The Brethren of Far East Lodge No. 1 today bid farewell to the Masonic Temple that had been their home since 1986.
They were joined by MWB Chester Ditto, WB Charles Bond (Grand Tyler), and the Worshipful Master and Brethren of Yokosuka Lodge No. 20. Two photographs of the meeting are available on this website; more will be added as we receive them.
The official opening of the Masonic Temple at 250 Yamate Cho was held on Saturday, the 8th of February 1986, just over 16 years ago. Among the Masonic dignitaries in the East on that auspicious day was MWB Ditto. Having been present at both the opening and closing of what we must now refer to as the 'old' Temple, MWB Ditto is looking forward to the opening of the new Temple scheduled for October this year.
Under our new bye-laws, Far East Lodge No. 1 will go dark in July and August. An alternative location for our September and October meetings has already been found.
The alternative location is a large banquet room above a restaurant in Yamashita Cho, only a few hundred yards from the location of the very first Yokohama Masonic Hall. The owner of the restaurant is a Brother and both Yokohama lodges are looking forward to holding a tyled Table Lodge on his premises, in addition to their regular stated meetings.