YOKOHAMA--The historic Yokohama Christ Church was a ruin Wednesday after being deliberately set alight, apparently by a 23-year-old U.S. citizen who regularly attended services there.

Police identified the suspect as Miller Douglas Masaru, apparently using the man's surname first as is Japanese custom.

Miller was arrested after he surrendered to police and confessed to the crime, roughly two hours after the fire started.

Police said Miller, who grew up in Japan, offered no explanation for the attack.

The church, built in 1931 on the Yokohama Bluff in Naka Ward overlooking the Foreign General Cemetery, had been designated a historic building by the city government.

The church catered to the English-speaking congregation and was usually open to the public. But it was closed on the day of the fire.

The church is known for its early medieval British style. It was designed by American architect J.H. Morgan, who also was responsible for the old Marunouchi Building in Tokyo.

Police said the fire, which flared around 6:20 p.m., destroyed the wooden roof of the reinforced concrete building and gutted much of the interior. The overall structure remains intact, however.

The church occupies about 450 square meters of land. Twenty-three firefighting engines battled the blaze for about two hours before extinguishing it.

The Rev. Yasunobu Okano, 55, suffered light burns to his hands while trying to put out the blaze.

His 48-year-old wife alerted emergency services when she saw smoke pouring out of the chapel.

Their residence is adjacent to the church.(IHT/Asahi: January 6,2005)