13,000 Participate in Public Temple Open House in Sapporo, Japan
Contributed By Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News associate editor
The Sapporo Japan Temple, which will be dedicated on August 21, sits on 9.8 acres on the island of Hokkaido. It is the third LDS temple to be built in Japan.
Article Highlights
- The Sapporo Japan Temple had over 13,000 guests visit the open house.
- The temple is the third in Japan and the 151st temple in the world.
- The temple will be dedicated Sunday, August 21.
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More than 13,000 Latter-day Saints and their friends visited the Sapporo Japan Temple this July during its public open house.
Latter-day Saints in northern Japan were excited to share the new temple during the public open house, which began Friday, July 8, and continued through Saturday, July 23.
Located at 620-50 1 Chome, Ooyachi-Nishi, Atsubetsu-ku Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido, Japan, the 48,480-square-foot Sapporo Japan Temple sits on 9.8 acres. The temple will serve more than 8,000 Latter-day Saints who live on the island of Hokkaido and in Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of the main island of Honshu.
The Sapporo Temple is the Church’s third temple in Japan and, when dedicated, will become the 151st operating temple worldwide. The two other temples in Japan are located in Tokyo (dedicated in 1980) and Fukuoka (dedicated in 2000).
Sister Kanako Yamabuki, the usher subcommittee chair of the open house and temple dedication committee, said many neighbors who watched the construction looked forward to the open house. One child commented, “A castle is built here,” she reported.
Some neighbors “liked the beautiful temple building and friendly ushers and tour guides so much that they invited their friends to come,” Sister Yamabuki said.
Others returned to the temple after their first visit, saying, “This time I would like to see the pictures more carefully,” or “This time, I came with my friend.”
Other Latter-day Saints commented on the joy in directing groups of their friends from other faiths through the temple. “Each time I did so I felt the Spirit,” said an usher.
Another usher said, “I stood in many different places in the temple as an usher, and when I had time I was able to enjoy seeing the pictures hung on the walls in the temple. I also enjoyed seeing the beautiful architecture and decorative work and craftsmanship inside the temple, which I may not have the chance to enjoy once the temple is dedicated.”
Many visitors who toured the Sapporo Japan Temple during its open house from July 8 to July 23 commented on the beauty added by one of its chandeliers.
Sister Yamabuki said Latter-day Saints in northern Japan are looking forward to the temple’s dedication.
“A volunteer said: ‘I gave shoe covers to the visitors. When I had time I enjoyed talking to the young women. They talked about their future—their dream about temple marriage and how they prepare themselves in the beautiful bride’s room—and I talked about how I would like to serve in the temple as a temple worker after its dedication.’”
The temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, August 21, in three dedicatory sessions.
The baptismal font in the Sapporo Japan Temple.
The bride's room in the Sapporo Japan Temple.
The celestial room in the Sapporo Japan Temple, which will be dedicated August 21.
The celestial room in the Sapporo Japan Temple, which will be dedicated August 21.
The open house for the Sapporo Japan Temple was held July 8–23. When it is dedicated on August 21, it will be the third LDS temple in Japan. Photo by Craig Dimond.
The Sapporo Japan Temple, which will be dedicated on August 21, sits on 9.8 acres on the island of Hokkaido. It is the third LDS temple to be built in Japan. Photo by Craig Dimond.
The Sapporo Japan Temple will be dedicated on August 21, becoming the Church's 151st operating temple worldwide and the third in Japan. Photo by Craig Dimond.
Details on a door reflect the Japanese architecture and decor that are typical throughout the Sapporo Japan Temple.
The open house for the Sapporo Japan Temple concluded July 23. The temple will be dedicated on August 21.
A decorative touch reflects the simplicity included in the Japanese design found throughout the Sapporo Japan Temple.
Beauty is exemplified in an art glass design found in the Sapporo Japan Temple.
The open house for the Sapporo Japan Temple concluded July 23. It will be dedicated on August 21.
Details of a design seen on the Sapporo Japan Temple. Photo by Craig Dimond.
A sealing room in the Sapporo Japan Temple.
A stair case and a rock garden or “dry landscape garden” incorporate Japanese elegance and simplicity in the Sapporo Japan Temple.
The Sapporo Japan Temple, which will be dedicated on August 21, will be the third LDS temple in operation in Japan.
