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Irina Yamashita was born in Kasama, Japan, on [[May 22]], 1857. As a teenager she moved to Edo (Tokyo) to learn the art of traditional Japanese woodblock printing (''Ukiyo-e'') as an understudy at various studios. In 1877, she entered the newly established National Academy for Fine Arts and studied Western painting. Through a friend, Varvara (Barbara) Yamamuro, at the institute, she met Archimandrite Nicholas and became interested in Orthodox Christianity. In 1878, she was [[baptism|baptized]] an Orthodox Christian. Noting her talent as an artist, Bp. Nicholas, in 1880, arranged for her to study iconography in Russia for five years. At that time, her professor at the National Academy, Antonio Fontanesi stepped down and went back to Italy, and she was losing interest in studying at the academy. Quitting the National Academy, she was sent to Russia under Bp. Nicholas' arrangement and studied at the Novodevichy Resurrection Monastery for women in St. Petersburg, Russia, from 1881 to 1883. In St. Petersburg, she had opportunities to visit the Museum of Hermitage and was impressed by Western style paintings, including Raphael Santio. On the other hand, she had difficulties being sympathic toward Byzantine style icons and sometimes even expressed her frustration. In 1883, Bp. Nicholas called her back her to Japan in accordance with the planned schedule.