Takatori Catholic Church

[2][3] On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake destroyed the original church building[1][4] as well as other structures in the vicinity.

The church became an increasingly important part of the community in the wake of the earthquake and during the recovery and rebuilding that took place afterward.

[4] Communications regarding the disaster and relief efforts for the various non-Japanese speaking members of the community were disseminated from the church.

[7] In 2006, the Takatori Community Center was awarded by the Japan Foundation, a government funded non-profit, honoring its community-based cultural exchange.

[6] On September 17, 1995, in light of the earthquake, a temporary church building made of paper tubes was designed and built on a pro-bono basis by Shigeru Ban, an internationally known Japanese architect who is renowned for his paper tube structures and buildings.