]

Перевод Книги Мормона [ править ]

Перевод Книги Мормона начался в 1904 году и продолжался до 1909 года, что заняло почти шесть лет. Старейшины практически не знали японского языка, и репутация Церкви СПД мешала им находить носителей языка, которые были бы готовы помочь им с языком. Президент миссии Гораций С. Энсин попросил, чтобы каждый миссионер в свободное время переводил Книгу Мормона на японский язык. Семь месяцев спустя скомпилированный перевод был поручен Альме О. Тейлор, которая работала полный рабочий день, чтобы завершить его. Тейлор закончил перевод в 1906 году, проработав 21 месяц. Следующие 18 месяцев были использованы для редактирования, перечитывания и исправления Книги Мормона. ^[26]

Noguchi Zenshirō, a delegate to the World's Parliament of Religions, and Susuzki Genta recommended to Taylor that the style of the Book of Mormon should be changed from the colloquial genbun'itchi style to bunshō, a more elegant written style historically used in literature, records, and official documents.^[27] Chōkō Ikuta changed the style of the translation to bunshō and finished in May 1909. Final corrections were made July 24, 1909.^[28] The first five thousand copies were released October 11, 1909, with special editions made for monarchs and government leaders.^[29] The task of translating of the Book of Mormon into Japanese was taken with great care. Taylor read his translations about fourteen times, while critics read the translation seven times. They recruited help from some of the best Japanese authors of the time such as Tsubouchi Shōyō and Hōmei Iwano.^[30]

A second translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1957. The translation was made by Tatsui Sato, who belonged to the first baptized Japanese family after the closure of the mission in 1924.^[31] The most recent translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1995 in a colloquial style. This style became more widely used after World War II.^[32]

1924–1945: Closed Japan Mission[edit]

From 1924 to 1945, the LDS Church withdrew its missionaries, leadership, and organizational structure, leaving the Japanese Latter-day Saints on their own. Losing contact with the main body of the church created a challenge for the remaining members, with no one to lead their congregation.^[33] Because of the lack of church leadership in Japan, the LDS Church in Japan was maintained by a man named Fujiya Nara. Born May 10, 1898 in Japan, he started attending Sunday School in the Sapporo Branch at age thirteen. He was baptized four years later on July 6, 1915 in the Tama River in Tokyo by Joseph H. Stimpson, the Japan Mission president at the time. In 1923, he became the first native Japanese to be ordained an elder. On April 6, 1924, his own wedding to Motoko Yoshimizu was to be the first and last LDS marriage performed in Japan for some time, as the Japan Mission closed down a few months later.^[34] In 1927, Fujiya Nara was appointed presiding elder, similar to a branch president who leads a small group of church members, by the First Presidency over the small group of Japanese members (137) that remained and restored some priesthood activities. Nara published a newsletter, "Shuro" (Palm) and held meetings with the remaining members. After the release of Nara, Fujiwara Takeo was set apart as presiding elder.^[35] Fujiwara was born in 1905 and was baptized on May 10, 1924, right before the close of the Japan Mission. He was invited to study at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he earned a Master's in history. He spent seven years in Utah, where LDS Church leaders prepared him to become presiding elder.^[36]

Fujiwara focused his work in the church in Japan on reactivation of baptized members.^[37] In the mid-1930s, with World War II imminent, Heber J. Grant decided to pursue efforts to work among the Japanese in Hawaii.^[38] On February 24, 1937, the Japanese-Central Pacific Mission, a mission primarily aimed at teaching Japanese people in Hawaii, was opened and headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, with Hilton A. Robertson as president.^[39] Following World War II, the period from 1945 to 1951, or the Occupation of Japan by the Allied Forces has been called the "Christian boom". With newly declared religious freedom and tough post-war conditions, the Japanese people were more interested in Christianity than they had been for a long time.^[40]

1948–1965: Reestablishment of the Japan Mission[edit]

