History
 

Yokohama Christ Church History

The Garrison Church - Christ Church

1859

Yokohama Port opened to the world.

1860

Visit of Bishop Alford, the second Bishop of Victoria Hong Kong to dedicate the International Cemetery and hold confirmation in Christ Church, the Garrison Church.

1861

Appeal to the British governement for funds.

18th December Reverend Michael Buckworth Bailey appointed as the first Chaplain.

1862

Land leased in perpetuity from the Japanese government.
Arrival of Rev. Buckworth Bailey.
Services held in the residence of H.B.M. Consul, Captain Vyse & his successor Charles A. Winchester.

1863

Japan Herald reports the Church construction is "progressing towards completion slowly".

The First Church on the Bluff

1864

Construction Completed.

1866

The Great Fire. The settlement is destroyed but the Church is spared.

1868

3,000 openly worshipping Japanese Christians are exiled.

1872

Following Prince Iwakura's trip overseas edit boards against Christianity in every town are removed.

1874

The British Garrison leaves Yokohama.
Noticed served on the parish that funding would cease from Britain on 31st December 1875.
13th January. Seat-renters meet at the British Consulate starting the process of drawing up a Deed of Trust to ensure the continuation of the Church.

1880

The Reverend Chaplain Edward Champneys Irwine appointied as the last Chaplain of the first Church.

The Second Church on the Bluff

1901

Services are held in a public hall until the second church was built. It is not known what happened to the first church. The construction may not have been safe or may not have weathered well or the the church may have been destroyed by fire.

Trinity Sunday, June 2nd 1901 the second church, built of red brick from Glasgow was completed.

1908

It is realised that marriages performed since 1899, when the community came under Japanese law, are not valid. The matter arose when a judge in England adjuducated in the divorce case, Marshall v Marshall, that no divorce could be given as there had been no valid marriage.

February 9th The Bishop of Tokyo explains in the sermon that the 30 marriages that were carried out were not valid without a civil ceremony at the Consulate. (A special Act of Parliament was later passed to legalize the marriages and legitimize the children born to the parents in question.)

1922

Saint George's Day. The Prince of Wales attends Christ Church as his last function before leaving Japan.

1923

August 31st. On the way up to the Parsonage, Mr Catto, the organist, believes he sees a coffin covered with a Union Jack in aisle of the church. The Rev. Eustace Strong is surprised to hear this and he and Mr Catto investgate finding nothing there.

Noon. 1st September 1923. The Great Kanto Earthquake.

Christ Church is completely destroyed. Rev. Strong unhurt directs the rescue of survivors trapped in the rubble. He saves many including the Spanish Amassador and the patients of the English General Hospital.
The Chaplain and the survivors move to Kobe for safety.

Services resume in the rapidly built British Consulate and later in December in a wooden building shipped from America. Reverend Cecil P. Hodges relieves the Rev Strong.

1925

London. The Tokyo and Yokohama Church of England Restoration fund, organized by the Rev Strong, collects 29,500 Yen or 3,000 pounds.

1926

Reverend Cecil P. Hodges dies of pneumonia in Korea visiting the Church where he previously worked.

1927

May. Rev. Edwin George Bucknill. arrives from England.

1930

The church commisions an Architect and rebuilding begins.
October American Suffragen Bishop C.S. Reifsnider of the American Church Mission in Tokyo presides at the laying of the foundation stone by British Ambassador, Sir John Tilley.

The Third Church on the Bluff

1931

Trinity Sunday, May 31st. Christ Church consecrated by the Right Reverend Samuel Heaslett.
Japanese students of English start to attend the services.

1935

Rev. Bucknill retires.

Rev. Roger Pott becomes Chaplain.
12th May A service in honour of the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth is held. It is attended by many Japanese officials , including five Admirals, representatives from diplomatic missions and many British seamen from ships in the harbour.

1938

Rev. T.P. Symonds becomes Chaplain.

1941

17th March. Due to the hostilities Christ Church is handed into the care of the Japanese Anglican Church through the Japanese Bishop, The Right Reverend Tomomu Sugai.

The Japanese government orders all Christian denominations to unite and make up one approved Union Church. Those who disagree are imprisoned.
Bishop Sugai imprisoned..
7th December. War breaks out.

1942

12th April. Sunday after Easter. Rev. Symonds celebrates Holy Communion for the civilian prisoners for the last time.

The Church building is used as a store for the adjacent Naval Hospital. The nave and the choir becomes an officers club and theatre.

1945

29th May The Church is destroyed by an American air raid. The first 100 bombers drops high explosive in a concentrated pattern across the town. The second wave of 500 'Fortresses' drops thousands upon thousands of incendiary bombs. The nave and the choir burn long into the night.

September. American troops enter Yokohama.

Sergeants John Clark, Wayne Gray & William Gripp explore the Bluff and recognize the burnt out building as a Church.
Christmas Eve John Clark meets Bishop Sugai at Saint Luke's Hospital Chapel service. Bishop Sugai encourages Rev. Peter Takeda to go Yokohama to take the service.

