Fukuoka Japan Temple

Fukuoka Japan Temple
Interactive map of Fukuoka Japan Temple
Number88
DedicationJune 11, 2000, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site1.25 acres (0.51 ha)
Floor area10,700 ft2 (990 m2)
Height71 ft (22 m)
Official website • News & images
Church chronology
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Additional information
AnnouncedMay 7, 1998, by Gordon B. Hinckley
GroundbreakingMarch 20, 1999, by L. Lionel Kendrick
Open houseJune 1–3, 2000
Current presidentTaiichi Aoba
Designed byKanji Moriya and Church A&E Services
LocationFukuoka, Japan
Geographic coordinates33°34′21.42479″N 130°23′30.13440″E / 33.5726179972°N 130.3917040000°E / 33.5726179972; 130.3917040000
Exterior finishTwo tones of polished granite, Empress White and Majestic Grey, quarried in China
Temple designClassic modern, single-spire design
Baptistries1
Ordinance rooms2 (two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms2
()

The Fukuoka Japan Temple (福岡神殿, Fukuoka Shinden) is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Fukuoka, Japan. It was announced on May 7, 1998, and later dedicated on June 11, 2000, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley. It became the church's 88th operating temple, the second in Japan (after Tokyo)), and the first in southern Japan.[2][3] The temple serves more than 7,700 members across the Kyushu, Okinawa, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, and Shikoku regions.[4]

History

Church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans for a temple in Fukuoka on May 7, 1998.[5] The groundbreaking and site dedication occurred on March 20, 1999, presided over by L. Lionel Kendrick, a general authority and president of the church's Asia North Area, with more than 500 church members in attendance.[3]

The temple was constructed on land that been a center of church activity for a long time. In earlier decades, the site included a mission home and a former restaurant converted into a meetinghouse.[6] Eugene M. Kitamura, a Fukuoka native, recalled that the area was once remote and accessible only by an unpaved road, and that church members had to travel as far as Hawaii to attend temple ordinances before the temple in Tokyo was completed in 1980.[7]

During construction, the gold-leafed angel Moroni statue was placed on top of the spire on November 8, 1999.[3] After construction was completed, a public open house was held from June 1 to 3, 2000, with about 4,800 visitors, including U.S. ambassador Tom Foley.[5]

The temple was dedicated on June 11, 2000, by Hinckley, with four sessions held and 3,280 church members attending.[8] He was accompanied by Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and L. Lionel Kendrick of the Seventy[4] Hinckley—who had overseen church affairs in Asia since the 1960s—was visibly emotional, remarking that it might be his final visit to Fukuoka.[7]

The Fukuoka Japan Temple was the first of four temples dedicated by Hinckley during an Asia-Pacific tour that year, followed by the Adelaide Australia, Melbourne Australia, and Suva Fiji temples.[4]

In the years following its dedication, the temple district experienced notable growth and modernization. In March 2018, the temple underwent an exterior lighting renovation, replacing mercury lamps with energy-efficient LED floodlights that enhanced brightness while reducing power use.[9] Observers described the upgraded illumination as creating “a solemn and beautiful presence” on the hillside, its spire and Moroni statue a distinctive feature of Fukuoka’s nighttime skyline.[9]

In 2020, like all the church's others, the Fukuoka Japan Temple was closed for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]

Design and architecture

The Fukuoka Japan Temple occupies 1.25 acres (0.5 ha) on a hillside overlooking the city.[4] The structure is about 10,700 sq ft (994 m²) and is approximately 80 ft (25 m) high.[3]

The building's exterior of polished Empress White and Majestic Grey granite from China contrasts upper and lower levels.[3][4] The upper story includes the temple, while the lower level—faced with darker granite—contains the mission home, mission offices, temple president’s apartment, and parking garage.[7]

Designed by Kozo Tashiro in a classic modern single-spire style, it resembles the Snowflake Arizona Temple.[4] It has two progressive instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry, where the initiatory, endowment, sealing, and proxy baptism ordinances are performed.[5]

Surrounded by wooded hills, the grounds feature landscaped walkways leading toward the front entrance. Nearby cultural landmarks include the Fukuoka City Art Museum, Science Museum, and Botanical Garden.[4]

Temple leadership and admittance

The church's temples are directed by a temple president and matron, each typically serving for a term of three years. The president and matron oversee the administration of temple operations and provide guidance and training for both temple patrons and staff.[4] As of 2024, Seiichiro Utagawa is the president, with Mayumi I. Utagawa serving as matron.[2]

Like all the church's temples, it is not used for Sunday worship services. To members of the church, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord. Once dedicated, only church members with a current temple recommend can enter for worship.[5]

See also


Temples in Japan

= Operating
= Under construction
= Announced
= Temporarily Closed

References

  1. ^ 2-story, 2-tone design variant, nearly identical to the Snowflake Arizona Temple
  2. ^ a b "Temples | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (PDF). newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Fukuoka Japan Temple | ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org". Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fukuoka Japan Temple". Church News. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "福岡神殿スケジュール". jp.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  6. ^ "福岡神殿 – HiSoUR – Hi So You Are". Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Hill, Greg; writer, Church News staff (June 17, 2000). "Church members rejoice over temple in southern Japan". Church News. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  8. ^ Mims, Bob. "LDS Church: All missionaries confirmed safe in Japan", The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 March 2011. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
  9. ^ a b "末日聖徒イエス・キリスト教会 ライトアップ | 建築外構・景観演出 ライトアップ | 納入事例 | 岩崎電気". www.iwasaki.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  10. ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

Additional reading

  • Media related to Fukuoka Japan Temple at Wikimedia Commons
  • Fukuoka Japan Temple Official site
  • Fukuoka Japan Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
  • Japan Fukuoka Temple Photos including construction, dedication and site
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