Commemorating "The Lord's Work."  The Yamate saints trust in the Lord with all their hearts and the Lord directs their paths to a chapel site "for the ages."  

[日本語版はこちら]

The following account of the acquisition of land in Yokohama for a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also appropriately highlights the location where Heber J. Grant and his three companion missionaries commenced the work of gathering Israel in Japan in 1901.  The account was authored by Boyd J. Tuttle and is dated July 24, 2026.  It is written in the form of a personal memoir and is used here with the permission of the author.  It has historical significance for, at least, two reasons.  First, the story is about important activities surrounding the acquisition of the Yamate ward building site which also became the site of a the "Heber J. Grant Monument" that was dedicated in 2001 as part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Elder Grant's initiation of the work of gathering in Japan.  

Second, the Yamate Ward building and the adjacent Heber J. Grant Monument should be remembered as members, families, and friends participate in a nationwide, closed circuit, devotional, broadcast now highlighting 125 years since the Lord’s work began in this nation.  On Sunday, August 30, 2026, commencing at 10:00 a.m., let us unite our minds and hearts to recall those humble but remarkable beginnings that occurred near Yamate.  A member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder David A. Bednar, will be joining to share a message for all. 

Thank you to Brother Tuttle for providing the following account manifesting the hand of the Lord in motion in a myriad of ways. [Also apologies for the image quality.  They are necessarily copies of copies.]

DOWNLOAD

While house-hunting in Yokohama during the summer of 1996, my wife, Holly and I found ourselves standing outside Yamate Station waiting for our realtor to arrive. It was a warm July afternoon, and to escape the heat we stepped into a nearby Fujiya Cake Shop in search of a cool treat and soon engaged in conversation with the proprietor, Haruhiko Shimada.

As we visited, he began asking us a few questions. Suddenly his face lit up with excitement. Pointing to himself, he repeatedly exclaimed in English, "I Mormon! I Mormon!"

We were astonished that within five minutes of arriving in what would soon become our new neighborhood—and surrounded by nearly 200,000 people—we had already met a fellow member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Brother Shimada asked where we planned to attend church. We explained that we hoped to worship in a Japanese ward. He enthusiastically told us about the Yokohama Dai Ni Ward in Hakuraku. We now knew where our church home would be.

In January 1997, our family moved into a home on the Yamate Bluff. I had accepted a three-year assignment with Fuji Xerox Corporation, which eventually became five years. Having served in the Tokyo-South mission as a young missionary from 1980 to 1982, returning to Japan felt very much like coming home.

Creation of the Naka Ward & Meetinghouse Search

On April 26, 1998, the Yokohama Stake was divided into the North and South Stakes. Our family became part of the newly organized Yokohama South Stake, and at the same time a new congregation—the Naka Ward was created and I was called to serve as the ward ⁱs first bishop.

DOWNLOAD

Those early months were filled with joy and hard work. We organized auxiliaries, extended callings, became acquainted with the members, and worked together to establish the ward. We were few in number, having about sixty-five members in total (including children). The spirit of faith and optimism among the members of the ward was remarkable,

One of our first assignments from Stake President, Dai Endo, was to locate a temporary meetinghouse closer to Naka Ku.  Each Sunday our members traveled thirty to forty minutes to Hakuraku for church meetings, and it was hoped that we might find a suitable building to rent nearer to where most of the members lived,

We searched diligently and prayed continually. With my counselors, Takahiko Shio and Haruhiko Shimada, and with President Endo, we met with real estate agents, visited buildings, spoke with property owners, and explored every reasonable possibility. Again and again, however, every door seemed to close.

After many disappointments, we began wondering if perhaps we should think beyond simply renting. We were a small congregation with limited resources, and the idea of considering a new building appeared far beyond our reach.

With those thoughts weighing on my mind, I asked President Endo what would be required for our ward to qualify for a chapel of its own. After making inquiries, he shared the answer.  If the ward could sustain an average sacrament meeting attendance of one hundred people for three consecutive months, it could qualify to be considered for its own meetinghouse. That simple statement changed everything.

"Expect miracles!" became the unofficial theme of the Naka Ward. Missionaries were encouraged to invite investigators. Members invited friends and neighbors. We reached out to English-speaking members living nearby and on local military bases, we welcomed anyone and everyone into our ward family. Translation headsets were provided so language would never become a barrier to worship.

Little by little, attendance began to grow until one Sunday we reached one hundred attendees. Soon afterward we reached it again. Then again. The impossible no longer seemed impossible.

