“Here to Stay”

At the end of the war, a small group of Saints, including Fujiya Nara, were still meeting together regularly. Nara was holding Sunday School in his home and overseeing a junior Sunday School in the home of a friendly nonmember. In all, Nara was continuing to meet with nearly 100 people who were sympathetic to the Church; few, however, had been baptized.

One morning, shortly after the occupation forces arrived in Tokyo, an advertisement in the newspaper caught Nara’s attention. The ad, placed by Edward Clissold, a U.S. naval officer serving in the occupation government and a member of the Church, was seeking all members of the Church in Japan. Elated to again have contact with the Church, Nara invited Clissold to his Sunday School meetings.

Fujiya Nara and others outside the Tokyo Sunday School, ca. 1946

Fujiya Nara and others outside the Tokyo Sunday School, circa 1946

In 1947, Edward Clissold, now retired from the navy, was named president of the newly reopened mission. His first task was to find a permanent place for the mission office and for members to hold meetings. With some difficulty, Clissold soon found an old home in the Azabu neighborhood of Tokyo. The building had been damaged during the bombing of Tokyo and required repair. After completing the purchase, the first property owned by the Church in Asia, Clissold went to work to renovate the building and to prepare it to function as the mission office.

On July 17, 1949, Matthew Cowley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to Tokyo to dedicate the newly renovated mission home. During his remarks, Cowley declared that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “here to stay; we will never retreat again.” Cowley then promised that there would be many more buildings built by the Church—“even temples”—in Japan.