It was not until March 6, 1948, that Edward L. Clissold was given permission to return to Japan, leading the missionary work as the mission president. Clissold had been part of the United States military occupation forces in Japan after World War II. His new task was to find what remained of the Latter-day Saints from twenty-four years before. He put a small advertisement in Japanese (with a translation error) in the newspaper, "URGENT NOTICE—I would like any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Near-Day [sic] Saints (Mormon Church) to contact me as soon as possible. Daiichi Hotel, Room 548. Lt. Col. Edward Clissold." Nara Fujiya noticed the advertisement, responded, and some Japanese Saints were located and started to take part in Clissold and other servicemen's church activities.^[41] From 1943 to 1944, Clissold had been acting president of the Central Pacific Mission, a mission in Hawaii that was primarily aimed at teaching Japanese people. His next task was to establish a mission headquarters. He obtained a partially burned mansion which had belonged to the Japanese Minister of Welfare during the war. After renovation of the mission home, the first five missionaries arrived in Japan on June 26, 1948. Harrison Theodore "Ted" Price, became the first missionary in 1947. Other missionaries included a Japanese born abroad (nisei) and two American soldiers who had fought the Japanese in the Pacific Theater just years prior.^[42]

After Clissold's eighteen-month long presidency, Vinal G. Mauss succeeded him and served from 1949 to 1953. Membership in the church in Japan increased from 211 to more than 800, with the number of districts increasing from one to five, the number of branches grew to twenty-five, and the number of missionaries increased to eighty-four.^[43] 184 people were baptized in 1950, more than had joined the church in the twenty years that it had been open in the early 1900s. Hilton A. Robertson replaced Mauss as mission president. Robertson was one of the missionaries in the early Japan mission, and had presided over the Japanese-Central Pacific Mission from 1937 to 1940. When Robertson was set apart as president of the Japan Mission, he was told he would also be in charge of presiding over the Chinese Mission.^[44] He supported Tatsui Sato in re-translating the Book of Mormon as well as translating the Mormon works Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. He bought more land for the church to use as chapels and living quarters for missionaries. He strengthened auxiliary organizations such as the Young Men and Young Women programs (collectively known as the Mutual Improvement Association, Sunday School, and Relief Society.^[45] On July 28, 1955, the Japan Mission was split into the Northern and the Southern Far East Mission.^[46] This split created the largest transfer within a mission boundary in the world from Naha, Okinawa, to Asahigawa, Hokkaidō.^[47]

Paul C. Andrus became the next mission president, serving from 1955 to 1962.^[48] Membership grew from 1,000 to more than 6,600. The church grew rapidly in Korea, so a separate Korean mission was made, as it had previously been included in the Japan Mission. The number of missionaries grew from 82 to 179. After inventing a new proselytizing plan based on teaching the Bible, bearing testimony, and inviting the investigator to be baptized, baptisms grew from 129 in 1956 to 616 in 1957. Andrus was also instrumental in preparing Japan and Korea for stakes by advancing the priesthood of the members.^[49] He also worked to make other church material like auxiliary manuals and handbooks available in Japanese. The number of branches grew from 26 to 37. One of the most profitable purchases of the church at the time was the purchase of a Yoyogi Street property in Omote Sando, Tokyo, serving as the Central Branch meetinghouse. Eventually, the church sold the building in 1973 for $24,150,943, having originally spent less than $150,000 for it.^[50]

Having served as a missionary under Mauss, Dwayne N. Anderson became the new mission president in 1962. At the time, there was 7,000 church members in Japan, with the number of missionaries exceeding 180.^[51] Anderson made large strides in constructing new church buildings and remodeling older ones.^[52] The number of priesthood holders increased significantly. Fundraising was done for members to travel to the Hawaii Temple to receive temple ordinances. On April 26, 1964, the first meetinghouse in Asia, the Tokyo North Branch, was dedicated by Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.^[53] In July 1965, 164 Japanese Latter-day Saints traveled to Hawaii to attend the temple. Trips such as these occurred almost yearly until the Tokyo Temple was built in 1980. In 1965, Anderson was succeeded by Adney Y. Komatsu.^[54]

