Yukinoshita Catholic Church — Attraction in Kamakura

In a city drowning in temples & shrines, this church feels like the contrarian in the room...the lone voice saying, “Yeah, I see your thousand years of Buddhist tradition, but how about some concrete brutalism with a Virgin Mary icon?”

The building itself is no Notre-Dame; it’s more like a well-meaning architectural thesis that somehow graduated into reality. Clean lines, industrial materials, zero frills. Then you turn your head & there’s a bell tower standing like a stock chart that peaked in 1982 & never recovered.

But here’s the thing...it works. The church isn’t here to compete with the temples; it’s here to serve the small Catholic community in Kamakura. And in a sea of incense smoke & vermilion torii gates, the stark modernism actually pops. It’s a reminder that faith, like consumer brands, thrives on differentiation.

Am I a believer? No. Did I appreciate it? Absolutely. Because sometimes, the most interesting thing in a place known for tradition is the outlier that refuses to play by...

A larger Catholic church on Wakamiya-ooji Street, a historical central street of Kamakura. Mass in Japanese is available every day except Monday. Chapel is open for prayers and visiters until 16:15. (Need to keep silent.) Inside the chapel, there's painting which shows a tragedy of some Catholics occurred in Kamakura in 1623. No English official website available. Some of Priests speak English. There's a slope for persons with wheelchair. There're Catholic Boy Scouts, Catholic Girl Scouts, and Catholic Boys' Choir. On the last Sunday in October every year, a large bazaar is held. On May 3rd every year, Boys' Choir's bazaar is held. Scouts' bazaar in spring is also popular. On December 23th every year (amazingly, every year more than 30 years here in Buddhists’ nation), a concert of Messiah (Hendel's) by the Boys' Choir and their orchestra is held…it's really nice and bells me that Child's born is right around the corner. The 24:00 24-Dec midnight Mass (0:00 of 25-Dec) is with a carm nice...

カトリック雪ノ下教会は、 1948年にカナダから3人の レデンプトール会の神父が 来日し、創設されました。 そして、1958年に新聖堂が 竣工されています。

教会外観正面のモザイク画の マリア様は、[絶えざる御助けの聖母]で、この教会の保護の 聖人です。

鶴岡八幡宮へ向かう参道横の 若宮大路に面したところに 教会がありますが、聖堂内部 には外の喧騒は届かず、 静けさの中、しばし席に座り 祈るともなく、心の深みに 静寂さがしみ入る感覚を覚え ます。

日本ではキリスト教徒は少数派で、教会も少ないですが、 歴史ある古都鎌倉を訪れる時、 ここ雪ノ下教会へ来ると､ 神道、仏教文化の中に自然に 溶け込んでいるように見えます。 しかし、聖堂内はやはり教会 本来の姿に触れられる空間で、 パイプオルガンの音色や聖歌隊の歌声は本当に美しく、教会 ならではの癒しや平安に包まれる場です。

(鎌倉駅徒歩約7、8分。 京急バス、江ノ電バス若宮大路 停留所目の前。 拝観料...