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{{orthodoxyinjapan}}Metropolitan '''Metropolitan Sergius (Tikhomirov) of Japan''' (1871-1945) was sent to Japan by the [[Church in of Russia ]] as the assistant to and successor to Archbishop St. [[Nicholas of Japan]] as the ruling bishop of the [[Church of Japan|Japanese Orthodox Church]].

==Life==[[Image:Met_Sergius(port).jpg|thumb|left|Metropolitan Sergius of Tokyo and All Japan]]He was born Georgy Alexeevich Tikhomirov (Георгий Алексеевич Тихомиров) on [[June 3 June ]], 1871 (OS) in the village of Guzh near [[Novgorod]], Russia into the family of a rural [[priest]]. His father, Alexei, was a popular and famous priest in the area. Georgy did well in elementary school and after graduation entered the [[St. Petersburg Theological Academy]], graduating in 1896. Upon graduation he continued at the Academy teaching theology. During his time at the St. Petersburg Academy he was noted as a prolific preacher and author of many works on Church history in the Novgorod region.

Prior to his graduation from the Academy he took his [[monastic]] vows on [[September 7 September ]], 1895, taking the monastic name Sergius. Then, on 7 September [[December 2]], 1895, he was [[ordination|ordained ]] a [[deacon]] in the Isakievsky Isakievskii Cathedral in St. Petersburg, and two days later he was ordained a priest. He was subsequently appointed inspector at the Academy. In December 1899, Father Sergius was raised to the dignity of [[archmandritearchimandrite]] and was named [[Rector ]] of the Academy. On [[October 8 October ]], 1905, Archmandrite Archimandrite Sergius was awarded his Doctor of Theology degree. Then, one month later he was elevated to the episcopacy, being consecrated [[Bishop]] of Iamburg and [[auxiliary bishop|vicar ]] to the Archbishop archbishop of St. Petersburg. He was 35 years old, a common an uncommonly young age at the time for entry into the episcopacy.

In 1908, Bishop Sergius was assigned to be the assistant the Archbishop of [[Nicholas of Japan|Abp. Nicholas of Japan ]] and his eventual successor. He arrived in Japan on [[June 27 June ]], 1908 as the Bishop bishop of Kyoto. Already proficient in a number of languages, including Greek, Hebrew, German, Latin, English, German, Arabic, and the Slavic languages, Bishop Sergius immediately began to get acquainted with Japan and its culture and language, and within a year he began preaching [[Orthodox Christianity ]] among the Japanese people. He engrossed himself in missionary efforts, visiting widely, to the southern part of Sakhalin, that Japan had gained from Russia after the Russo-Japanese war, to Kuril Islands, Manchuria, Korea, and Formosa.

Bishop Since all previous assistants sent to Japan to help Abp. Nicholas returned to Russia, the latter asked Sergius was at Archbishop Nicholas’ side during if he intended to remain in Japan permanently or to return in a few years as those earlier had. Sergius affirmed that he had come dedicating himself to remain for the last years rest of his life and after Nicholas’ death in February 1912 Bishop . Over the next few years Sergius was named involved himself deeply in May 1912 the new ruling bishop church and mission and gradually assumed management of the Orthodox [[Church of Japan]] as Archbishop of Japanorganization, allowing Nicholas to devote his time to the seminary and his extensive translation work. Well familiar with Archbishop Nicholas’ Sergius engrossed himself particularly in missionary workefforts, visiting widely, Archbishop Sergius continued Nicholas’ steps including publication from the southern part of theological books through Sakhalin that Japan had gained from Russia after the Tokyo SeminaryRusso-Japanese war, to Kuril Islands and Manchuria.

But, within some six years Archbishop Sergius had to contend with a different and difficult world. With was at Nicholas's side during the Russian Revolution last years of 1917 his life, and after Nicholas's death in February 1912, Sergius was named in May 1912 the subsequent takeover by new ruling bishop of the Bolsheviks funding for the Japanese Mission budget was cut offOrthodox Church of Japan as Archbishop of Japan. This meant that Archbishop had to severely cut Well familiar with Nicholas's missionary work, the activities new archbishop continued Nicholas's steps including publication of theological books through the mission[[Tokyo Orthodox Seminary (Tokyo, but it survivedJapan)|Tokyo Seminary]].

On 1 September 1923Within some six years, Tokyo was hit by the Great Kanto Earthquake. The earthquake caused serious damage however, Sergius had to the [[Holy Resurrection Cathedral]] (Nikolai-do) at the Mission’s headquarters in Surugadai Kanda in Tokyocontend with a different and difficult world. The main bell tower collapsed onto With the central dome severely damaging the building Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent fires burned much what was left of takeover by the interior. ThusBolsheviks, Archbishop Sergius had inherited adversity greater than would be expectedfunding for the Japanese mission was cut off. Rebuilding Nicolai-do became central to the activities for Sergius and in Although this he did not give up. He toured throughout Japan asking donations. He asked a young musician, Victor A.Pokrovsky, a refugee of meant that the defeated White Army, archbishop had to develop and lead cut the Cathedral choir which toured Japan with concerts to raise money for the re-construction activities of the Cathedral. Through these extraordinary efforts Nikolai-do was re-built and re-consecrated in just a little over six years. The re-consecration was held on 15 December 1929 with 5,000 guests present including Archbishop Nestor from Harbin. Then, in 1931mission severely, Archbishop Sergius was elevated to Metropolitan of all Japan by the Holy [[Synod]] in Moscowit nonetheless survived.

