Okinawa Japan Temple Wiki

Quick Facts

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Description

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands—an island group that stretches from Kyushu, the island where the Fukuoka Japan Temple is located, to Taiwan, the island where the Taipei Taiwan Temple is located. The Church has had a presence in Japan since 1901. At the time of the announcement, there were nearly 130,000 Latter-day Saints in the country. One stake and one military district operated in Okinawa. The island is famous for having some of the longest living people in the world.^[1]”Prophet Announces Eight New Temples at April 2019 General Conference,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 7 Apr. 2019. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/eight-new-temples-april-2019-general-conference.

History

The first missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints landed in Tokyo, Japan, in 1901. In 1945, during World War II, American servicemen were the first Church members to arrive in Okinawa. Since then, American and Japanese Latter-day Saints have shared a joint role in Church service and growth in the Ryukyu Islands.

On July 8, 1945, just a few days after the Battle of Okinawa ended, a conference was held for Latter-day Saint servicemen at Nakagusuku Castle, with 180 attendees. Future Church Apostles Neal A. Maxwell and Boyd K. Packer served in Okinawa during this time, and they later spoke about personal spiritual experiences on the islands during the war.

Latter-day Saint servicemen residing in Okinawa in the years following World War II met for regular Church meetings and conferences, often at Kadena Air Base and later at the Camp Kuwae chapel. Okinawa was added to the Japanese Mission on June 23, 1951. Eventually, on November 2, 1952, the Okinawa Servicemen’s District was created. Today it is the Okinawa Japan Military District and continues to serve English-speaking Church members in Okinawa.

On August 14, 1955, Elder Joseph Fielding Smith formally dedicated Okinawa for the preaching of the gospel at a special meeting near the Zukeran military base chapel. American servicemen in Okinawa shared the gospel with local Japanese people even before proselytizing efforts were officially organized. The first Japanese members were baptized December 25, 1955. Their baptisms inspired the mission president to send the first assigned missionaries to Okinawa on April 17, 1956.

In 1956, Latter-day Saint servicemen broke ground for a chapel in Futenma and moved a Quonset hut donated by the military to the site. American and Japanese Church members alike eagerly raised funds for the future building. Eventually, the first full-sized chapel for the Japanese Saints was erected in Naha and dedicated by Elder Gordon B. Hinckley on October 16, 1966.

Military members of the Church in Okinawa continued to fluctuate in the decades after the war due to the transient nature of assignments. However, in 1962 the number of Japanese Church members reached 94 at the Futenma Military Branch and 172 at the new Naha Servicemen Branch. Significant growth continued, and in 1963 there were 134 members in Futenma and 252 in Naha.

Full-time missionaries often served as branch and district leaders in Japanese-speaking congregations until May 7, 1961, when the first Japanese branch president was instated in the Naha branch. Just over a year later, on November 18, 1962, a Japanese member was called as the 12th district president, the first local to fill this role. Under the direction of faithful local leaders, missionary work blossomed.

Church congregations spread to surrounding islands, and congregations were formed in Ishigaki, Miyakojima and Amami Island, where Elder Gary E. Stevenson, future Church Apostle, served as a young missionary in 1975.

On October 23, 1980, the long-awaited Japanese-speaking Okinawa Japan Stake was organized by Elder Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The first stake president had served as the district president for many years. By this time, the number of Japanese Church members had reached 1,873.

The combined synergy and respect between American military district members and Japanese stake

members continued, furthering the Lord’s work in Okinawa. Unity among American and Japanese Saints has been a continuous theme on the island.

Church leaders have regularly visited Okinawa, including President Gordon B. Hinckley, who came five times as an Apostle between 1960 and 1976. He traveled to Okinawa again in 1996 as President of the Church.

Temple and family history work has always been part of the legacy of the Ryukyu Islands, which were ruled through the centuries by various nations. Valiant men and women from many countries gave their lives, and their spirits instill a sacred urgency for temple work among those who live in Okinawa.

