Welcome to Betlemme — A Guide to This Site and OKURU- Star of Mary ― ChristmasFantasy

Welcome to Betlemme. This page is a guide for first-time visitors: what this place is for, who makes it, where you can see and listen to what, and what is about to begin. It is a little long, so we will take it step by step.

The name Betlemme

Betlemme is Italian for Bethlehem — the name of the small town the Magi from the East reached, guided by a single star, two thousand years ago. They set out in search of something no one had yet seen. They had no map and no promise; they simply walked, trusting one light that had appeared in the night sky.

The name Bethlehem itself carries a meaning too. It is said to mean "house of bread" in Hebrew, and it calls to mind a place that feeds the hungry and shelters the traveler. We hope this site can be that kind of place as well: somewhere visitors can rest their hearts a little and receive the strength to walk on.

We named this site Betlemme because we think of ourselves as being on that same journey. Rather than finishing something before showing it to anyone, we want to offer the record of the journey as it is, while we are still walking and still looking up at the star. We would like this to be less a display case of finished goods and more an inn along the way. That wish is what the name holds.

Who makes it

This site is run by IHS Bethlehem Church, a religious corporation registered in the State of California, USA. The "IHS" in its name is a very old abbreviation taken from the first three letters of the Greek word for "Jesus." It has been carved on church emblems and sacred vessels from the Middle Ages to today.

We are a community of worship and faith, and among our activities are making stories, music and pictures, observing the sky, and publishing the records of that work. This site gathers the part of our work that takes the form of creative works and brings it to you.

Let us say the important thing first: everything here is made as nonprofit work. We do not make these works in order to sell them, and this site does not accept online purchases or payments. There are no advertisements either. The works exist only to be read, listened to and looked at.

OKURU- Star of Mary ― ChristmasFantasy

At the heart of this site is one creative world: OKURU- Star of Mary ― ChristmasFantasy. It is a nonprofit international media work created by IHS Bethlehem Church, telling the story of one princess in three forms — manga, music and pictures. Her name is Hope Princess Santaria.

"OKURU" comes from the Japanese word for "to give as a gift." Christmas is the season of gifts, but what we most want to give is not a thing; it is a small measure of hope. In the season when the nights are longest, a small light appears far away. Sometimes simply being able to believe in it is enough for a person to take the next step. We would like this work to be a small lamp for that step.

"Star of Mary" comes from an old title that likens the Virgin Mary to a star: one who guides the lost, as sailors crossing a dark sea once steered by a star. We put these words in the title because we want to place, at the center of the story, a light that guides someone.

We make this work not as a commercial product but as an attempt "to bring ancient holiness back into our time." Rather than chasing glamour or fashion, we want to redraw, in today's words, pictures and sounds, the quiet, the prayer and the care for others that people have treasured for a very long time. To be a work that lives by the love of God — that is the promise at the deepest part of this work.

What you can do on this site

There are several "rooms" on the site. Here is what you can do in each of them.

Listen to the music

Right now, music is the richest part of the site. You can listen, right in your browser, to the BGM, sound effects and voice made for this creative world. There are currently 111 tracks.

The Music Home shows new tracks, shelves by kind and shelves by creator. Press a card to enter that track's own "room." In a track's room you can listen to that one track in peace, and move straight on to tracks by the same creator or tracks of the same kind.

When you would like to see every track at once by its cover, visit the Music Wall. Press any cover on the wall to enter that track's room. There is also Chapel Radio, where a single button keeps the music playing without a break. We made it so you can leave it running while you work, or while you spend a quiet evening.

Many track titles still carry the date they were made. The oldest were made in 2020, the newest in 2026. We keep the trial versions and works in progress alongside the finished pieces because we want you to see the very path by which this creative world has slowly taken shape.

Read the story

Manga and other reading will be available in the Reading Room and on the work pages. We plan to make what we publish free to read, right in your browser. The chapters of the main story are now being prepared for publication. Once publishing begins, "stories you can read now" will appear on the top page and in the Reading Room.

We want you to be able to read slowly, as if turning pages, and to "read while listening," pairing the story with music. We want to make the reading experience itself, carefully, part of the work.

Look at the pictures

We plan to archive past works and studies in the Gallery. In the Character Encyclopedia, we will introduce the story's characters one by one on numbered plates. We are aiming for a place where, as in a museum gallery, you can stop in front of a plate that catches your eye and learn about that character's profile and role in the story.

Treating the whole site as one "museum" is another feature of this work. Admission is free and we are open 24 hours. You may enter through any room you like.

Take part

This site is not only a place where the makers deliver things one way to the audience. In the Creators' Plaza, readers can post illustrations, manga, music, photos and more. You can leave comments on tracks and articles, and on the message board you are free to share impressions, analysis and conversation.

Some places require a simple account registered under a pen name before you can post or comment. Registrations are approved by the operators. This is to keep the place quiet and warm, free of trolling and abuse. We are sorry for the small extra step and are grateful for your understanding.

Not selling, and no advertising

As mentioned above, this site does not sell works or take online payments. Because the site once had a store system, you may still find some labels related to a "store" or "cart," but you cannot proceed to any purchase; a notice page is shown instead.

