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population=3010,000[http://www.cnewainterfax-religion.orgcom/ecc-japan.htm?act=news&div=4939]|website=[http://www2www.golorthodoxjapan.com/users/ocjjp/ Church of Japan]

St. [[Nicholas of Japan]] ([[baptism|baptized ]] as Ivan Dimitrievich Kasatkin) brought Orthodoxy to Japan in the 19th Century. In 1861 he was sent by the [[Church of Russia]] to Hakodate, Hokkaido , as a [[priest ]] to a chapel of the Russian consulate. Though the contemporary Shogun's government prohibited the Japanese [[conversion ]] to Christianity, soon some neighbors who frequently visited the chapel . In April 1868, among them three converted—-- Nicholas's first three converts in Japan. While they were his first converts in Japan, they were not the first Japanese to do so—some Japanese who had settled in Russia had converted to Orthodoxy. {{orthodoxyinjapan}}Apart from brief trips, Nicholas stayed in Japan, even during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), and spread Orthodoxy nationwide, being appointed as the first [[bishop]] of Church of Japan. Nicholas founded the Cathedral of Tokyo in Kanda district and spent over fifty years of his life there; hence [[Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Tokyo, Japan)]] was nicknamed ''Nikolai-do'' by Kanda citizens. The early mission to establish the Japanese Orthodox Church depended on the Russian Orthodox Church, especially in financial matters. The war between Russia and Japan created a politically difficult situation for the church. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the Japanese government had new suspicions about the Japanese Orthodox Church, in particular, that it was used as a cover for communist Russian espionage. The second bishop of Japan, [[Metropolitan]] [[Sergius (Tikhomirov) of Japan|Sergius (Tikhomirov)]], suffered severely from such governmental suspicion, and he was forced to resign his episcopacy and died under strange circumstances on [[August 10]], 1945, five days before the end of the war. The Russian Church similarly suffered from Stalinist policy and had no ability to help the young church in Japan.

Apart from brief trips, Nicholas stayed in Japan, even during During the Russo-Japanese Fifteen Years War (19041930-19051945), and spread Orthodoxy nationwidewhich from 1939 to 1945 was part of World War II, Christianity in Japan suffered under severe conditions, being appointed the Orthodox Church especially. As early as the first bishop last years of Church Abp. Nicholas' life, the church administration considered consecration of Japana Japanese to the episcopacy. While over the following decades various candidates were considered, none were formally nominated for various reasons. Nicholas founded The situation for the church changed in 1939 when the Cathedral Diet of Tokyo Japan enacted legislation requiring government registration of churches. The registration process meant foreigners could not serve in Kanda district positions of authority within the church, although the legislation itself did not prohibit non-Japanese from such positions. Throughout 1940, the church leadership divided over how to satisfy the law, and spent Metr. Sergius was "retired". As the majority factions endorsed various candidates, one group had approached representatives of the last half [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of his life thereRussia]] (ROCOR), hence and quickly elected the [[Holy Resurrection Cathedral Archpriest]] [[Nicholas (Tokyo, Ono) of Japan)|John Ono]] for consecration as a bishop. Fr. John and his wife Vera traveled to Manchuria where both took [[monasticism|monastic]] vows and Fr. John was nicknamed consecrated bishop with the name Nicholas on [[April 6]], 1941. The disagreement between the two major factions continued throughout the war. <ref>Masatoshi John Shoji, ''NikolaiThe Orthodox Church of Japan, 1912-do1954: A Time of Troubles'', Master's Thesis, St Vladimir' by Kanda citizens.s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, New York, May 2007</ref>

