Kyoto Catholic Church: Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier

Wherever I am, I always make sure to attend Mass on Sundays and other Holy Days of Obligation. I may just be in town without any plans, attend seminars abroad, backpack in SouthEastAsia, or whatever, mass on Holy Days  of Obligation is always part of my schedule.

This time, I’m in Kyoto, Japan.

I attended mass in the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (Kawaramachi Church). It is one of the oldest churches in Japan.

Kawaramachi Church

Mandatory photo. HAHA!

Mass Schedule:

Sunday	7:00 AM 10:30 AM 12:00 NN (English Mass)
Monday	6:30 AM
Tuesday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM
Wednesday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM
Thursday	6:30 AM
Friday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM
Saturday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

In our case, we attended the 7:00 AM mass even though it was in Japanese so that we could have more time exploring Kyoto. The town was still very quiet since we arrived early morning. All shops were still close except for convenience stores. Travel Tip: Make sure to arrive on time. When I mean on time, its ON TIME. The priest entered the oratory when the clock ticked at 7:00:00AM.

Proof I attended mass. HAHA!

The mass was held at the small chapel located at the underground level. At first, I thought I won’t be able to attend mass because no one is inside the main church. In fact, it was still locked when we arrived.  Travel Tip: Make sure to ask the people there before coming up with some conclusions (no mass, lock church, etc). The mass might be in one of their small oratories.

After the mass

The interior of the main church

How to go there:

From Kyoto Station, you can take Kyoto city bus no. 4, 5, 17 and 207 and get off at Kawaramachi Sanjo  bus stop (河原町三条停留所). From the bus stop, you should immediately see the church. Travel Tip: Just tell the driver where you’re getting off. Show the Kanji characters in this blog.

Map to the church (from their website)

In the Philippines, the following are the Holy Days of Obligation:

• Sundays
• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1)
• Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
• Solemnity of the Birth of our Lord/Christmas (December 25)

I hope you can now hear mass in Kyoto. I understand that it’s really difficult to get information online. If you need additional information, just let me know and maybe we can work things out.

For more info, you can go to their website (Japanese): Kawaramachi Church. The website is actually very helpful for those who can read Japanese characters. If you have friends who can read, ask their assistance.

Looking for a place to stay in Kyoto? Check out Shuhokaku Hotel.

Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (Kawaramachi Church)

Address: 京都府京都市中京区河原町三条上下丸屋４２３ (Kawaramachidori-sanjoagaru, Nakagyo-ku), 京都 (Kyoto), 京都府 (Kyoto), 関西地方 (Kansai), 604-8006, Japan

Telephone No: 075-231-4785