Christ Church , with its prominent position overlooking the location of the former Kannai foreign settlement , was the replacement for the original Yokohama garrison church . The garrison church , also called Christ Church , was built on lot 105 in Yamashita-cho , and frequented by members of the British military garrison , the British legation as well as American Episcopalians . After the opening of the treaty port in 1859 , Anglicans in the foreign community gathered for worship services in the British Consul 's residence and later in the courtroom of the British Consulate . The first Consular Chaplain , the Rev. Michael Buckworth Bailey arrived in Yokohama in August 1862 . After a successful fundraising campaign church services were first held at Christ Church 's new building on 18 October 1863 . The church survived the great fire that destroyed much of the foreign settlement on 26 November 1866 . Bailey retired on April 1 , 1873 and was replaced by Acting Consular Chaplain , Revd . Edward W. Syle ( 17 February 1817 - 5 October 1890 ) . Syle was born in Barnstaple , England , but after emigration to the United States as a young man graduated from Kenyon College , Ohio and the Virginia Theological Seminary . The departure of Bailey and the British military garrison marked a change in the finances of Christ Church , Yokohama ; the British Government withdrawing its annual consular stipend of 400 pounds per annum at the end of 1875 . A second , much larger , church building , constructed at the current location overlooking the foreign settlement in red , Glasgow brick , was designed by British architect Josiah Conder and dedicated on Trinity Sunday , 2 June 1901 . This second church structure , and much of the city , was destroyed by the Great Kantō earthquake on 1 September 1923 . Between 1923 and 1930 , a wooden church structure shipped from the United States , served as temporary sanctuary for the church congregation . The current , third , church building designed by American architect Jay Hill Morgan dates from 1931 . Extensively damaged by incendiary bombing on 29 May 1945 , and again by a fire in January 2005 , the interior has been refurbished on several occasions . The exterior Ōya Stone cladding and tower are true to the original 1930 's design
Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Christ Church, Yokohama