SALT LAKE CITY — The open house for the recently renovated Tokyo, Japan Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will begin Friday, June 3.

The open house will run through Saturday, June 18, except for Sunday June 5 and June 12. 

The Tokyo, Japan Temple will then be rededicated on Sunday, July 3 in three sessions. President Henry B. Eyring, of the First Presidency, will preside at the rededication.

The temple closed in September 2017 to undergo extensive renovations. According to a church news release, upgrades were made to the temple’s water and electrical utility systems for better use of energy.

Additionally, the church news release says that improvements to the baptistry area and the temple grounds have also been made. The news release also says there has been a four-story annex was added to the temple. It will house a family history center, a visitor’s center, a chapel, and mission offices. 

History of the Tokyo, Japan Temple

According to the news release, the Tokyo, Japan Temple, built in 1980, was the first temple to be constructed in Asia. The announcement of the temple came on Aug. 9, 1975 by then Church President Spencer W. Kimball.

In preparation for the beginning of the open house, a media day was held Monday in Tokyo.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is in Tokyo this week. He will host invited guests during the first week of the open house.

“This is a special opportunity to come and see the temple in the great city of Tokyo,” Elder Stevenson said in the news release. “It is a sacred place for us because we consider it the ‘house of the Lord’.” 

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