Tokyo, Japan, may be stepping out of the limelight now that the Olympics are over, but the city is still an exciting place to be for Latter-day Saints. Why? After four years of renovation, the Tokyo Japan Temple is complete and will be rededicated when COVID-19 precautions allow.
“Japan is a blessed country, but [the temple] gives them the chance to feel and understand what deep and true happiness is,” Kazuko Nibley, Japanese Latter-day Saint, told KSL-TV. “It still feels like we’ve got a lid on top, but now, the lid is opening.”
Get a sense of Japanese Latter-days Saints' excitement for the Tokyo temple dedication with these six interesting facts about the temple's history and renovation.
1. The Tokyo Japan Temple was the first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built in Asia. It was dedicated in 1980 by President Spencer W. Kimball.
2. You can see the spire of the temple from the beautiful and historic Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park in Minato, Tokyo, Japan—a public park that covers 16.5 acres.
3. On the temple grounds, there are two pre-World War II stonework lanterns that are still used today.
4. During the renovation, some of the biggest changes were made to the exterior of the temple. KSL reports that previously, members felt the temple was closed off to the public, but now beautiful gardens and fountains welcome visitors.
5. The property the temple was built on used to belong to the Japanese Imperial family.
6. The temple was closed in 2017 for renovations, and has since been completed, but is still closed to due COVID-19.
Learn more about the Tokyo Temple on KSLTV.com.
Images: Screenshots from KSLTV
