Home Page for the Orthodox Church in Japan
The Orthodox Church in Japan
Mailing Address
Nicholai-do, 1-4 chome, Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 101
Phone 81-03-3291-1885 / Fax 81-03-3291-1886
E-mail ocj@gol.com
Website
http://www2.gol.com/users/ocj/index.hml.htm
The Orthodox Church in Japan
Its Brief History
The Orthodox Church in Japan is one of the Orthodox Churches in the world.
Orthodoxy was brought into Japan from Russia by St. Nicholai in the 19th
century. Although St.Nicholai was officially appointed as a chaplain for the
Russian consulate in the beginning, he came with a strong missionary zeal in
1861. He not only mastered the Japanese language completely but was also well
versed in Japanese culture as well as religion by the time he began his mission.
His command of the language was so perfect that no one could challenge him with
his translations of the Scriptures as well as the liturgical books.
St. Nicholai began his missionary work after baptizing first Japanese
Orthodox Christians in 1868. While his disciples were helping him by converting
people in the northern area, St. Nicholai moved down to Tokyo from Hakodate. He
eventually established the headquaters where the Holy Resurrection Cathedral
presently stands.
His extensive work, founding seminaries, the translation center, and
numerous churches and communities, witnesses his strong missionary zeal as well
as the Presence of the Holy Spirit. He departed in 1912. Metropolitan Sergei
inherited St. Nicholai's work but he had to face difficulties starting from the
earthquake, the Russian Revolution and the Second World War. Historical
consequenses in Japan did not allow the Orthodox Church in Japan to continue her
relationship with the Russian Church. When Metropolitan Sergei died in the end
of the Second World War, the clergy and faithful wished to enter into the
relationship with the Metropolia, the present day, Orthodox Church in
America.
However, the relationship with the Mother Church was resumed when the
Metropolia proposed that the Japanese Church receive the Holy Autonomous status
from her. The new era began with the receiving the Holy Autonomous status in
1970, When Metropoltan Theodosius took over Metropolitan Valadimir who returned
to America for his health, Metropolitan Theodosius rejeuvenated the life of the
Japanese church.
Holy Resurrection Cathedral commonly known as Nicholai-do
Holy Resurrection Cathedral was built in between 1800 amd 1800. It was
planned by a Russian architect and actually built by the Japanese who had never
built western style buildings. The original building had somehow both Japanese
and Russian traits. Unfortunately, the roof and the bell tower collapsed at the
time of the great Kanto earthquake.
It is not only known as a national
monument but also well known as Nikolai-do which means the House of Nikolai. It
was already famous at the time when it was built.
It has been more than one
hundred years and the building needed to be restored in some parts. Metropolitan
Theodosius took the initiative and finally it was completed this year. The high
light of the restoration were the chandlier and the Iconostasis. The replica of
the chandelia was made based on the original. The iconostasis is now covered in
gold leaf and looks completely different from before.
The icons in the apse
are written by a Russian iconographer Ms. Valentina Glazofskaya from the Holy
Trinity Lavra in Mosocw.
The Services at Holy Resurrection Cathedral
The Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
The Vigil Service 6:00p.m.
The Services
for the Feasts
The Divine Liturgy 8:00 a.m.
The Vigil Service
6:00p.m.
* Information for other services are provided upon the request
The Activities at Holy Resurrection Cathedral
* The program of our Youth Groupe, Church School, Sisterhood, Choir
activities are provided upon the request.
The Information for the Orthodox churches in Japan
Diocese of Western Japan
Diocese of
Tokyo
Diocese of Eastern Japan
Brief Directory of the major churches in Japan
Diocese of Western Japan
・Kyoto Annunciation of the Holy Virgin Church
283 -6 Yanagino banba,
Nijyo noboru, Nakakyou-ku, Kyoto
phone 075-231-2453
e-mail
ocj-john@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp
・Toyohashi St. Matthew Church
15-3 Hachyo
doori, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi-ken
phone 0532-54-04324
・Nagoya Annunciation
of the Holy Virgin Church
63 Yamahana-cho, Shyouwa-ku, Nagoyashi,
Aichi-ken
phone 052-751-6760
e-mail
nagoyach@fb3.so-net.or.jp
Home
Page
http://www02.u-page.so-net.or.jp/fb3/nagoyach/comesee.htm
・Osaka
Protection of the Holy Virgin Church
15-8-1 Yamate-chyo, Suita-shi, Oosaka
fu
phone 06-388-4512
・Kobe Dormition of the Holy Virgin Church
11-4-1
Yamamoto dori, Chyuou-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken
・Tokushima Descent of the Holy
Sprit Church
6-3-1 Nishi Niihama, Tokushima-shi, Tokushima-ken
・Kagoshima
St. James Church
39-12 Hiranomachi, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima-ken
phone
0992-23-7632
*If you are interested in the churches not listed here, please contact the
church in Tokyo.
Diocese of Tokyo
・Holy Resurrection Cathedral
Nicholai-do, 1-4 chome, Surugadai, Kanda,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
phone 03-3291-1885 fax 03-3291-1886
email
ocj@gol.com
・Yamate Nativity of our Lord Church
10-28-3
Miyamae,Suginami-ku, Tokyo
phone 03-333-4201
・Yokohama Protection of the
Holy Virgin Church
27 Matsugaoka, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi,
Kanagawa-ken
phone 045-323-1771
・Odawara Descent of the Holy Spirit
Church
1-4-4 Sakae-chyo, Odawara-shi, Kanagawa-ken
phone
0465-22-2792
・Shizuoka Protection of the Holy Virgin Church
5-9-3 Kasuga,
Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken
phone 0542-55-2869
・Takasaki Nativity of our
Lord Church
726 Shimokotori-chyo, Takasaki-shi, Gumma-ken
・Maebashi St.
Nicholai of Japan Church
22-4-1 Chiyoda-chyo, Maebashi-shi,
Gumma-ken
phone 0272-32-2737
・Ashikaga Ascention of our Lord
Church
1236 Oomae-chyo, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi-ken
*If you are interested in the churches not listed here, please contact the
church in Tokyo.
Diocese of Easter Japan
・Sendai Annunciation of the Holy Virgin Church
20-4-3 chome, Chyuo,
Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken
phone 0222-25-2744
・Kushiro Descent of the Holy
Spirit Church
35-1-2 chome, Fujimi, Kushiro, Hokkaido
phone
0154-41-6857
・Sapporo Transfiguration of our Lord Church
16-27-2chome,
Nijyou, Fukusumi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
phone
011-852-5644
・Hakodate Holy Resurrection of our Lord
Church
13-3chome,Motomachi, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido
phone
0138-23-7387
・Morioka Veneration of the Holy Cross Church
14-2-1chome,
Takamatsu, Morioka-shi, Iwate-ken
phone 0196-63-1218
・Ishimomaki St. John
the Evangelist Church
10-4 Sengoku-cho,
Ishinomaki-shi,Miyagi-ken
0225-95-1571
・Shirakawa Presentation of the
Holy Virgin Church
50 Atago-cho, Shirakawa-shi, Fukushima-ken
* If you are interested in the churches not listed here, please contact the
church in Sendai.