1946

January Episcopal Church Group formed.
February Work begins on restoring the side chapel
Third Sunday in April The side chapel is ready for use.
August The Rev. Stephen K. Iwai, a English Speaking Japanese priest is sent by the Bishop as resident priest.
Winter Services are moved into the Rectory and are taken by Father Iwai, The Right Reverend Kenneth Abbot Viall, S.S.J.E and Douglas Overton, American Vice Consul and licenced lay reader.
The work of cleaning and rebuilding the church is continued mainly by soldiers in their spare time.

1947

Easter Day Easter Service held in the roofless Nave of the church.

Bishop Sugai dies.

The Third Church on the Bluff - Rebuilt

7th December The Right Reverend Light Maekawa, Bishop of South Tokyo reconsecrates the nave and the choir.

1952

December The British consul, Mr Henry Sawbridge writes to the Missions to Seamen asking whether it is possible for the them to send a Chaplain.

1954

The last American chaplain is withdrawn ending eight years of help from the Chaplains of the American Armed Forces.
14th March The Rev. Gunter Helft instituted Rector by The Right Reverand Issac Hidetoshi Nosse.
The Trust of 1941 is terminated and Christ Church returns to the foreign Anglican congregation.

1957

Rev Eric Witham Casson becomes Rector

1959

19th April Visit by His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Geoffrey Fisher, D.D.

1960

The centenary of Christ Church.

1965

Rev Colin Harrison becomes Rector

1966

Rev David Jenkins becomes Rector

1967

Rev Robert Precious becomes Rector

1968

Rev John Berg becomes Rector

1978

Yokohama Christ Church Vestry passes a motion that the Church ownership should be passed over to the diocese of Yokohama: as is the case with all parishes in the diocese.

1988

The transfer is passed by the diocese conference.

1990

The Church building is completely restored: with much of the stone work being replaced by new stone quarried from the same quarry where the orginal stone was dug.

1995-6

The interior of the church and the hall are redecorated: extensive extensions are made to the rectory and the buildings.

1997

Celebration of 50 Years Yokohama Yamate Sei Ko Kai

Message to Yokohama Yamate Sei Ko Kai from Rev'd John Berg

Yokohama Yamate Sei Ko Kai, congratulations on your 50th anniversary celebration as a parish within the diocese of Yokohama.

It hardly seems possible but I have known many of you now for thirty of these fifty years, and I appreciate the many kindnesses that you have shown me over the years.

When I first arrived Daniel Sato was your Rector and Stephen Iwai was our Bishop. It was during Daniel Sato's time that we pulled down the old wooden rectories. Many were sad to see them go, but not many would have liked to live in them! The rather ugly concrete rectories were then put up. They were paid for by the Missions to Seamen (MTS), as part of the MTS reconstruction, on the understanding that the MTS chaplain could always live on the 2nd floor.

Daniel left and Cornelius Tazaki was appointed for a brief stay as your Rector. I well remember the happy times we had together, and how his wife was part of the small choir we formed.

Cornelius was elected as Bishop of Tohoku and Timothy Ishikawa arrived. This was very appropriate as Timothy had been chaplain of the Missions to Seamen in Sydney. During his time his wife Martha became very friendly with many of the English speaking congregation.

Timothy was transferred to Chiba and David Yamazaki replaced him. I am very pleased to say that a close and happy friendship has grown up between us, and I really appreciate his wonderful co-operation and assistance in my ministry.

During this fifty years many things have happened with the English speaking congregation. In the late sixties and early seventies there was a big move of people. Firstly, the US military moved most of its people from Yokohama to Yokosuka - and with them many Episcopalians who had worshipped at Christ church. Second there was the move of businesses to Tokyo, and consequently many foreigners transferred their residences to Tokyo.

There was also rampant inflation in Japan and many overseas companies cut down on their expatriate staff quite considerably.

With all these events the size of Christ Church congregation declined, whereas Yamate Sei Ko Kai was increasing. It became clear that our roles should be reversed, and so Christ Church handed over the ownership of the property to the diocese and YYSKK took on the leadership of church building maintenance.

This was very much in line with Anglican thinking that the local church should care for visitors, and we at Christ Church as very grateful for the way in which YYSKK has responded to the changes.

You have done the most wonderful things in restoring and repairing the church and the church hall and the extensions to the rectory building. Many people remark on how beautiful the church compound is.

In the recent years Christ Church itself has become revitalized - but with a very different congregation from that of the 1960's. Many travel long distances to worship (two hours for some), there are many more young people who are enthusiastic and dynamic. Another change is in the number of our young congregation who are now fluent in the Japanese language!

As with your congregation there are some from Christ Church who do not enjoy the combined services - but the great majority welcome this time to share in worship.

We would like to thank you for all that you have done in recent years, and trust that our relationship will remain rooted in our common faith.

May we truly together be the Body of Christ at work and witnessing in this place of Yokohama.

Again, congratulations, John Berg

The above information has been compiled from the book
"The Church on Colonel's Corner"
Christ Church 1862-1962
by
Rev Eric Witham Casson
and the Rev John Berg