Union in Tokyo

Union in Tokyo chronicles the history of Tokyo Union Church from its founding in 1872 to the present, with a focus on the period within the living memory of current church members. Members of the church played crucial roles during Japan's modernization in the nineteenth century and its postwar reconstruction in the twentieth century. Its congregants have included several ambassadors and numerous business and academic leaders.



In addition to celebrating the longevity of the first Protestant church in Tokyo and sharing the testimonies of its members, the book also explores how the church has been resilient during crises. In 1945, the church was destroyed by American firebombing. The bursting of Japan's economic bubble in the 1990s, the 2011 triple disaster of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown, and the 2020 pandemic have led to multiple exoduses of its parishioners.



Yet the church has maintained its vibrant membership of about three hundred and is located today in one of Tokyo's most-visited neighborhoods between the flagship stores of Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Its history serves as a window into how an international church in Tokyo has been faithful through trials and tribulations.