Relief Society[edit]

For much of the early history of the LDS Church in Japan, few church meetings were held. The charity organization called Relief Society began in the early 1950s. In a normal Latter-day Saint church meeting, the Relief Society meetings serves as one hour of the three hour block, where women meet together and are taught lessons about various topics concerning Jesus Christ by another member of the Relief Society who is assigned to teach. Unable to organize an official Relief Society, women would often meet together in sister missionaries' apartments and learn to cook. The women would deliver welfare supplies from the Relief Society in the United States to families with children in Sunday School. In Japan, the members of the Relief Society held bazaars selling cheap goods for low prices to raise money in postwar Japan. The Relief Society worked to help repair missionary clothing and wash missionaries' bedding.^[55] Eventually, branches formed small, official groups of the Relief Society; however, auxiliary manuals had not yet been translated into Japanese, so Relief Society materials came from sister missionaries. From 1965 to 1966, materials for Christian instruction came in Seito-No-Michi (a worldwide church magazine), but sometimes no lessons were featured, as only issues October through May contained lesson plans. During the months when the Relief Society didn't have lessons, they had "work meetings", creating their own manual to be approved by the Relief Society General Board.^[56]

1968–1980: Church expansion[edit]

On September 1, 1968, Walter Bills was named the new mission president of the Northern Far-East Mission, renamed the Japan Mission. The Southern Far-East Mission was named the Japan-Okinawa Mission and was presided over by Edward Okazaki. Due to the Japan Mission being headquartered in Tokyo, it grew much more quickly than the Japan-Okinawa Mission. Bills opened three new branches and nine cities for proselytizing and instituted the Book of Mormon placement program, stating that the Book of Mormon would lead to conversion. In 1969, Japanese missionaries carried more copies of the Book of Mormon, distributing over 208,000 books. Bills attributed at least 60% of the baptisms during his presidency to the program. Bills also focused on training people to run stakes, the administrative units of the LDS Church. In this way, he was preparing for a stake in Tokyo. All auxiliaries were established in Japan at this time, including the Primary, the children's organization. Okazaki was the second mission president of Japanese ancestry. At the end of Bill's service in 1971, baptisms were up to one baptism per missionary per month, which was about 200 baptisms total.^[57]

In 1969, a language-training center for Japanese and other Asian and African languages was established at BYU-Hawaii. Future missionaries assigned to Japan were sent to Hawaii for two months where they learned the language, as well as working to learn about the Japanese people, food and culture.^[58] Within the same week, the church opened a display at Expo '70 in Osaka, featuring a new version of the LDS film Man's Search for Happiness created specially for this event.^[59] BYU's Young Ambassadors also performed at the expo.^[60] The church received a lot of attention due to the World Fair. The LDS Church was the only Christian denomination to have its own pavilion at the fair.^[61] Ten percent (6,658,532) of the guests who attended the Expo visited the Mormon Pavilion, which was a temporary display that introduced the people of Japan to the LDS Church.^[62] Fifty thousand copies of the Book of Mormon were distributed and there were 779 baptisms in Japan in 1970, double that of 1969.^[62] The Tokyo Stake was the church's first in Asia. It was organized on March 15, 1970, two days after the Expo.^[63] Tanaka Kenji became the first president of the Tokyo Stake.^[14]

