Ichinoseki's (map) (street view) current meetinghouse was moved to in 2006 and is located on the main road that runs perpendicular west of the eki, about 20-25 minutes walk. The address is 234-1 Santanda Yamanome. The building was at one time a small family-owned convenience store. In 2013 a senior couple was stationed in nearby Hiraizumi, where historical sites have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Historic Ichinoseki
This house was used as Ichinoseki's first church, and also housed the missionaries. The branch was established in 1976. This building was located southeast of the eki on the mesa that overlooks the NEC computer chip facility.

In 2006, Kitakami's(map) meetinghouse moved to the first and second floors of this building, which is next- door to the restaurant building formerly rented by the church, only 2.5 blocks directly perpendicular to the Kitakami eki west (main) entrance. Members from the surrounding Hanamaki and Mizusawa areas reportedly attend here, as it is located in-between. Oodori 2-2-33 is the address. As early as 1975, Hanamaki served as a base for missionaries and meetings in this area south of Morioka.

Missionaries appear to have first been sent in 1980 to Miyako, (map) a very isolated town on the Pacific coast east of Morioka- -a very slow two-hour bus or train ride. As a result, Miyako seems to have a small town friendliness and old-fashioned charm to it. This rented meetinghouse was moved into in 2007. It is close to the eki, at Minamimachi 11-12. Branch President Takahashi Hironobu Kyoudai provided this picture, and reports the 1st floor's interior has been renovated and is wonderfully church-like. He also reports that current attendance is about 18, including 5 shinkensha. He also expressed thanks to all those who have served here.

Kesennuma, another isolated coast town, had missionaries for a while in the early 1980s, but no longer does.

Morioka's church building, (map) (street view) completed in February 1987, is located on the beautiful park-like Takamatsu Ike (pond) area, next to Takamatsu Joshikou (Women's High School), about a 25 minute walk from the eki. The address is Takamatsu 1-21-16. The design appears to be similar to the churches in Misawa and Koriyama. As with the Koriyama and Misawa buildings in 2006 and 2008, respectively, the Morioka meetinghouse underwent an elevator/refurbishment upgrade that was competed in December 2013. The elevator was added to the back of the building. Morioka is the largest city in Iwate-ken and according to the city's website, has a population of 290,000. From 1982 to 2002, Morioka was the northern terminus of the Touhoku Shinkansen (bullet train). In 2002 the 'Shink' was completed northward to Hachinohe, then in late 2010 it was extended to Shin Aomori.

Historic Morioka This house served as Morioka's church and elder's quarters in the first years of the Sendai mission--this picture taken in 1975. Sister missionaries lived in a nearby apartment. The location was Shimonohashi 4-31--the road in front of the building ran parallel to a river--a very central location.
For a time, missionaries also lived in a separate location in Morioka called Aoyama.
Church archives say missionaries first served in Morioka in 1909.

Link back to Meetinghouse Index Map.