Chapel Goedele, Osaka, Japan
On the eighth floor of the Hotel Monterey Osaka in Japan, an exact recreation of a 14th-century European chapel juts out from the north-facing side of the otherwise rococo exterior.
The anomalous late medieval-style church is based on a small chapel in Moorsel, Belgium. From the stonework to the stained glass, the Chapel Goedele is a beautiful and strange feature of the hotel, and a very curious sight for anyone that catches a glimpse of the building from afar.
It’s accessible from the eighth floor, with a surrounding patio that looks and feels like a cozy European side-street. Both the chapel and patio are in the open air and exposed to natural sunlight, which comes in handy lighting up the stained-glass windows.
Inside the chapel are vaulted ceilings and antique chandeliers, adding to the classical atmosphere. The chapel it is based on is still standing in Moorsel.
Epic Japan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound