In addition to Uchimura Kanzō Memorial Stone Church (石の教会 内村鑑三記念堂), another church that can excite architectural buffs is Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church (軽井沢聖パウロカトリック教会). Designed by the famous American architect Antonin Raymond, the church is another landmark in Karuizawa. It was where the first Christian wedding for non-Christians was held in Japan, and nowadays, a venue where many celebrities hold their weddings.
About Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church
Completed in 1935, Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church is adored by those who visited it and appeared in many popular Japanese pieces of literature and movies in the 20th century. If you are a Ghibli fan, you might recognize the church because it appeared in The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ)!
So what to pay attention to when you get there? Check out the roof design. It incorporates the traditional forms of the Czech Republic, Raymond’s hometown. The interior has a high ceiling and a scissor truss structure with exposed wood, so you can relax whilst feeling the warmth of wood in an open space.
Furthermore, instead of the typical colorful stained glass artwork, the windows at Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church are decorated with durable Japanese paper cut into various shapes.
Next to the church’s main building, there is also a white bell tower (refer to the 7th photo in the Instagram post). While most of us won’t have the pleasure of holding a wedding ceremony here, the newly married can ring the bell here after the ceremony.
Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church’s History
The person who founded Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church is Leo Paul Ward, a Father from England. Father Ward arrived in Japan in February 1933. With the invitation from Raymond, who had just completed building his villa in Karuizawa, Ward visited Karuizawa in the same year and held a mass at Karuizawa Hotel’s lounge.
On the first mass, there were only 8 attendants. But on the next mass, around 30 people attended. The number kept increasing, and when it reached 68 people, he decided to build a small chapel. The shrine carpenters who built the Nikkō Tōshōgū Shrine (日光東照宮) were called, and the chapel was completed in about six months.
Touched by the fact that Father Ward bore almost all of the construction costs, Karuizawa Hotel didn’t charge him for his stay. Being a devout Catholic himself, Raymond didn’t ask for any compensation for designing and building the chapel.
The First Church in Japan that Held a Christian Wedding for Non-Christians
When you watch Japanese dramas, you might wonder why most of the wedding scenes were filmed at a church. It wasn’t because the characters were Christians or Catholics, but to the Japanese, you don’t need to be a follower of God to be wedded in a church. And the origin is Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church.
At the time, to revive the weakened bond between Christianity and the Japanese people, holding weddings at a church for anyone was one of the many things that were tried. Since the 1960s, Karuizawa St. Paul’s Church has been open to the public to introduce Catholicism, resulting in a series of celebrity weddings being held at the church.
In particular, the wedding of Saigō Teruhiko (西郷輝彦) and Henmi Mari (辺見マリ) in 1972 was broadcasted nationally. Since then, the practice that only took place at Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church became common across Japan.
Saigō Teruhiko and Henmi Mari were famous Japanese singers in the 20th century.
The Best Time to Visit Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church
The best time to visit Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church is autumn. As the trees surrounding the church are dyed in yellow and red, the famous building’s gorgeous design stands out even more, creating a landscape that looks like a piece of painting.
Tip: The fall foliage season is from mid-October to mid-November.
Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church is open daily except Thursdays from 9 am to 4 pm.
- The Sunday mass is held from 9 am.
- From Karuizawa Station, you can also take a bus and get off at Kyū Karuizawa (旧軽井沢). The church is then a one-minute walk.
- If you plan to drive, park at Church Street Karuizawa. If you spend 3,000 yen or more at one shop, a voucher for 2-hour free parking will be given.
Explore Other Must-Visit Churches in Karuizawa
Whether you believe in God or not, when you come to Karuizawa, there are a couple of churches that you may want to visit. Even if you have nothing to pray for, you will be amazed by the architecture and might even gain some inner calmness during your visit! Just like most churches around the world, if there are no wedding ceremonies or services going on, you can enter and explore the church. But please be respectful to those who are praying.
So, refer to our Guide to the Must-Visit Churches in Karuizawa article for more information!
