[[Image:nj3.jpg|thumb|right|St. Nicholas, equal to the Apostles and enlightener of Japan]] Our father among the [[saints ]] '''Nicholas of Japan''', [[Equal-to-the-Apostles|Equal to the Apostles ]] ([[August 1]], 1836 – [[February 3]], 1912), brought Orthodoxy to Japan. He was sent to Japan as a [[missionary ]] by the [[Church of Russia]]. He worked tirelessly among the Japanese people and established there the [[Church of Japan]]. His [[feast day ]] is [[February 3]]. 

In 1857, Ivan, one of the best students, was sent to study in the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, where he demonstrated remarkable talents. When Ivan was about to finish his studies, his future mission, to mission—to preach the [[Orthodox faith]] in Japan, was Japan—was revealed by Divine Providence.

The Russian consul in Japan sent a request to the Holy [[Synod]] (later forwarded to the Academy), asking for a pastor “who "who would be useful both as a spiritual director and a scholar and whose private life would give a good idea of our clergy not only to Japanese, but also to foreigners." He filed a petition to [[Bishop]] Nectarius, the rector, asking to profess him and to appoint him to the Russian Consulate in Japan. On [[June 24]], 1860, [[Bishop]] Nectarius professed Ivan Kasatkin with the name of Nicholas in the academic church of the Twelve [[Apostles]]. On [[June 29]], the day of Apostles [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]], [[monk]] Nicholas was [[ordination|ordained]] [[hierodeacon]], and on [[June 30]], when the [[Synaxis]] of the Twelve Apostles was celebrated, he became [[hieromonk]]. Remarkable were the bishop's words of blessing of the young monk's new mission: "You are supposed to live your [[asceticism|ascetic life]] outside the [[monastery]]. You will have to leave your homeland and to serve God in a country that is distant and unfaithful. Along with the cross of an [[asceticism|ascetic]] you must take your staff of a pilgrim, along with [[monasticism|monastic]] exploits you must embark on an apostolic mission!" == Early Years in Japan ==In June 1860, [[hieromonk]] Nicholas set off for his duty station in the town of Hakodate, taking along the [[icon]] of Smolensk [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]. On his way to Japan, he met the renowned bishop of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Church]], St [[Innocent of Alaska|Innocent]] (Veniaminov), Archbishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands (later Metropolitan of Moscow), called the Apostle of America and Siberia. In Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, he learned from the elder missionary’s experience all that was necessary to continue his apostolic deeds “even to the end of the earth.