Stained glass windows in the oldest Catholic church in Tokyo (St. Francis Xavier Church). It's located in Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, a district of Tokyo. Windows (about 70 sqm.) are designed by Teresa M. Reklewska together with Pawel Przyrowski.
Scheme of all the stained glass windows in the church
Click on the miniature to enlarge selected window. Every window has a detailed description with theological explanation.
Stained glass windows in the aisles represents alegoric interpretation of Confession of Faith - 'Credo'. Each window consists of six or eight separate images, derived from the New and the Old Testament. Three upper windows, over the gallery slightly differs from the rest of them. It's devoted to the martyrdom of christians in Japan. The persecutions, which lasted 300 years, were extremly cruel and violent. People depicted in the windows are just one of the thousands of killed in those days. They were tortured, burned to death or crucified.
Stained glass windows are commissioned by the parish priest - Fujio Antonio Izumi. A detailed description of our stained glass windows is at Kanda church website (in Japan)
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Direct links to all windows:
Window 1 - We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty
Window 2 - We believe God, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.
Window 3 - We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
Window 4 - Second person of the Trinity,
Window 5 - We believe in Jesus Christ,
Window 6 - We believe in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary,
Window 7 - He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Window 8 - He descended into hell, on the third day he rose again,
Window 9 - He ascended into heaven,
Window 10 - We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
Window 11 - I believe in the holy catholic Church,
Window 12 - I believe in the forgiveness of sins,
Window 13 - I believe in the resurrection of the body,
Window 14 - I believe in the life everlasting. Amen.,
Gallery / Left Window - Martyrs of Japan,
Gallery / Middle Window - Immaculate Mother and the martyrdom of Christians,
Gallery / Right Window - The Martyrdom of Christians in Japan,
