Nikolai of Japan
Encyclopedia
Saint Nicholas, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Archbishop of Japan, born Ivan Dimitrovich Kasatkin was a Russian Orthodox priest
, monk
, and saint
. He introduced the Eastern Orthodox Church to Japan
. The Orthodox cathedral of Tokyo (metropolitan
diocese
of Japan), Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
, was informally named after him as Nikorai-do, first by the local community, and today nationwide, in remembrance of his work.
prefecture in the Russian Empire
to Dimitry Kasatkin, a Russian Orthodox deacon
. His mother died when he was five years old. He grew up in the church hierarchy: in 1857 he entered the Theological Academy in Saint Petersburg. On July 7, 1860 (July 19 in the Gregorian calendar), he became a monk and chose the name of Nicholas. Nicholas was ordained a deacon on July 12 (July 24) in the same year, on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. He was ordained a priest the next day, on the feast day of the Holy Apostles, the commemoration day of the Academy's Chapel of the Holy Apostles.
, Japan, as a priest attached to the chapel of the Russian consulate in Hakodate. He had volunteered for the appointment to this duty, attracted since the day he noticed a poster calling for a priest for this chapel when he was a seminary student. After he arrived at the consulate, he studied Japanese
and quickly gained mastery of the language.
While at the consulate chapel, he converted three Japanese, one of whom, a former samurai
and Shinto priest
named Sawabe Takuma, had originally come to his home to kill him. After conversion, Sawabe became one of the first Japanese Orthodox priests. In 1870, Nicholas was made an archimandrite
and moved to Tokyo
, and began an extensive missionary effort. He bought property on a height in Kanda
Surugadai for his headquarters which later became the site of the see of the Orthodox Archbishop
of Japan. Under his leadership, by 1870 the Orthodox community numbered more than 4,000 people and by 1912 - about 33 thousand people and 266 Orthodox communities.
Nicholas was consecrated bishop on March 30, 1880, as Bishop of Revel
, auxiliary to the Archdiocese of Riga
. While Nicholas never visited the city, the parish of Revel supported his Japanese mission financially. In the Eastern Orthodox Church tradition, bishops sign with their parish, but Nicholas made his habit to sign as "Episcop (Bishop) Nicholai", without mentioning Revel. He presided over the consecration of the Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
in 1891, and was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop of All Japan by the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod on April 6, 1907.
, Nicholas stayed in Japan. Those days were very difficult for him. His love for the land of his birth conflicted with his duty as the bishop of Japan to support his faithful and to pray for the Japanese Emperor
and the Imperial Japanese Army
and Navy
: in the orthodox liturgy at that time, priests must explicitly pray not only benediction on the sovereign and his army, but also for the defeat of his enemies in the intercession. Nicholas therefore did not participate in any public services during the war; instead, he encouraged his Japanese faithful to both pray for and to contribute to the Army and Navy. Some encouraged him to go back to Russia, but he refused and worked eagerly for Japanese faithful and Russian prisoners-of-war. In a letter on the conditions of a camp in Hamadera, Osaka
, Nicholas wrote of his astonishment at the Russians soldiers' illiteracy: nine of ten captives could not read. Nicholas sent priests and teachers to camps to educate and care for the captives. His attitude and manners impressed not only the Orthodox faithful but also non-Christians.
was impressed with his character, especially his diplomatic efforts between the Russian Imperial Household and the Japanese government. When the Russian Tsar Nicholas II
was the Tsarevich under Alexander III
, the young Nicholas II visited Japan and was injured during the Ōtsu Incident by a Japanese policeman. Bishop Nicholas made a great effort to resolve this incident.
Nicholas's study of Japanese was fruitful, allowing him to translate all liturgy books and many parts of the Bible
including the whole of the New Testament
and Psalms
, most of the Book of Genesis and the Book of Isaiah
with help from a Japanese Christian and scholar Nakai Tsugumaro who ran a kanbun
private school Kaitokudo in Osaka
. His translations are still used in the liturgy of Japanese Orthodox Church. Being fond of church singing, Kasatkin made a significant contribution in introducing this art to the Japanese. He also established a theological seminary, primary schools for boys and girls, a library, shelter and other agencies.
Nicholas wrote a diary in Russian for years, recording the pastoral life of early Orthodox Church of Japan as well as his thought and observation of Meiji era Japan
. His diary was believed to have been burned and lost in Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but rediscovered by Kennosuke Nakamura, a Russian literary researcher, and published in 2004 as Dnevniki Sviatogo Nikolaia Iaponskogo (5 vols. St. Petersburg: Giperion, 2004). Nakamura translated the whole diary into Japanese and published with his commentary in 2007.
. After his death, his body was buried in Tokyo Metropolitan Yanaka Cemetery
, near Ueno
. In 1970, he was canonized as 'Equal-to-the-Apostles, Archbishop of Japan, St. Nicholas'. His feast day is February 3, February 16 old-style. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Japanese Orthodox Church celebrate this feast nationwide on the old-style date.
There is a church which commemorates him in Maebashi, Gunma
, built in 1974. There is also an Eastern Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint Nikolai of Japan in Moscow.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. He introduced the Eastern Orthodox Church to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The Orthodox cathedral of Tokyo (metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Japan), Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
, also known as , in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the main cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church.- History :The founder of the Japanese Orthodox Church Ivan Dmitrievich Kasatkin , later St. Nicholas of Japan, was an archbishop who devoted himself to improving Japanese-Russian relations during the Meiji...
, was informally named after him as Nikorai-do, first by the local community, and today nationwide, in remembrance of his work.
