From the Church

Here’s a first look inside the new Okinawa Japan Temple

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The Okinawa Japan Temple.
Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites the public to visit the Okinawa Japan Temple, the fourth of its kind in Japan. Other temples are in Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Tokyo.

A public open house will be held daily from Saturday, September 23, through October 7, except Sundays. The temple will be formally dedicated by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sunday, November 12, 2023, in two sessions, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. …

The recommend desk inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
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The recommend desk inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
The celestial room inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
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The celestial room inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
The stairwell inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
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The stairwell inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
A sealing room inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
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A sealing room inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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The recommend desk inside the Okinawa Japan Temple.
Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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The temple exterior derives from traditional Okinawan architecture. The arches over the windows are inspired by portals in traditional stone walls, like those at the Shurijo Castle, Nakagusuku Castle, and Sogenji Temple.

The decorative floral band that connects the arches alludes to the traditional karamon gate. The structure consists of reinforced concrete with a granite exterior.

The stone is Sunset Gold Chinese granite from Wenshang, Shandong Province. The art glass design is inspired by Okinawan bingata stencils and patterns. Many native plants adorn the temple, such as fountain palms, sago palms, and Chinese hibiscus.

The two-story, 10,000-square-foot temple is on a half-acre site at 7-11-32 Matsumoto, Okinawa-shi, in Okinawa-ken, Japan. A patron waiting area has been added to the adjacent meetinghouse which was completed in 2013.

► You may also like: Which Latter-day Saint temples are under construction around the world?

You can read more about this new temple in Japan on Church Newsroom.

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