We continued looking for rental properties that might become a temporary home for the ward. Numerous proposals were prepared, discussed, and rejected. I met with the Director of Temporal Affairs, Eugene Kitamura, and Area Presidency members, Elder Brown and Elder Kendrick. On one occasion, after enthusiastically describing one particular property as a "dream location," I was told that perhaps I had eaten "too much spaghetti before bedtime!" Such good-natured teasing did not diminish our determination.

Yamate Property Found

One Sunday afternoon, as we were driving along Yamate Hondori bluff, our attention was drawn to a lot containing abandoned tennis courts. Overgrown with weeds and obviously unused for years, it sat quietly and unobtrusively behind a wire fence. We had driven past this spot countless times. However, on that day, it was as though we were seeing it for the first time. Standing there, looking through the gate, we could almost picture a beautiful chapel nestled on the property, with room for parking and space for members to gather. There was no "For Sale" sign, only a quiet impression that this place may have a purpose beyond abandoned tennis courts.

On November 25, 1999, I sent the below letter to President Kendrik suggesting the property for consideration. At that time, we did not know who owned it nor whether it was available to purchase.

We soon learned that the property belonged to St. Maur International School and the Catholic Church. Through the Church's real estate representative, we were informed that the owners had no interest in selling. It appeared another door had closed. A few months later, however, we received a call with hopeful news. The Catholic Church had recently sold the property to the Tokyo Development Company and our realtor told us, "They're looking for a buyer!" With overwhelming gratitude, we felt that the Lord had opened a new door of possibility.

DOWNLOAD

The months that followed were filled with challenges, delays, difficult negotiations, and countless obstacles. Yet throughout the process we never lost the quiet conviction that the Lord had prepared this remarkable piece of ground for His purposes long before we ever “discovered” it.

The location sits along Yamate Hondori, a street many regard as one of Yokohama's most distinguished addresses. Lined with historic Western homes, renowned international schools, museums, beautiful churches and cathedrals, and overlooking the famous Yokohama Foreign Cemetery (Gaikokujin Bochi), it has long been one of the city's most visited and historically significant neighborhoods. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese visitors come there each year to experience a unique part of Yokohama's international history. Property in such a location in Japan commands a premium. By any earthly measure, acquiring such a parcel could seem well beyond the reach of a typical Japanese ward building and we can only say that the acquisition of the property was nothing less than miraculous.

Once the purchase was completed, events moved along speedily. A temporary chapel—a kari kyōkai—was erected almost immediately. We watched the small meetinghouse take shape in just three weeks, and before long, our little congregation had a home of its own. This temporary chapel was beloved by all the members.

DOWNLOAD

The Yamate Ward & Open House

Because the building stood on the Yamate Bluff, the "Naka" Ward soon became the "Yamate" Ward, a name that reflected both its location and its growing identity.

In May, we introduced ourselves to the community by holding a week-long public open house. The close-knit ward members worked together to transform the building into a mini historical “museum” chronicling the first one hundred years—from the dedication of Japan by President Heber J. Grant. Other displays introduced visitors to the various organizations and programs of the Church. At the center of the chapel stood a large image of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus, an unmistakable witness that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are followers of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the week, missionaries would offer tours of the historical displays to passersby.  In the evenings, gifted Latter-day Saint musicians from across Japan, including the Matsushita family and Nobuaki Irie, shared their talents through vocal and instrumental performances, creating an atmosphere of warmth and reverence that touched many hearts. Hundreds of people attended, including many friends and neighbors who had never before entered a Latter-day Saint chapel.

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

The ward continued to flourish in the temporary chapel while, behind the scenes, architects and Church leaders worked steadily on plans for the permanent meetinghouse that would eventually occupy the property. As those plans developed, another opportunity emerged. The one-hundredth anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries to Japan - September 1, 2001- was rapidly approaching.

Centennial and Monument dedication

Church architects proposed the construction of a beautiful monument that would serve as a separate free-standing memorial to the opening of the Japan Mission by Heber J Grant and his three companions. Members of the Heber J. Grant family had generously donated funds for a bronze plaque bearing President Grant's dedicatory prayer in both Japanese and English. The plaque would be placed at the base of the monument so that all who passed by could learn something of the sacred history that had unfolded there.

On September 1, 2001, between 500 and 600 people gathered for the centennial celebration and the dedication of the Heber J. Grant Memorial. Church leaders, members, missionaries, and friends came from throughout Japan to commemorate the momentous event. (See photos and material below).

Dedication of the Yamate Ward building (Sept 2002)

One year later the culmination of the faith and efforts of the many deserving Japanese Saints and leaders was realized. The newly constructed Yamate church building was dedicated on September 1st 2002 per the attached program.