Sapporo Japan Temple Wiki

Details

History

Missionaries of the Church first arrived in Sapporo in 1905. By 1924, the mission had closed, leaving behind a handful of members—most of whom could not be located following World War II. When the mission reopened in 1948, missionaries returned to Hokkaidō, and the Church began to grow. As early as the 1960s, Hokkaidō members held to a belief that a temple would be built among them one day as described at the groundbreaking ceremony by Elder Koichi Aoyagi in a reflection of his own missionary experience there: “I was a missionary here in Hokkaidō 46 years ago. The members in the Sapporo Branch back then said to me, ‘Someday we will build a temple in Sapporo.’ I am happy that this day has come.”^[1]Carol Moses, “To Build a House of the Lord,” Tambuli Oct. 1980: 7.

On July 17, 1949, Elder Matthew Cowley made the first prophecy regarding the temples of Japan during the dedicatory services for the old Tokyo mission home—now the site of the Tokyo Japan Temple. Elder Harrison Ted Price, a missionary serving in the Northern Far East Mission, recorded in his journal: “In this prayer, he told of countless blessings from the Lord that have been enjoyed here to date, and went on to prophesy—’there will someday be many church buildings—and even TEMPLES built in the land.'”^[2]Elder Conan Grames and Sister Cindy Grames, “Ground is broken in Sapporo for Japan’s third temple,” Church News 27 Oct. 2011, 17 Nov. 2011 .

Announced

President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a temple in Sapporo, Japan, on October, 2009, during the Saturday morning session of the 179th Semiannual General Conference. This will be the third temple built in Japan, which has 29 stakes and 14 districts. Sapporo is Japan’s fifth largest city and is located on the northern island of Hokkaidō.^[3]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “Five New Temples Announced,” 3 Oct. 2009.

News of the announcement of the Sapporo Japan Temple—so long desired by the Saints of Hokkaidō—was met with shouts for joy, prayers of gratitude, and tears from an overwhelming sense of the Spirit. President Hiroyuki Domon of the Sapporo Japan West Stake said, “My heart was literally burning like a fire. There are no words to express my joyous feelings.” He further explained, “We started to have one vision five years ago. ‘Let us build a temple in this northern island.…It is our dream, it is our mission.’…We have prepared ourselves so that we may be worthy to enter the temple and the Lord has given us the greatest blessing.”^[4]Greg Hill, “Members Rejoicing in Sapporo,” Church News 4 Nov. 2009, 9 Mar. 2010 .

Groundbreaking

On Saturday, October 22, 2011, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, president of the Asia North Area, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sapporo Japan Temple with his counselors, Elder Michael T. Ringwood and Elder Koichi Aoyagi, and their wives. Tents, umbrellas, and plastic raincoats were in abundance as wind and rain showered over the services. “I am thankful for this historic groundbreaking—even in this downpour,” Elder Stevenson said. “Everything today was wet with rain, but the spirit of the saints was not dampened at all. They came with their hearts open and with complete joy as they saw the image of the temple at the groundbreaking ceremony. You could see that their eyes and hearts were just filled with joy to know that they are going to have a house of the Lord on the island.”^[5]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “Groundbreaking Held For Sapporo Japan Temple,” 22 Oct. 2011.

The former prime minister of Japan, Yukio Hatoyama, was a special guest at the groundbreaking. He flew to Sapporo to participate in the ceremony, and in his brief remarks, he pointed out the contribution of the Church and its members to the people of Tohoku, following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck in March 2011. “You have made many social contributions in a spirit of service. I cannot express my feelings toward the quiet service you have rendered with kindness on behalf of the people.” Prime Minister Hatoyama joined in the ceremonial turning of ground, and as he left, he paused to wave to the crowd. The congregation erupted into spontaneous applause as a reflection of gratitude to this former leader of their nation who honored them with his presence on a wet but special day.^[6]Elder Conan Grames and Sister Cindy Grames, “Ground is broken in Sapporo for Japan’s third temple,” Church News 27 Oct. 2011, 17 Nov. 2011 .

Open House

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the open house would be held for the Sapporo Japan Temple commencing on Friday, 8 July 2016 and continue through Saturday, 23 July 2016. An open house was not conducted on Sunday, 10 and 17 July. More than 13,000 people attended the public open house.

The general public, including children of all ages, is invited to attend an open house of the Sapporo Japan Temple. Admission is free, but reservations are requested.

Cultural Celebration

On Saturday evening, 20 August 2016, the youth of the Church in the area performed in a cultural celebration honoring Japan’s history as well as the history of the Church in the country.

During the celebration, President Russell M. Nelson then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles commented, “We have the exciting privilege of being part of this latter-day work, when the gospel will go to every nation and those people of Japan particularly now will be able to have all the blessings of the temple.”

Dedication

President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formally dedicated the Sapporo Japan Temple in three dedicatory sessions on Sunday, 21 August 2016. He was accompanied by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Larry Y. Wilson of the Seventy and Assistant Executive Director of the Church’s Temple Department. All sessions were broadcast to meetinghouses throughout Japan, enabling thousands of Latter-day Saints to participate.

The Sapporo Japan Temple will be the eighth temple built in Asia and the third built in Japan, following the Tokyo Japan Temple (1980) and the Fukuoka Japan Temple (2000).

Detail

Location

On May 2, 2010, the location of the Sapporo Japan Temple was announced as a large parcel of land on the Atsubetsu River, adjacent to the campus of Hokusei Gakuen University. A charming, well-known pedestrian bridge decorated with colorful circles and supported by a soaring, graceful arch—known locally as “Rainbow Bridge”—crosses the river at the north edge of the temple site. The land was once occupied by the Shin Sapporo Golf Center and offers convenient access from the Hokkaidō Expressway and the Ooyachi Subway Station.^[7]Matthew Campbell, Email to Rick Satterfield, “Sapporo Japan Temple,” 16 Aug. 2010.

Exterior

The beautiful white Sapporo Japan Temple—designed with inspiration from Asian architecture—will anchor a complex of supporting buildings including an Arrival Center, a Patron Housing Facility, a Temple Missionary Housing Facility, a combined home and office for the Japan Sapporo Mission, and space for a future meetinghouse. The captivating grounds offer the beauty and mystique of the Orient, featuring distinctive trees and plants, large landscaping stones, and an enchanting pond and waterfall spanned by a pedestrian bridge.