Kawaguchi Christian Church

This chapel was built in the foreign settlement established in the Kawaguchi district following the opening of Osaka Port in 1868. It is a registered tangible cultural property.
Located in the Kawaguchi district of Nishi Ward, on an island where the Aji River and Kizu River meet, the church's official name is the Anglican Kawaguchi Christian Church. The simple, Gothic-style building is a two-story brick church with a turret. Its chapel is a single room, with an altar area at the rear, elevated on the floor. Completed in 1920 and designed by American architect William Wilson, the church housed a foreign settlement in Kawaguchi in 1868, following the opening of Osaka Port. This settlement housed 13 British companies, as well as trading companies from France, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The paved roads, with separate pedestrian and vehicle lanes, were illuminated by street lamps, and rows of eucalyptus trees swayed gently. It's said that Kawaguchi was the birthplace of Western food, bread, milk, and dry cleaners, marking the start of Western civilization. However, due to the shallow riverbed and the inability to navigate large ships, the area gradually fell into decline, and the main trade hub became the Port of Kobe, with foreigners also settling in. Today, this church is the only building (registered tangible cultural property) that retains the appearance of the time when Osaka opened its port.
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Basic information
- Parking Available
- Business hours
- Normally, entry is not permitted, but it is possible if you contact us in advance (however, you can only see the exterior)
- Access
- 7 minutes walk from Awaza Station on Osaka Metro Chuo Line
- Address
- 1-3-8 Kawaguchi, Nishi-ku, Osaka City, 550-0021
- Telephone
- 06-6581-5061
- Fax
- 06-6581-4433