Early Okinawan Saints traveled to Laie, Hawaii, to participate in temple ordinances. Later, the Tokyo Japan Temple was announced in 1975 and dedicated in 1980. This temple, though in Japan, still required a notable sacrifice for members to attend, so Okinawan Saints also served in the Manila Philippines Temple, the Taipei Taiwan Temple, and eventually the Fukuoka Japan Temple, dedicated in 2000.

The former president of the Okinawa stake and of the Tokyo temple noted that upon hearing the announcement of the Okinawa Japan Temple in April 2019, he “was filled with great joy and gratitude with many of my brothers and sisters. Okinawa is an island which is redeemed by the precious blood of more than 240,000 people during the war. During my tenure as stake president, the cries of the dead, who had already accepted the gospel in the spirit world, were as urgent as the tides of the sea.”

The Okinawa Japan Stake and Okinawa Japan Military District now share a combined 5,500 members in 12 congregations. Chapels have been constructed in Nago, Naha, Okinawa, Futenma, Itoman and Ishigaki. As a whole, Japan is home to more than 130,000 Latter-day Saints in over 230 congregations.

The Okinawa Japan Temple, the fourth temple in Japan, was announced on April 7, 2019, by Church President Russell M. Nelson. Ground was broken on December 5, 2020, and the temple will be dedicated November 12, 2023. The temple will serve Church members living in Okinawa and on the surrounding islands.

Announcement

Location Announcement

On May 25, 2020, the location of the Okinawa Japan Temple was announced. The temple will be constructed in Okinawa City near the Kadena Air Base, adjacent to the meetinghouse for the Okinawa Ward. Its location just off the Okinawa Expressway will make the temple easily accessible from locations throughout the island. The two-story, 10,000-square-foot temple will be constructed on half-acre parking lot next to an existing meetinghouse that will be remodeled to include a patron waiting area.^[2]”See What the New Temples in Guatemala and Japan Will Look Like,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 May 2020. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coban-guatemala-okinawa-japan-temples-renderings.

Render Released

Groundbreaking Announced

GOn 22 September 2020 the Church announced that ground will be broken for the Okinawa Japan Temple in December 2020. Elder Takashi Wada, president of the Asia North Area, will preside at the service. Due to local government social-distancing guidelines, attendance is by invitation only. Photos and video of the event will be available to the media and public on the Church Newsroom after the groundbreaking services^[4]“Groundbreakings Announced for Temples in Guatemala and Japan.” newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 22 Sept. 2020, newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreakingsannouncedfortemples-inguatemalaandjapan.

Groundbreaking

Open House/Dedication Announced

On 17 April 2023 the Church announced the open house and dedication dates for the Okinwa Japan Temple.^[6]”News for Temples in Japan and California,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 17 Apr. 2023. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/news-for-temples-in-japan-and-california

Open House

Dedication

Dedicatory Order

Presidents and Matrons

Temple President	Temple Matron	Years Served
text	text	yyyy–
text	text	yyyy–yyyyy

Details

Location

Exterior

Symbolism

Inscription

Location

Cornerstone

Spires and Finial

Spires

Finial

Interior

Contractors

Architect

General Contractor

Nishimatsu Daiyone
Joint Venture was the architect for this temple.

Other Contractor

Matt McNicholas from MGLM Architects designed the art glass under direction from Michael Thomson, Kathleen Lewis, Russell Hansen and Melanie Jones.

The decorative lighting fixtures were manufactured by Yamagiwa, based in Japan.

Decorative lighting fixtures were manufactured by Yamagiwa, based in Japan.

Region

TEMPLES IN ASIA _{by country}

Cambodia	1	Phnom Penh
China	2	Hong Kong · Shanghai
India	1	Bengaluru
Indonesia	1	Jakarta
Japan	4	Fukuoka · Okinawa · Osaka · Sapporo · Tokyo
Mongolia	1	Ulaanbaatar
Philippines	13	Alabang · Bacolod · Cagayan de Oro · Cebu City · Davao · Iloilo · Laoag · Manila · Naga · Santiago · Tacloban City · Tuguegarao City · Urdaneta
Singapore	1	Singapore
South Korea	1	Seoul · Busan
Taiwan	2	Kaohsiung · Taipei
Thailand	1	Bangkok

Sources and Citations