About United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church
United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church (日本基督教団富士見丘教会, Nihon Kirisuto Kyōdan Fujimigaoka Kyōkai) is a 2-storey timber church in Daizawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo, built in 1936 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It stands in a residential area up the hill from Shimokitazawa Station, a gabled main block with a tower attached at its southwest corner.
According to the church, groups of a dozen or so members from 2 Tokyo congregations, the Shin'ai Church in Kanda and the Banchō Church, joined under the Rev. Yamamoto Tadami, recently arrived from Osaka, and in 1935 decided to build here. The church, part of the Congregationalist Kumiai churches, was completed on October 14, 1936, and formally established the following year. Mount Fuji was clearly visible from the site at the time, and the view gave the church its name: Fujimigaoka, the hill for seeing Fuji.
The building was planned by a church member, Katō Shun'ichi. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as timber, 2 storeys, with a sheet-steel roof and a building area of 262 square meters. The church says the walls were originally painted cream and the side-aisle roofs were covered in natural slate.
Why Fujimigaoka Church Is Registered
Fujimigaoka Church was registered on September 19, 2003, as number 13-0162.
The Agency calls the design plain and unassuming overall, then points to the few places where it is decorated: a relief in the manner of a rose window and battlements at the top of the tower outside, and a hammer-beam truss inside. The sanctuary is divided into a wide central nave and side aisles, with the chancel at the east end.
The building has been adapted as needs changed. A kindergarten opened here in 1953, and a lavatory was added beside the entrance for it. In 2002 the church carried out a major renovation that included seismic strengthening and restored part of the original floor plan. Registration followed the next year.
What to Look For
From outside, look first at the top of the tower. Its square parapet is notched into battlements, giving a small wooden church the silhouette of a castle.
Then look at the main gable, where a circular relief stands in for a rose window. It is modeled, not glazed. On an otherwise quiet exterior, these 2 details are the only ornament.
Inside, the draw is the hammer-beam roof. Short horizontal timbers project from the walls to carry the load of the rafters, an English Gothic device for spanning a wide room without rows of posts. Early Shōwa timber churches in Japan that use it are few.
Visiting United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church
United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church is a working congregation, with no tourist hours and no admission fee. The exterior can be seen from the street.
To see the hammer-beam roof, attend Sunday worship or ask the church in advance if a visit is possible. Avoid dropping in for sightseeing during services and meetings.
Keep photography to the exterior from the public road. This is a residential street, so choose where you stand with care.
Setagaya Digital Museum gives the walking times as 5 minutes from Ikenoue Station on the Keio Inokashira Line and 7 minutes from Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu and Keio Inokashira lines.
Q&A
- When was United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church built?
- It was completed on October 14, 1936, to plans by church member Katō Shun'ichi.
- What should I look for at Fujimigaoka Church?
- Outside, the rose-window relief on the gable and the battlements on the tower; inside, the hammer-beam roof truss.
- When did Fujimigaoka Church become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on September 19, 2003, the year after a major renovation in 2002.
- Can I see inside United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church?
- There are no tourist openings. Attend Sunday worship or contact the church in advance.
- What is the nearest station to Fujimigaoka Church?
- Ikenoue Station on the Keio Inokashira Line, 5 minutes on foot; Shimokitazawa Station is 7 minutes away.
Basic Information
| Name | United Church of Christ in Japan Fujimigaoka Church (日本基督教団富士見丘教会) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-32-2 Daizawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/9/19 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 262㎡ (timber, 2 storeys, sheet-steel roof) |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the national database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; interior during worship or by prior inquiry |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Fujimigaoka Church
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003531
- Cultural Heritage Online: Fujimigaoka Church
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/140801
- Setagaya Digital Museum: Fujimigaoka Church
- https://setagayadigitalmuseum.jp/collection/22286/detail/51101818/
Last verified: 2026.09.24