This unique building in Aizuwakamatsu (map) was dedicated in December 1999. It was built on the land where the former rented building was located. The address is Gyonin-machi 2-33, and is about a 15-20 minute walk from the eki. Aizu is a castle town with lots of samurai history.

Fukushima's (map) unique building was the third "permanent" one in the mission. It was not built, but rather was purchased and converted from a private hospital and completed in 1984. It is located in the block right next to the shiyakusho (city office), about a 15 minute walk from the eki, at Kitagorouuchimachi 1-32. For a time, missionaries lived on the top floor apartments, but reportedly no longer do. Fukushima has a population of 290,000.

Iwaki's church at Niitamae 4-5 (map) was completed in 1994 and expanded by about 25% in 2002. The one-story building is in a mostly residential neighborhood next to the river about 15-20 minutes walk from the eki. Iwaki can get very hot in the summer-- the warmest city in the mission. Iwaki is a collection of cities and towns spread over a large area with an overall population of just under 350,000. Taira, the largest (former) city, has a population of just over 100,000. When the Sendai mission was formed out of the East mission in 1974, Iwaki was part of the Tokyo mission.

Historic Iwaki
The meetinghouse at Taira Oomachi 18, formerly a private hospital, was moved into in July 1975. The doctor's widow, Igarashi-san, was the ooyasan (landlord) and lived in a house behind the church. The hospital layout worked well, as former patient rooms upstairs became classrooms and living quarters for missionaries. The operating room on the main floor became the pulpit area of the chapel, with a little missionary carpentry and paint. The three shimai church members standing in front are, from left to right, Kobayashi, Aoyagi and Ogino.
Sunday August 10, 1975--all the members had gone to Tokyo for the Area Conference, the first to be held in Japan. Sendai missionaries were not allowed to attend-especially painful to us in Iwaki, only a short train ride away--since missionaries from as far away as Nagoya mission were allowed to attend. Life was definitely not fair then either. (from left to right: Ogaard, Taniuchi, Travis Smith, and Hastings) (Alan Aoki, a 1979-81 RM, informs me all missionaries were allowed to attend the Tokyo Temple dedication in 1980)
This is what was happening at the same time in Tokyo at the Budokan Hall- the Japan Area Conference of the Church, where President Kimball announced plans for a temple to be built on the site where the Tokyo Mission Home stood. I obtained this picture from members who attended and came strolling into the meetinghouse / our house a few hours later.
Shokuji-kai (Meal Meeting) was a tradition in most branches. I understand nowadays they maybe are held monthly. Some of the members would stay after meetings and we'd all share a simple meal while socializing. It added a nice touch for fellowshipping and added to the unity of the congregation.

Koriyama's church (map) is about 15 minutes walk from the eki. The appearance is similar to the buildings in Misawa and Morioka, and was completed in 1988. A 2006 remodel included replacing a flush red-brick facade with the front tiled area that has an elevator and new steeple. Also added was a satellite dish for conference broadcasts. Directly across the street is a cemetery, and next door is the Hosonuma post office. The address is Hosonuma-chou 11-27. Koriyama's population is 330,000.

Link back to Meetinghouse Index Map.