The Japanese missions were changed again and split into four missions. The Japan Mission became the Japan East Mission and the Japan-Okinawa Mission. The Japan-Okinawa Mission became the Japan Central Mission and the Japan West Mission. Two new mission presidents were introduced, while Bills and Okazaki retained their positions over their respective missions. Russell Horiuchi, a professor at BYU, became president of the Japan East Mission. Watanabe Kan became president of the Japan West Mission and became the first native Japanese mission president.^[64] In 1965, Adney Y. Komatsu became mission president, the first of Japanese ancestry, and in 1975, during the first area conference in Japan, he became the first general authority of Japanese ancestry.^[65] Yoshihiko Kikuchi became the first native Japanese general authority in 1977.^[46] In 1979, the Japanese Missionary Training Center (JMTC) was created. The JMTC closed in 2009.^[66] The first LDS temple in Asia was the Tokyo Temple, which was dedicated on October 27, 1980, by Spencer W. Kimball.^[46]

1980–Present: Recent developments[edit]

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir traveled to Japan for its second tour in 1985. Tsuneo Ishikawa, president of the Chukyo Television Broadcasting Company, hosted an extravagant reception for the choir in Nagoya. The LDS Church provided extensive humanitarian services and resources to Japan after the Kobe or Osaka earthquake in 1995 and the record-breaking earthquake and tsunami that destroyed northern Japan in March 2011. Gordon B. Hinckley, then serving as the church's president, traveled to Japan in May 1996. On September 1, 2001, the 100th anniversary of Mormon missionary work in Japan was celebrated with two new bronze monuments in Yokohama. The Fukuoka Japan Temple was dedicated in 2000, with the Sapporo Japan Temple, the third in Japan, dedicated in 2016.^[67]

In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.^[68]

Recent problems[edit]

Two events that created challenges to Latter-day Saint missionary work in Japan were the death of Emperor Hirohito in 1989 and the Tokyo subway attack in 1995 by the religious group Aum Shinrikyō.^[69] The death of the emperor made Japanese citizens reevaluate the role of the emperor in the state and in their lives. Even though the period after WWII had been characterized by a "de-deification" of the emperor,^[69] after the death of Emperor Hirohito, his death rituals were widely publicized. This reignited an interest in old Japanese symbols, rites, and rituals.^[70] Due to deeply rooted religious and cultural belief systems that have lasted for centuries, converting to another religion was associated with becoming non-Japanese.^[71] The second event that created challenges for LDS missionaries in Japan was the Tokyo subway sarin attack by Aum Shinrikyō. This attack, which killed twelve and injured more than five thousand people, greatly affected the Japanese people. It caused fear of and a resentment to Japanese New Religions and the Japanese people had a hard time distinguishing between proselytizing LDS missionaries and New Religions.^[72]

Cultural obstacles[edit]

Japan is culturally and historically a non-Christian nation. This poses problems in LDS missionary work, because the Japanese are culturally not familiar with the western notion of God. However, despite the Japanese unfamiliarity with Christian or Western religiosity, the Japanese are a religious people. Many Japanese people state to be a part of one or more religion, mostly Shinto and Buddhism and these religions affect their world view deeply. Thus, the cultural differences in ethics and morality challenge missionary work.^[73]

Another cultural difference is the impact of Confucian ethics. Western culture puts emphasis on the individual, while Japanese culture values the group over the individual. The Japanese culture values harmony over individual ambition and aggressiveness. Large decisions are often made together. For example, a Japanese person may be more willing to be baptized if their family joined them in their decision. If not, they will likely not choose to be baptized, in order to avoid isolation from their family. Mormonism emphasizes individual agency and the individual's relationship with Jesus Christ, values which make Mormon baptism in Japan less likely.^[74]

Several scholars have pointed out that little study has been made of the internal factors that have limited the success of the LDS missions in Japan. Specifically, the distinctiveness of LDS culture, as well as its specific American characteristics, may have limited to what extent the Japanese have accepted Mormonism.^[75][76]

Statistics and other information[edit]

As of March 2018, the LDS Church reported 129,335 members, 7 missions, 265 congregations, and 3 temples in Japan.^[77] As of April 2013, there were 29 stakes, 13 districts, 164 wards, and 117 branches.^[78]

