Konko Church of San Francisco, San Francisco

This A-frame temple dating from the 1960s is the North American outpost of the Konko religion. The congregation moved from Japan to the United States over seventy years ago. Konko Church itself is a masterpiece of simplicity. The north and south walls are glass made to resemble rice paper. The lines of the pale wood sanctuary are clean and elegantly proportioned, making it a lovely place for quiet meditation. Over the altar is the Japanese character for gold, a metaphor for the golden light that emanates from a spiritual heart.