A Timber Church with a Bell Turret
The Nippon Sei Ko Kai Chubu Diocese Iiyama Resurrection Church (日本聖公会中部教区飯山復活教会) is a single-storey timber church built in 1932 in Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture, which in 2017 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 111 square metres, with an extension added in 2004. It calls the Iiyama Resurrection Church an elegant timber church of the early Showa years.
It belongs to the Chubu Diocese of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Anglican Church in Japan, and was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
How the Church Came to Iiyama
According to the diocese, mission work in Iiyama was begun in 1895 by Taguchi Zennosuke.
After several changes, the church was rebuilt on its present site in 1932 and consecrated, through the Canadian mission, the Rev. Waller and Kanzaki Eisei, and the efforts of the congregation.
The diocese notes that Iiyama was a town of so many temples that a folk song counted thirty-eight of them, with many shops and craftsmen making Buddhist altars, and it acknowledges how hard the church's founders had to work there.
What to Look For
The Nippon Sei Ko Kai Chubu Diocese Iiyama Resurrection Church is gabled, with its entrance in the gable end, and carries a bell turret on the ridge. From the front, the turret rising from the apex of the gable gives the church its upright outline.
The walls are clad in overlapping weatherboards, with pointed-arch windows along the sides. The entrance to the porch is also a pointed arch, finished in washed-aggregate plaster that exposes small stones in the surface.
Around the porch the weatherboards are laid in a fan, radiating along the arch instead of running level as usual. It is a detail worth stepping close to see.
Inside is a single aisle with congregation seating, an entrance room and the altar. The Agency notes that the seating area and entrance room were laid with tatami mats from the start, so worshippers in this snow-country town have always removed their shoes and sat on the floor.
Visiting the Iiyama Resurrection Church
The Nippon Sei Ko Kai Chubu Diocese Iiyama Resurrection Church is a working church. The diocese lists a Sunday service at 10:30 a.m., either a Eucharist or a service of the Word.
The diocese asks visitors on other business to make contact in advance, through its enquiry form or the Chubu Diocese Centre on 052-858-1007. The exterior can be seen from the road in front.
The church is about 6 minutes on foot from Kita-Iiyama Station on the JR Iiyama Line, or about 20 minutes from JR Iiyama Station. By car it is about 10 minutes from the Toyota-Iiyama interchange on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, and there is parking.
Q&A
- When was the Iiyama Resurrection Church built?
- It was built in 1932, with an extension added in 2004.
- What are the features of the Iiyama Resurrection Church?
- A gable-entry timber church with a bell turret on the ridge, weatherboarded walls and pointed-arch windows, and a pointed-arch porch entrance in washed-aggregate plaster.
- Does the Iiyama Resurrection Church have tatami inside?
- Yes; the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the seating area and entrance room were tatami from the start.
- Can I visit the Iiyama Resurrection Church?
- It is a working church with a Sunday service at 10:30 a.m.; for other visits, contact the diocese in advance.
- How do I get to the Iiyama Resurrection Church?
- About 6 minutes on foot from JR Kita-Iiyama Station or 20 minutes from JR Iiyama Station; there is parking.
Basic Information
| Name | Nippon Sei Ko Kai Chubu Diocese Iiyama Resurrection Church (日本聖公会中部教区飯山復活教会) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2278-I-1 Iiyama, Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, sheet-metal roof, building area 111 square metres |
| Owner | Nippon Sei Ko Kai Chubu Diocese |
| Public Access | Working church; Sunday service from 10:30 a.m. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Iiyama Resurrection Church (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011958
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iiyama Resurrection Church (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/275422
- Nippon Sei Ko Kai Chubu Diocese: Iiyama Resurrection Church (Japanese)
- https://nskk-chubu.org/church/13iiyama/
Last verified: 2026.09.27