While Japan has 64 family history centers, the website FamilySearch, through which LDS members do genealogical research and perform ordinances, is not generally available in Japan.^[79]

Missions[edit]

Over the years, border shifts, mission dissolutions, additions and consolidations have affected all missions in Japan. From 1984 to 1995 there were ten missions in Japan; as of July 1, 2019, there were six.^[80]

• Japan Fukuoka Mission
• Japan Kobe Mission
• Japan Nagoya Mission
• Japan Sapporo Mission (expanded July 2019 from consolidation of Sapporo Mission with northern portions of Sendai Mission) ^[81]
• Japan Tokyo North Mission (re-created July 2019 from consolidation of northern portions of Tokyo Mission and southern portions of Sendai Missions)^[81]
• Japan Tokyo South Mission (re-created July 2013).^[82]

Temples[edit]

Fukuoka

Okinawa

Sapporo

Tokyo

Temples in Japan
Red = Operating
Blue = Under Construction
Yellow = Announced
Black = Closed for Renovations

On October 27, 1980, the Tokyo Japan Temple (formerly the Tokyo Temple) (東京神殿, Tōkyō Shinden) was dedicated. This was the first LDS temple in Asia and the first in a non-Christian country. Church president, Spencer W. Kimball, described it as "the most significant and important event in the history of Asia."^[83]

The Tokyo Temple was followed by the Fukuoka Japan Temple (福岡神殿, Fukuoka Shinden), dedicated on June 11, 2000, and the Sapporo Japan Temple (札幌神殿, Sapporo Shinden), dedicated on August 21, 2016. On April 7, 2019, the church announced a temple would be built in Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture. A groundbreaking, to signify the beginning of construction of the Okinawa Japan Temple, took place on December 5, 2020.^{[citation needed]}

See also[edit]

• Bernard P. Brockbank
• Yuki Saito
• Yukihiro Matsumoto
• Kent Derricott
• Kent Gilbert
• Christianity in Japan

