Church in Japan
The Latest
U.S. Catholics fund replacement for cathedral bell destroyed in atomic bombing of Nagasaki
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, U.S. Catholics helped fund the replacement of... Read more
Sister Agnes Sasagawa, Our Lady of Akita visionary, dies at 93
Sister Agnes Sasagawa, a Japanese nun who purported visions of the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of... Read more
Catholicism and martyrdom in Japan: Church marks 400 years since Edo massacre
The small but devout Catholic community in Japan is built upon the witness of untold numbers of martyrs. Read more
Pope Francis merges two dioceses in Japan
Cardinal Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda was named on Aug. 15 as the first archbishop of the new Archdiocese of Osaka-Takamatsu. Read more
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed two-thirds of the city’s Catholics 78 years ago
Since the 16th century, Nagasaki has been an important center of Catholicism in Japan, initially evangelized by Jesuit and Franciscan... Read more
Tokyo archbishop elected new president of Caritas Internationalis
Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi takes the helm of the Church’s charitable arm six months after Pope Francis dismissed its top... Read more
Japanese prime minister vows to take action on declining birthrate
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently warned that Japan’s birthrate — one of the lowest in the world — is... Read more
Catholic bishops of Hiroshima and Nagasaki hail nuclear weapons ban treaty
The Catholic bishops of Hiroshima and Nagasaki welcomed the United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons that came into force Friday,... Read more
Catholics in Japan fear for refugees, foreigners during coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic is causing drops in charitable donations to Catholic organizations in Japan, especially affecting refugees and vulnerable foreigners,... Read more
