A Church with a Cross on Its Turret
The United Church of Christ in Japan Yokosuka Uwamachi Church and Affiliated Megumi Kindergarten (日本基督教団横須賀上町教会・付属めぐみ幼稚園) is a timber church built around 1930 in Uwamachi, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, which in 2003 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey building with a partial second floor and a turret, a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 187 square metres, extended in 1950. The church and its attached kindergarten share one registration as a single building.
The Agency describes it standing in a residential area close to the city centre, known locally as the Uwamachi Church. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape and belongs to the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan.
Church and Kindergarten
The Megumi Kindergarten was founded in 1932, according to its website, as a Christian kindergarten attached to the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church; the church's minister also serves as its head.
The United Church of Christ in Japan, the denomination the church belongs to, was established in 1941 as a union of Protestant churches. At the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church, Sunday worship and weekday kindergarten classes continue on the same site.
What to Look For
The walls are weatherboarded, and the Agency notes sash windows with pointed arches along each side of the worship hall: a Gothic pointed arch fitted to the practical sliding sash.
The roof is gabled, with a turret on the street side carrying a cross. The Agency credits the turret and cross with shaping the historic streetscape. From the road, the turret at the end of the gable marks the church among the surrounding houses.
Visiting the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church
According to the church, Sunday worship is held from 10:30 a.m. to about 11:30 a.m. every week, and anyone is welcome.
On weekdays the kindergarten is in session, so be considerate of children and parents when viewing the exterior. For interior visits, call the shared church and kindergarten number, 046-822-2594. Yokosuka City gives the access as about 10 minutes on foot from Yokosuka-chuo Station on the Keikyu Line, or 2 minutes from the Bunka Kaikan-mae bus stop.
Q&A
- When was the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church built?
- It was built around 1930 and extended in 1950.
- What are the features of the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church?
- Weatherboarded walls, pointed-arch sash windows along the worship hall and a street-side turret bearing a cross.
- Can I attend a service at the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church?
- Yes; Sunday worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and anyone is welcome.
- When was the Megumi Kindergarten founded?
- In 1932, according to the kindergarten.
- How do I get to the Yokosuka Uwamachi Church?
- About 10 minutes on foot from Keikyu Yokosuka-chuo Station, or 2 minutes from the Bunka Kaikan-mae bus stop.
Basic Information
| Name | United Church of Christ in Japan Yokosuka Uwamachi Church and Affiliated Megumi Kindergarten (日本基督教団横須賀上町教会・付属めぐみ幼稚園) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-43 Uwamachi, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/3/18 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey with partial second floor, sheet-metal roof, building area 187 square metres, with turret |
| Owner | Yokosuka Uwamachi Church, United Church of Christ in Japan |
| Public Access | Working church and kindergarten; Sunday worship from 10:30 a.m. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Yokosuka Uwamachi Church (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003204
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yokosuka Uwamachi Church (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/116084
- Yokosuka City: Megumi Kindergarten (Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokosuka.kanagawa.jp/2645/sisetu/fc00000177.html
- Yokosuka Uwamachi Church (Japanese)
- https://www.yu-megumi.com/church
- Megumi Kindergarten (Japanese)
- https://www.yu-megumi.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.27