Citations[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Adler, Jacob; Kamins, Robert M. (1984), "The Political Debut of Walter Murray Gibson" (PDF), The Hawaiian Journal of History, 18
• Andrade, Ernest (1996), Unconquerable Rebel : Robert W. Wilcox and Hawaiian Politics, 1880–1903, Niwot, Colorado: University Press of Colorado, ISBN 0-87081-417-6
• Britsch, Ralph Lanier (1968), Early Latter-Day Saint Missions to South and East Asia (Thesis), Claremont Graduate School and University Center, OCLC 39674131
• Britsch, Ralph Lanier (1992), "Asia, the Church in", in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 75–81, ISBN 0-02-879602-0, OCLC 24502140
• Britsch, R. Lanier (1975), "The Closing of the Early Japan Mission", BYU Studies Quarterly, 15 (2): 171–190, retrieved 30 March 2018
• Brady, Frederick R. (1983), "Two Meiji Scholars Introduce the Mormons to Japan", BYU Studies Quarterly, 23 (2): 167–178, retrieved 30 March 2018
• "BYU Entertainers Leave for Expo '70 In Japan", Deseret News, p. B5, March 16, 1970
• "Country information: Japan", Church News Online Almanac, LDS Church News, January 29, 2010, retrieved 2014-10-15
• "Facts and Statistics-Japan", Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved 15 March 2018
• Gibson, Walter Murray (1881), Sanitary Instructions of Hawaiians: in the English and Hawaiian Languages (2 ed.), Honolulu: P.C. Advertiser Co.
• Grant, Heber J. (2002), "The Life and Ministry of Heber J. Grant", Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, LDS Church, LCCN 2004268057, OCLC 54500103
• "Groundbreaking Held For Sapporo Japan Temple", MormonNewsroom.org (News Release), LDS Church, October 22, 2011, retrieved 2014-10-15
• Hinckley, Gordon B. (March 1964), "The Church in the Orient", Improvement Era, 67 (3): 166–193
• "History of the Church in Japan", Mormon Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved 22 March 2018
• Hoffman, John P. (2007), Japanese Saints: Mormons in the land of the rising sun, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, ISBN 978-0-7391-1689-0
• Josephson, Jason Ananda (2012), "The Invention of Religion in Japan", The University of Chicago Press Books, University of Chicago Press, retrieved 7 June 2018
• "LDS Display Draws Throngs at Expo '70", Deseret News, pp. B1, B2, March 16, 1970
• "Meetinghouse Locator", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, archived from the original on 23 March 2018, retrieved 22 March 2018
• Mori, Komae; Harris, David W. (2005), The Other Side of the Rising Sun: Tatsui Sato and the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan, Orem, UT: Granite Publishing and Distribution, ISBN 1-59936-004-7
• Mormon Pavilion, California Digital Newspaper Collection, Desert Sun, 27 February 1970, retrieved 26 April 2018
• Neilson, Reid L.; Gessel, Van C., eds. (2006), Taking the Gospel to the Japanese 1901 to 2001, Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, ISBN 0-8425-2595-5
• "New mission presidents by area for 2013", LDS Church News, March 5, 2013, retrieved 2014-10-05
• "President Thomas S. Monson: 'Welcome to Conference'", Deseret News, October 3, 2009, retrieved 2012-11-06
• Renouard, Chelynne (29 March 2013), History of the Missionary Training Center, locations around the world, Deseret News, retrieved 20 March 2018
• Shill, Aaron (2012), "A classic dilemma: The translation of the Book of Mormon into Japanese", Deseret News, Deseret News Publishing Company, retrieved 15 March 2018
• Takagi, Shinji (2000), "Tomizo and Tokujiro: The First Japanese Mormons", BYU Studies Quarterly, 39 (2): 73–106
• Taylor, Scott (October 4, 2009), "Brigham City among five new locales for LDS temples", Deseret News, retrieved 2012-11-06
• Taylor, Scott (March 15, 2011), "LDS Church in Japan: Moving missionaries, making donations", Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, retrieved 2014-10-15
• "This week in Church history", Church News, October 22, 2005
• Toshiko, Yanagida (2005), "Memoirs of the Relief Society in Japan, 1951–1991", BYU Studies Quarterly, 44 (2): 145–154
• "Upsurge reported in new chapels in Orient", LDS Church News, p. 12, April 18, 1964, retrieved 2014-10-15
• Walker, Ronald W. (1986), "Strangers in a Strange Land: Heber J. Grant and the Opening of the Japanese Mission", Journal of Mormon History, 13 (1): 20–43
• Wilkinson, Greg (2016). "Is the LDS Church a Japanese New Religion?". In Goodman, Michael A.; Properzi, Mauro (eds.). The Worldwide Church: Mormoninsm as a Global Religion. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. ISBN 9780842529730.
• Yukiko, Konno (1993), "Fujiya Nara: – ensign", ChurchofJesusChrist.org, retrieved 2018-03-15

Further reading[edit]

• Britsch, Ralph Lanier (1998). From the East: The History of the Latter-Day Saints in Asia, 1851–1996. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 1-57345-268-8. LCCN 97036785. OCLC 37606249. A Latter-day Saint affiliated publication of the history of the LDS church in Asia, includes more information about the history of the LDS church in other Asian countries such as Cambodia and Thailand.
• Clark, Drew (13 July 2014). "Samurai visiting Salt Lake in 1872 launched interactions between Japanese and Mormons". Deseret News. An article containing information about the Iwakura Mission to Utah in 1872.

External links[edit]

• Official website (in Japanese)

The official Japanese website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

• Japan Newsroom (in Japanese)

Church news publication in Japan

• Interview with Japanese LDS Church member and computer programmer Matsumoto "Matz" Yukihiro