ThenOn [[September 1]], 1923, as Tokyo was hit by the Japanese Church began its recovery under Great Kanto Earthquake. The earthquake caused serious damage to the leadership of Metropolitan Sergius[[Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Tokyo, Japan)|Holy Resurrection Cathedral]] (Nikolai-do) at the specter of militaristic nationalism began to rise mission's headquarters in Surugadai Kanda in JapanTokyo. Under this new climate pressures increased on all that The main bell tower collapsed onto the central dome severely damaging the building and the subsequent fires burned much what was foreign and Christianleft of the interior. EventuallyThus, in 1940, the pressures Sergius had inherited adversity greater than would be expected. Rebuilding Nicolai-do became too great central for Sergius and Metropolitan Sergius, his choir directorin this he did not give up. He toured throughout Japan asking for donations. He asked a young musician, [[Victor Pokrovsky|Victor A. Pokrovsky]], a refugee of the defeated White Army, to develop and others not Japanese were removed from their positions with lead the Japanese Church. The Metropolitan and his cathedral choir director were which toured Japan to spend raise money for the war years re-construction of World War II the cathedral. Through these extraordinary efforts Nikolai-do was re-built and re-consecrated in obscurityjust a little over six years. The re-consecration was held on [[December 15]], harassed1929 with 5, under suspicion 000 guests present including Abp [[Nestor (Anisimov) of being Russian/American spies, and arrested in the Spring 1945 by the the special policeKamchatka]] from Harbin. Metropolitan SergiusThen, in mid 1945, ended up under house arrest, his health impaired1931, Sergius was elevated to died under unusual circumstances on 10 August 1945, only five days before World War II with ''Metropolitan of All Japan ended'' by the [[Holy Synod]] in Moscow.

[[Image:MetSergiusJapanGrave.jpg|thumb|left|200pxl|Grave of Metr. Sergius in the Yanaka Cemetery, Tokyo, Japan]]Then, as the Japanese church began its recovery under the leadership of Metr. Sergius, the specter of militaristic nationalism began to rise in Japan. Under this new political climate pressures increased on all that was foreign and Christian. Eventually, in 1940, the pressures became too great. In September of 1940, the government enacted a law that Japanese nationals had to head all religious organizations. Thus, Sergius, his choir director, Victor Pokrovsky, and other non-Japanese were removed from their positions in the church. The metropolitan and his choir director were to spend World War II in obscurity, harassment, under suspicion of being Russian/American spies, and were finally arrested in the Spring of 1945 by the special police. In mid 1945, Sergius ended up under house arrest, his health impaired, and died under unusual circumstances on [[August 10]], 1945, only five days before Japan's part in World War II ended.  With Japan in disorder as the war was ending, Metropolitan Sergius’ Metr. Sergius's body was carried for the last rites and burial in a “honey "honey bucket" cart, as he had predicted to friends some years before when he pointed to such a cart that was passing them. The metropolitan was buried beside St. Nicholas of Japan, his predecessor, in the Yanaka Cemetery in Tokyo. With the intervention of the Japanese militaristic government into the affairs of the Japanese Orthodox Church by forcing all non-Japanese born members out of the Church, the Church administration was thrown into chaos. After the forced "retirement" of Metr. Sergius, the government requested that a Japanese be placed as the ruling bishop. In 1941, under the direction of the military government the [[Protopriest]] [[Nicholas (Ono) of Japan|John Ono]] was obliged to separate from his wife who became a nun at a [[monastery]] in Harbin, Manchuria, then ruled by Japan, and then was consecrated, under the monastic name of Nicholas, as the ruling bishop of Japan. Thus, Bp. [[Nicholas (Ono) of Japan|Nicholas (Ono)]] became the first Japanese Orthodox Christian to be consecrated a bishop, though it was under canonically suspect circumstances. Bp. Nicholas subsequently reconciled himself with the Japanese Orthodox Church before he died. {{start box}}{{succession|before=[[Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius (Stragorodsky)]]|title=Bishop of Jamburg|years=1905-1908|after=[[Theophan (Bystrov) of Poltava|Theophan (Bystrov)]]}}{{succession|before=[[Andronik of Perm|Andronik (Nikolsky)]]|title=Bishop of Kyoto|years=1908-1912|after=[[Vladimir (Nagosky) of San Francisco|Vladimir (Nagosky)]]}}{{succession|before=St. [[Nicholas of Japan]]|title=[[Church of Japan|Metropolitan of Japan]]|years=1912-(1941) 1945|after=[[Nicholas (Ono) of Japan|Nicholas (Ono)]]<br>[[Benjamin (Basalyga) of Pittsburgh|Benjamin (Basalyga)]]}}{{end box}} ==External link==*[http://www.orthodox-jp.com/maria/English-index.htm Orthodox Church Singing in Japan], by Matushka Maria J. Matsushima and choir leader. [[Category:Bishops]][[Category:Missionaries]][[Category:Metropolitans of Japan]][[Category:St. Petersburg Academy Graduates]][[Category:Bishops of Iamburg]][[Category:Bishops of Kyoto]][[Category:Bishops of Tokyo]][[Category:20th-century bishops]]