Thank you for visiting our website. We are located in the Diocese of Chubu of the Anglican Church in Japan.

Located near Matsumoto Castle, our historic church was founded in 1899 by Canadian missionary Reverend F.W.C. Kennedy and others.

Established in 1913 as the church's affiliated kindergarten, the adjacent Holy Cross Kindergarten was the first private kindergarten in Nagano Prefecture's Chūshin (Mid-Shinshu) region. It continues to serve alongside the church to this day.

Worship Access Contact Visit

Worship Service Information

The service begins at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. It is approximately one hour long.
Everyone is welcome to attend.

The regular Sunday worship schedule is as follows, but it may change, so please check in advance if necessary:

1st and 3rd Sundays: Holy Communion (Rev. Ichihara)
2nd and 4th Sundays: Holy Communion (Rev. Tanaka)
5th Sunday: Lay-led worship of the Word

Access

From Matsumoto Station:

Walk:

15 minutes (Please refer to the Google Map below; the route is quite simple).

Public Transportation:

Bus: Take the escalator down from the east exit of Matsumoto Station to Bus Stop 21.
Take the Route 81 (Kita-Shinnai Line, bound for Shinshu University Hospital), or Route 110 (West Loop). Get off at the "Arigasaki Koukou Mae" (Arigasaki High School Front) stop. You will see the church on the other side of the road, a minute's walk away. (Note: Limited service. Timetable here (PDF, Japanese only).

Taxi: It takes about seven minutes and costs approximately ¥1,000. Tell the driver "Arigasaki Koukou Kousaten" (Arigasaki High School intersection) or "Sei-Juji Youchien" (Holy Cross Kindergarten) to get to the church.

By car:

Please refer to the Google Map below.

Highway: It's about a 7-minute drive from Matsumoto IC. However, be aware that the roads leading into the city center can become crowded on holidays and during tourist seasons.

Parking: Spaces marked "聖十字駐車場" (Holy Cross Parking) in the lot in front of the church are generally available on Sundays. However, they may be reserved for kindergarten events, so please check after parking. Unauthorized parking is prohibited.
Also, please do not park anywhere besides the designated area.

Contact Information

Address: 1-6-25 Kaichi, Matsumoto City, Nagano 390-0876 Japan
Phone: (+81) 0263-33-3413

Currently, there is no resident staff. Calls will be go to voicemail. Please leave a message with your request and contact information.

Fax: (+81) 0263-37-5525

You may also send messages using the contact form here. We will respond as necessary.

About the Church Building and Visits

Our church building was originally constructed in 1910 and relocated to its present site in 1957. In 2021, it was designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property. At the same time, this church continues to serve as a living place of prayer and community. It is not only a cultural property, but also an active house of worship where people gather each week.

We are grateful that many people have shown interest in visiting this historic building. Currently, however, there is no resident staff at the church, and the building is closed except during worship services and special events. If you visit outside these times, you will find the church locked.

For safety reasons relating to the adjacent kindergarten, we kindly ask that visitors refrain from entering the church grounds on weekdays.

You are warmly welcome to join us for Sunday worship, which begins at 10:30 am and lasts approximately one hour. After the service, at around 11:45 am, there may be an opportunity to briefly view the interior of the church, depending on the schedule for that day.

Out of respect for the worship service, we ask that visitors avoid entering or leaving solely for sightseeing purposes during the service.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you.

Welcome to the Holy Cross Church, Matsumoto, Japan!