A Late Work by Vories
The Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church (日本福音ルーテル市川教会会堂) is a timber church of 1955 in Ichikawa, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 23, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber church with a tower, roofed in sheet iron, with a building area of 148 square metres, renovated in 1993; registration number 12-0114.
A Church from Vories's Last Years
The church is one of the late works of William Merrell Vories (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Chiba Prefecture). Chiba Prefecture introduces Vories (1880 to 1964) as an American-born architect who designed many Western buildings in Japan.
It is a timber church 7.3 by 17 metres: a single-aisled nave under a gabled roof of tile-patterned sheet iron, running north to south, with a four-storey bell tower at the south end of its east side (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
It was registered as a model of form (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Look for the round windows on the front and at the top of the tower, set in smooth white walls, and the round-arched windows along the nave (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is a working church. No official information on interior access or visiting was found. Check with the church before visiting.
Q&A
- When was the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church built?
- In 1955 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church?
- In Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture.
- What should I look for?
- The round and round-arched windows in the white walls and the four-storey bell tower.
- Can I visit the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church?
- It is a working church; no visiting information was found.
- When was the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church registered?
- On October 23, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church (日本福音ルーテル市川教会会堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-288-14 Ichikawa, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/10/23 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber with tower, sheet-iron roof, 148 m² |
| Owner | Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | In use as a church |
References
- Japan Evangelical Lutheran Ichikawa Church (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007341
- Lutheran Ichikawa Church (Chiba Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-007.html
Last verified: 2026.10.15