We do not carry advertisements either. No unrelated advertisement will cut in while you are reading a work or listening to a track. Above all, we want to protect the time in which you can face the work in quiet.

People sometimes ask why we do not sell. The answer is simple: we want this work to be "a work that lives by the love of God." We want to offer hope freely rather than exchange it for a price tag. If the person who receives it can believe in tomorrow just a little more, that is enough for us.

In Japanese and English

This site is published in two versions, Japanese and English. Visitors arriving through our old addresses or the site's front door are sent to the version that matches their browser's language. We want to bring this creative world not only to readers in Japan but also to readers across the sea.

In the English version, the text on the screen and the track information have been put into English. Some things, however, such as the lettering inside manga images and song lyrics, are left in the original. We will keep looking for the balance between lowering the language barrier as much as we can and leaving the feel of the work itself unchanged.

Dressed for the holy night

Right now the site is dressed for Christmas. On a background like slightly yellowed paper, we have drawn holly, bells, glass ornaments and fir trees. We were aiming for the nostalgic feel of a Christmas card printed more than half a century ago.

Every decoration was drawn from scratch for this site. Rather than glamour, we valued a quiet warmth, like decorations set in the window of an old church. The site's dress will change with the seasons, but for this winter we hope you will walk through it with a sense of the holy night.

On looking up at the stars

Alongside making the work, IHS Bethlehem Church also observes the night sky: an attempt to find, in publicly available astronomical images, asteroids and comets that no one has found yet. We will publish articles about that work, little by little, from here on.

Making a story and watching the stars may seem like entirely different things. For us, though, both begin with the same act: looking up at the sky, and not assuming that we already know what is there. As the Magi did on their way to Bethlehem, we want to begin each day by looking up.

Suggested ways to walk through the site

For those who are not sure where to begin among so many rooms, here are three suggestions.

If you have five minutes

From the top page, press "Listen to the music" and pick just one track from the new tracks in the Music Home. When you enter the track's room you can listen to that one track in peace. Listening to a single track while looking at its cover should give you a little of the air of this creative world.

For a slow evening

Open Chapel Radio and press the play button once. After that, the music keeps playing without a break. We would be very glad if you used it this way: quiet music playing beside your reading or your work, or in the moments before sleep.

If you want to know the creative world

After reading this news page and the production notes we are publishing next, take a look at the Music Wall. The sight of so many covers filling a wall is, in a sense, a timeline of this world as it has grown little by little over the years. Start from whichever cover catches your eye, and look for your own way into the story.

Frequently asked questions

Is everything free to enjoy?

Yes. Reading the works, listening to the music and looking at the pictures cost nothing. This site does not accept online purchases or payments.

Do I need to register?

Not to read or listen. We ask for a pen-name account only when you use certain features, such as commenting or posting. Registrations are approved by the operators.

Can I use it on a smartphone?

Yes. We have arranged it to be easy to read and listen to on a smartphone. Press the three-line button at the top left of the screen to open the menu.

May I use the music or pictures?

Each track's room shows a "Note" about how that track may be used. Most tracks are published as official works, on the understanding that they are enjoyed within this site. If you would like to use something outside the site, please check the note and then contact us to discuss it.

Can I read it in English?

Yes — you are reading the English version now. The text on the screen and the track information are shown in English. Some things, such as the lettering inside manga images and song lyrics, are left in the original.

About your letters

Please send impressions, questions and requests about the work through the contact page. The operator reads everything we receive. Replies may take a little time, but every message is read. Your name and email address are never made public.

If you find a mistake or an expression that concerns you in the work, please do not hesitate to tell us. The words of the people who read it are the most important guide we have for growing this work.

Site map

Finally, here is a list of the main places on the site, like a map. If you get lost, come back here.

• Top page: the entrance to the work, with the latest news, new tracks and recommended articles.
• News: the official place where we announce new chapters and tracks, changes to the site and more. This page is one of them.
• Music Home: enter each track's room from the new tracks, shelves by kind and shelves by creator.
• Music Wall: see every track at once by its cover.
• Chapel Radio: a single button keeps the music playing without a break.
• Sound: a page for listening straight through, album by album.
• Reading Room: a library where you can read our publications and manga right in your browser (some are in preparation).
• Gallery: an archive of past works and studies (in preparation).
• Character Encyclopedia: the characters introduced on numbered plates (in preparation).
• Creators' Plaza and Message Board: places for readers' posts, impressions, analysis and conversation.
• Contact: send us impressions, questions and requests.

The places marked "in preparation" are places where lights will come on little by little. We will announce each one in the News as it becomes ready.

In closing

This site is not finished yet. The main story is only about to begin, and there are still many empty shelves in the exhibition rooms. But we think that is as it should be. Betlemme is an inn along the way. We would be glad if you would watch over it as, day by day, a few more lights come on.

If a room catches your interest, step in from anywhere. Listening to a single track or just looking at the covers is enough. And if something moves you, please let us know through the comments or the message board. The operator reads every letter.

In the season when the nights are longest, may a small star reach you as well.