We invite you to help secure a three-year lease extension for the Tree of Life (TOL) Japan Messianic Center, ensuring its continued service to our community
Contract Renewal & a New Ark for the Torah Scroll
The rental contract renewal for TOL Center in Komagome is approaching. Back in 2022 we were greatly blessed by the generous contributions of many—both within and outside of TOL— to help us secure and build out this space. We have been working toward a fundraising goal of JPY 1,000,000 by February 28 to cover the renewal cost of JPY 700,000 and an additional JPY 300,000 for a new Ark for our Torah Scroll. The original ark (a converted cabinet) is getting old and falling apart. We would like to build or acquire something much sturdier and beautiful for our nearly 100 year old Torah scroll (one of only a few in all of Japan) which escaped from the pogroms of Poland during WWII.
We ask for your support in both prayer and Terumah (a heartfelt offering to the Lord). Your donation (click here to give) will help us continue what we believe is divinely appointed work. Together, we can ensure that TOL Center remains a beacon of light, hope, and community for our congregants, traveling Israelis, local Japanese and foreign residents in the area and to the wider Body of Christ in Japan.
For some of our newer friends, here is the miraculous story of how the TOL Center came to be:
A Miracle in Komagome
In early 2021, during the pandemic, Isaac and Melissa were working from home at Beit Samurai, when they decided to step out for a quick lunch. They spontaneously chose a soba restaurant by Komagome Station. While reviewing the menu outside, Melissa noticed an orthodox Jewish man standing nearby, dressed in traditional attire: a black coat, white shirt, black pants, tzitzit, and a kippa with a brimmed hat.
Isaac and Melissa were astounded. How could there be an Orthodox Jew in their quiet neighborhood of Komagome, Tokyo? As the man examined the property across the street, which was being demolished, Melissa, drawing on her Jewish identity, approached him excitedly. It turned out he was the chief Chabad rabbi of Japan—and a savvy businessman. He shared that he was in the process of opening a guesthouse in Komagome, a neighborhood where Beit Samurai, a Messianic Jewish guesthouse, had already been established.
This encounter was more than coincidental. It was God’s confirmation of the vision for Beit Samurai to host Israeli travelers. How remarkable that the Chabad rabbi, unaware of Beit Samurai, chose the same neighborhood to launch his own guesthouse. It felt as if God was saying, “I will bring Jewish people to you without you lifting a finger.”
Over the last two years, more Israelis have been settling in the area (Hon-Komagome, Todaimae, Otsuka, Ikebukuro, Nippori, Arakawa-ku), affirming the miraculous nature of this connection.
In December 2021, the building across from the station, once under construction, was completed. Isaac noticed that the second and third floors were available for rent. With a sense of divine favor, Isaac reached out and was able to secure the space for TOL in March 2022. The new building’s owner, a Christian, was supportive of the ministry’s mission, even though TOL was a young organization with limited funds.
How we have been utilizing the TOL Center
Our calling as the only Messianic Jewish congregation and ministry in Japan has led us to live by the words “To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile… even in Japan” (click to read our recent ministry report and vision statement)
From the very beginning, our vision was to create a “Life Center” for Israelis, congregants, and the local Tokyo community. Since launching, the space has flourished into a vibrant center of community and learning:
- The TOL International Community Center (3F): We have hosted hundreds of Israelis for weekly Shabbat dinners and special gatherings, often reaching full capacity. This space has become a refuge for the local Israeli community in Tokyo. The venue serves as both a community center and a messianic synagogue. We hold our weekly Shabbat services there and it houses our sacred 100-year-old Torah, which survived the Holocaust. In 2023, we held Japan’s first-ever Messianic Jewish Bat Mitzvah and hope have many more in the years ahead.
Pictured above are various gatherings for the Tokyo Israeli Community (Oct 7th attach 1-year memorial; Yom Hazikaron gathering; Shabbat dinner)
- The TOL Language & Creative Arts Studio (2F): This floor serves as a cafe for adults and classroom space for children during Shabbat and is used throughout the week to offer them English lessons and creative writing camps for the international student community in Tokyo. It has become a place of connection and education for around 60 local residents, both Japanese and foreign. We are also teaching Modern Hebrew by employing some of our local Israelis gifted in teaching.
The Vision for the Future
We believe TOL Center is just the beginning. Our long-term vision is to establish a full Messianic Ministries Center in Japan—a place that will serve as a hub for TOL and Messianic ministries from around the world as a resource center for church leaders in Japan.
Please go to our website for details on how to donate.
Thank you for your continued support!
In Messiah,
Tree Of Life Japan Elders:
Paul Uchiyama
Isaac Uchiyama
David Trubek