Kogen Stone Church in Karuizawa and remembering John and Yoko

Stone Church in Karuizawa was built in commemoration of Uchimura Kanzo (1861-1930) who was the foremost leader of the Non-church Movement, Japanese author, and Christian evangelist. The church is only 20+ years old, but it looks like it has been here from the ancient days. (Japan Travel)

The building, designed by an American architect, Kendrick Kellogg (1934-), integrates its surroundings naturally. Kellogg was careful to make sure that the building would not change the surroundings: air flow, water stream, and the slope of the land. Kellogg's concept was that the repetition of stone and glass arches would symbolize male and female, bride and groom. At the ground level is a chapel, and below that is a memorial hall of Uchimura Kanzo. ( Japan Travel)

 

Uchimura's grave is marked by this quote of his.

Uchimura studied in the states and was part of the Philadelphia Quaker group who established the Tokyo Friends School where we've been attending.

After his return to Japan, Uchimura worked as a teacher, but was fired or forced to resign in several instances over his uncompromising position toward authorities or foreign missionary bodies that controlled the schools. (Wikipedia)

Uchimura's career as a journalist was cut short as well, largely due to his pacifist views and vocal opposition against the Russo-Japanese War in his newspaper columns, which came into conflict with the paper's official editorial views. He started publishing and selling his own monthly magazine, Tokyo Zasshi (Tokyo Journal) and later Seisho no Kenkyu (Biblical Study), and supported himself by addressing weekly audiences of 500–1000 people in downtown Tokyo in lectures on the Bible. His followers came to share Uchimura’s attitude that an organized church was actually a hindrance to the Christian faith, and Christian sacraments, such as baptism and communion, are not essential to salvation. Uchimura named his Christian position as "Mukyokai" or Nonchurch Movement.(Wikipedia)

The church's arches are angled in a variety of ways so that at any time of the day shafts of will light coming through the alternating glass panels will light up a different aspect of the interior.

       We could only go in the basement museum area because there was a wedding in the chapel. In the museum we saw these quotes, one for my Mom &

Dad. But it left us a bit puzzled. 

Awesome find Emily! She googled this by fluke and sent it to me even before we knew we were going to this place. So linked in life aren't we. We're one big mind.