Otaru Catholic Church Tomioka Cathedral | Otaru Tourism

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About a 10-minute walk from JR Otaru Station, a little way back from the so-called "Hell Hill" that leads to Otaru University of Commerce, there is a beautiful church that looks like it came straight out of a picture book, known to locals as "Tomioka Church."

Its current official name is "Catholic Otaru Church Tomioka Cathedral," but it was called the Catholic Tomioka Church until 2015. It was built in 1929 (Showa 4) and is Otaru City designated Historic Building No. 70.

The exterior is thought to have been designed to resemble Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki, and the distinctive building with its red pointed roof and octagonal bell tower is a mixture of medieval Romanesque and Gothic styles.

A major attraction of Tomioka Cathedral is the many stained glass windows that shine in the windows. The stained glass in the large window of the chapel is an old one that dates back to the church's original construction, and features a simple geometric pattern. Soft light shines through the white plaster walls. Many different types of glass are used in the stained glass, and it seems that glass with fine irregularities in colors such as pink, yellow, and green is no longer produced in Japan.

Anyone can freely visit the chapel at any time, and unusually for a church, photography is also permitted inside the chapel.

Facility name: Otaru Catholic Church Tomioka Cathedral

Address: 1-21-25 Tomioka, Otaru City, Hokkaido, 047-0033

phone
0134-22-6278

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