St. Mary's Cathedral

Name: St. Mary's Cathedral
Address: 3-15-16 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Sekiguchi, Kantō region, Japan
Telephone: 03-3945-0126

Written by Greg Lane

Tokyo’s head office for the Catholic Church is a striking modernist building designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and completed in 1965.

St. Mary's Cathedral interior — Photo by Gregory Lane

The cathedral features a steep, angular, steel roof, a towering spire—separated from the main building—and a cavernous stone tiled interior. Even if you aren’t into churches, the building is a great example of the genius of Kenzo Tange.

Lourdes grotto - St. Mary's Tokyo — Photo by Gregory Lane

Besides the building itself, there is an outdoor re-creation of the grotto at Lourdes complete with Virgin Mary statue. There are also some lovely cherry blossoms on the grounds that bloom in March/April.

Sumo Morning Practice Tour at Stable in Tokyo

Try this insider’s experience at a sumo wrestler morning practice session. Enjoy exclusive access to a sumo stable, watching as these massive athletes put themselves through their daily training regimen and go head-to-head.

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Spire of St. Mary's Cathedral Tokyo — Photo by Gregory Lane

The cathedral is located across the road from Chinzanso Garden. You can get to the cathedral via a 15 minute walk up the hill from Edogawabashi Station on the Yurakucho Line, or a 10 minute walk from Waseda Station on the Tokyo Sakura Tram (also known as the Toden Arakawa Line).

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