In the wake of Japan’s re-opening to international trade after the mid-1850s, foreign settlements were set up in several of the country’s port cities to provide residences and services for foreigners (and keep them appropriately isolated from the native population). The most notable of these mini-colonies was in Kobe, but Osaka had one too: the Kawaguchi Settlement operated from 1868 to 1899 and hosted traders from countries including the UK, the US, Germany and Belgium.
None of the settlement’s buildings remain today, but part of the site has since 1920 hosted the Kawaguchi Cathedral, a Victorian Gothic structure that suffered significant damage during World War II and from the 1995 Kobe earthquake but was painstakingly restored on both occasions. Now heritage listed, the church is open to the public, though reservations are required for visits. Guided tours are given on some occasions, and the building also hosts occasional concerts and bazaars.