The early mission After the Japanese surrender, the Allied occupation had a generous attitude to establish Christianity, given its predominantly American composition. Control over the Japanese Orthodox Church depended on of Japan by the Russian Orthodox Soviet dominated Churchof Russia was forestalled by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers through the efforts of Colonel [[Boris T. Pash]], who was the son of Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theodosius (Pashkovsky)]] of the American Metropolia.<ref>Pash, especially in financial mattersBoris T. , "Checkmate!," The war between Russia American Legion Magazine, April, 1958, pp14-15, 42-43.</ref> As the majority of the Slavic- and Greek-Americans would attend local Orthodox parishes, Orthodoxy in Japan created took a politically difficult situation for step forward. During the churchwar, the Japanese Orthodox Church had almost no foreign contact. After the Bolshevik Revolutionwar, instead of the Russian Church, the Japanese government had new suspicions about American Metropolia, the precursors of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) helped re-establish the Japanese Orthodox Church, in particular, that it was used as a cover for communist Russian espionage. The second bishop and since 1946 Archbishops appointed by the American Metropolia ruled the Church of Japan. In that time, Metropolitan several youth who studied at the OCA's [[Sergius St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (TikhomirovCrestwood, New York) of Japan|Sergius (Tikhomirov)St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]]in New York are now the leaders of Japanese Orthodox Church. While a minority, suffered severely from such governmental suspicion, and he was forced to resign his episcopacy and died under strange circumstances on the leadership of Bp. [[August 10Nicholas (Saiama)|Nicholas]]aligned itself with the Moscow Patriarchate, 1945, five days before and were known as the end of the war. The "Russian Podvorye Orthodox Church similarly suffered from Stalinist policy and had no ability to help the young church in Japan".

During Later, as the Fifteen Years War (1930-1945), which from 1939 to 1945 was part situation of World War II, Christianity in Japan suffered under severe conditionsthe Russian Orthodox Church improved, the Japanese Orthodox Church especially. After came under the Japanese surrender, leadership of the Allied occupation had a generous attitude to Christianity, given its predominantly American composition[[Church of Russia]] again. As In 1970 [[Nicholas of Japan|Nikolai Kasatkin]] was glorified by the majority Patriarch of the Slavic- Moscow and Greek-Americans would attend local Orthodox parishesis recognized as St. Nikolai, Orthodoxy in [[Apostle]] to Japan took a step forward. During the war, the Japanese Orthodox Church had almost no foreign contactHis commemoration day is [[February 16]]. After the warIn 2000, instead of the Russian Orthodox Church, the precursors [[Glorification|glorified]] Bishop [[Andronik of the Perm|Andronic (Nikolsky)]] as a [[saint]] and [[Orthodox Church in Americamartyr]] helped establish . He was appointed the Japanese Orthodox Church, first bishop of Kyoto and several youth who studied at later martyred as the OCA's [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminaryarchbishop]] in New York are now of Perm during the leaders of Japanese Orthodox ChurchRussian Revolution.

Later, as the situation of Today the Russian Orthodox Church improved, Podvorye and the Japanese Orthodox Church came under their leadership again. In 1970 [[Nicholas of Japan|Nikolai Kasatkin]] was glorified by are reconciled and in so good terms that the Patriarch former remembers both Patriach Alexey II and Metropolitan of Moscow All Japan in their liturgy, and is recognized as St. Nikolai, Apostle to Japan. His commemoration day is that they commemorate a [[February 16molieben]]. In 2000 the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Bishop [[Andronic (Nikolsky) in honor of Kyoto|Andronic (Nikolsky)]] as a [[saint]] and [[martyr]]St. He was appointed the first bishop of Kyoto and later martyred as the archbishop of Permi during the Russian RevolutionNikolai on his feast day.

* [[Nicholas Seraphim (SaiamaTsujie) of KyotoSendai|Nicholas Seraphim (SaiamaTsujie)]], Bishop of Kyoto Sendai and Western Eastern Japan* There is also a diocese in Kyoto, of which His Eminence Daniel is also in charge as ''[[Seraphim (Tsudzie) of Sendai|Seraphim (Tsudzie)locum tenens]], Bishop of Sendai and Eastern Japan''.

[[Categoryro:JurisdictionsBiserica Ortodoxă a Japoniei]]