Motomachi Catholic Church

The Motomachi Catholic Church, built in 1859 as a temporary cathedral, was rebuilt in 1923 after two major fires and has taken on its present form. It is the oldest church in Japan, along with Catholic churches in Yokohama and Nagasaki, and features a soaring bell tower with a spiky roof in the style of 12th century Gothic architecture. The altar of Motomachi Catholic Church was a gift from the Pope to visit the church after a fire, and is the only one of its kind in Japan. At the back of the church is the Grotto of Lourdes, where the statue of the Virgin Mary is worshipped, and where believers offer prayers every May and October.