Kawaguchi Christ Church Cathedral

Kawaguchi Christ Church is a church of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Church in Japan) located in Nishi Ward, Osaka City, known for its beautiful Victorian Gothic-style architecture. It is said that the beginning of Christian mission work in Osaka dates to 1867, when Bishop C. M. Williams, a missionary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, came from Nagasaki to Osaka, moved to the Kawaguchi area, and began holding English-language services. In 1868, a foreign settlement was established in Kawaguchi, and 13 British companies as well as French, German, American, Dutch, and Belgian trading firms set up offices. The area prospered with Western culture—so much so that it is said Western-style cuisine, bread, milk, and even dry-cleaning businesses began here. The church was founded in 1881, and in 1920 the present chapel was built by American architect William Wilson. It became the cathedral of the Diocese of Osaka in 1950, but in the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake the church tower collapsed and the chapel was damaged. In 1998, however, the church was restored through generous support from people across Japan and with cooperation from the Vories Architects Office.