While the commercial side of Christmas is well and truly appreciated in Japan, with banners adorning every shop window and promotions left, right, and center, the spiritual side can be lost. If you want a more Christian Christmas for the sake of religion, tradition, curiosity, or community, there are several churches and centers across Fukuoka that will cater to your needs. Fukuoka Now has rounded up a few local spots offering Christmas mass. Some churches provide bilingual mass in English and Japanese, and some even offer live streaming!
Photo: jameslee
Churches holding Christmas services
• Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City (4)
• Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City (2)
• Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City (2)
• Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City (2)
• Chikushino City, Fukuoka (1)
Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City
Lifehouse Fukuoka
12/18 (Sun.) Christmas service: 11:00~12:00 (English, Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas carol service: 11:00~12:00 (English, Japanese)
*For those who wish to attend the service on site, advance registration is required.
• 12/18: Daimyo MK Hall (1-3-40 Daimyo, Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka)
• 12/25: Tenjin Chikumoku Bldg. (3-10-27 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka)
• fukuoka@mylifehouse.com
• https://mylifehouse.com/fukuoka/
• https://www.instagram.com/lifehousefukuoka/
Catholic Daimyo-machi Church
12/24 (Sat.) Midnight Mass: 18:00, 20:00, 22:00 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Daytime Mass: 7:00, 9:30 (Japanese), 16:00 (English mass) *Christmas raffle will be held only at 16:00. (Lottery ticket ¥500)
• 2-7-7 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-741-3687
• http://www.daimyomachi-c.or.jp/
Fukuoka Kego Church
12/24 (Sat.) Candlelight service: 19:00~20:00 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 10:30~11:30 (Japanese)
*Livestreaming on official YouTube for both days
• 2-11-20 Kego, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-741-9002
• https://kegoc.jimdo.com/
Chapelle Des Anges Akasaka
12/24 (Sat.) Candle Night, Gospel Concert: 17:00~22:00
• Candle Night: free entry
• Gospel Concert: ¥1,500, free for ES and younger (advance registration required)
• 1-1-5 Otemon, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-736-7755
• https://www.instagram.com/p/ClBVvhFr0-x/
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City
Nihon Fukuin Hakata Lutheran Church
12/24 (Sat.) Christmas Eve service: 17:00~17:45 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 10:30~12:00 (Japanese)
*Availability limited, admission on the day is on a first-come, first-served basis (no pre-registration).
• 3-9 Susaki-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-291-2404
• http://jelchakata.blogspot.jp/
Hakata New Life Church
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 10:30~12:00 (Japanese, English)
• 2-2-24 Higashi-hie, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-481-5477
• https://www.hakata-newlife.org/topen
• https://www.instagram.com/hakatanewlifechurch/
Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City
Seinan Gakuin Baptist Church
12/24 (Sat.) Christmas Eve worship service: 19:00~20:00 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 10:30~11:30, 13:30~14:30 (Japanese)
• 7-5-35 Nishijin, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-821-2852
• http://seinan-bap.jp/
• https://www.instagram.com/seinan_baptist_church/
Fukuoka Bible Church
12/24 (Sat.) Christmas Eve service : 19:00~20:00 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 10:30~11:30 (Japanese)
*Livestreaming on official YouTube for both days
• 4-17-11 Hoshikuma, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-866-5064
• https://fukuokabc.org/
• https://www.instagram.com/fukuoka_bible_church/
Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City
Meinohama Baptist Church
12/24 (Sat.) Christmas Eve service: 19:00~20:00 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 11:00~12:30 (Japanese) *only the Christmas service will be live streamedon the official YouTube
• 4-22-9 Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
• 092-881-0383
• http://meinohamachurch.holy.jp/
• https://www.instagram.com/wwjd_mbc/
Momochi Symphony Church
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas Sunday Worship Service: 10:30~ (English, Japanese)
・3-54-52 Odo, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
・092-881-6535
・https://www.facebook.com/momochischurch
Chikushino City, Fukuoka
Chikushino Futsukaichi Baptist Church
12/24 (Sat.) Christmas Eve service: 18:00~19:00 (Japanese)
12/25 (Sun.) Christmas service: 11:00~12:15 (Japanese)
*The Christmas Eve service can be viewed online. For those who wish to watch them, advance registration is required.
• 4-6-11 Tonoharu-higashi, Chikushino City, Fukuoka
• 092-929-4198
• http://www.futsubapch.jp/
• https://www.instagram.com/futsubapch/
Updated in Dec. 2022.
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NOTE: The information presented here was gathered and summarized by the Fukuoka Now staff. While we have done our best to check for accuracy, there might be errors and details may have changed. If you notice any errors or changes, please contact us. This report was originally written in November 2016.