Early life
Nicholas was born in the SmolenskSmolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
prefecture in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
to Dimitry Kasatkin, a Russian Orthodox deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
. His mother died when he was five years old. He grew up in the church hierarchy: in 1857 he entered the Theological Academy in Saint Petersburg. On July 7, 1860 (July 19 in the Gregorian calendar), he became a monk and chose the name of Nicholas. Nicholas was ordained a deacon on July 12 (July 24) in the same year, on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. He was ordained a priest the next day, on the feast day of the Holy Apostles, the commemoration day of the Academy's Chapel of the Holy Apostles.
Japan
On July 2, 1861, Nicholas landed at Hakodate, HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan, as a priest attached to the chapel of the Russian consulate in Hakodate. He had volunteered for the appointment to this duty, attracted since the day he noticed a poster calling for a priest for this chapel when he was a seminary student. After he arrived at the consulate, he studied Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and quickly gained mastery of the language.
While at the consulate chapel, he converted three Japanese, one of whom, a former samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and Shinto priest
Kannushi
A , also called , is the person responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine as well as for leading worship of a given kami. The characters for kannushi are sometimes also read jinshu with the same meaning....
named Sawabe Takuma, had originally come to his home to kill him. After conversion, Sawabe became one of the first Japanese Orthodox priests. In 1870, Nicholas was made an archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
and moved to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and began an extensive missionary effort. He bought property on a height in Kanda
Kanda, Tokyo
See also Kanda, Fukuoka and the disambiguation page for Kanda. is a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It encompasses about thirty neighborhoods...
Surugadai for his headquarters which later became the site of the see of the Orthodox Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Japan. Under his leadership, by 1870 the Orthodox community numbered more than 4,000 people and by 1912 - about 33 thousand people and 266 Orthodox communities.
Nicholas was consecrated bishop on March 30, 1880, as Bishop of Revel
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, auxiliary to the Archdiocese of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. While Nicholas never visited the city, the parish of Revel supported his Japanese mission financially. In the Eastern Orthodox Church tradition, bishops sign with their parish, but Nicholas made his habit to sign as "Episcop (Bishop) Nicholai", without mentioning Revel. He presided over the consecration of the Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
, also known as , in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the main cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church.- History :The founder of the Japanese Orthodox Church Ivan Dmitrievich Kasatkin , later St. Nicholas of Japan, was an archbishop who devoted himself to improving Japanese-Russian relations during the Meiji...
in 1891, and was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop of All Japan by the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod on April 6, 1907.
Russo-Japanese War
During the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, Nicholas stayed in Japan. Those days were very difficult for him. His love for the land of his birth conflicted with his duty as the bishop of Japan to support his faithful and to pray for the Japanese Emperor
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
and the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
: in the orthodox liturgy at that time, priests must explicitly pray not only benediction on the sovereign and his army, but also for the defeat of his enemies in the intercession. Nicholas therefore did not participate in any public services during the war; instead, he encouraged his Japanese faithful to both pray for and to contribute to the Army and Navy. Some encouraged him to go back to Russia, but he refused and worked eagerly for Japanese faithful and Russian prisoners-of-war. In a letter on the conditions of a camp in Hamadera, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Nicholas wrote of his astonishment at the Russians soldiers' illiteracy: nine of ten captives could not read. Nicholas sent priests and teachers to camps to educate and care for the captives. His attitude and manners impressed not only the Orthodox faithful but also non-Christians.
Character
Even Emperor MeijiEmperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
was impressed with his character, especially his diplomatic efforts between the Russian Imperial Household and the Japanese government. When the Russian Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
was the Tsarevich under Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
, the young Nicholas II visited Japan and was injured during the Ōtsu Incident by a Japanese policeman. Bishop Nicholas made a great effort to resolve this incident.
Nicholas's study of Japanese was fruitful, allowing him to translate all liturgy books and many parts of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
including the whole of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, most of the Book of Genesis and the Book of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
with help from a Japanese Christian and scholar Nakai Tsugumaro who ran a kanbun
Kanbun
The Japanese word originally meant "Classical Chinese writings, Chinese classic texts, Classical Chinese literature". This evolved into a Japanese method of reading annotated Classical Chinese in translation . Much Japanese literature was written in literary Chinese using this annotated style...
private school Kaitokudo in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. His translations are still used in the liturgy of Japanese Orthodox Church. Being fond of church singing, Kasatkin made a significant contribution in introducing this art to the Japanese. He also established a theological seminary, primary schools for boys and girls, a library, shelter and other agencies.
Nicholas wrote a diary in Russian for years, recording the pastoral life of early Orthodox Church of Japan as well as his thought and observation of Meiji era Japan
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. His diary was believed to have been burned and lost in Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but rediscovered by Kennosuke Nakamura, a Russian literary researcher, and published in 2004 as Dnevniki Sviatogo Nikolaia Iaponskogo (5 vols. St. Petersburg: Giperion, 2004). Nakamura translated the whole diary into Japanese and published with his commentary in 2007.
Veneration
Nikolai was the first saint of the Japanese Orthodox ChurchJapanese Orthodox Church
The Japanese Orthodox Church or The Orthodox Church in Japan is an autonomous church of Eastern Orthodoxy under the omophorion of the Russian Orthodox Church.-History:...
. After his death, his body was buried in Tokyo Metropolitan Yanaka Cemetery
Yanaka Cemetery
is a large cemetery located north of Ueno in Yanaka 7-chome, Taito, Tokyo, Japan. The Yanaka sector of Taito is one of the few Tokyo neighborhoods in which the old Shitamachi atmosphere can still be felt...
, near Ueno
Ueno, Tokyo
is a district in Tokyo's Taitō Ward, best known as the home of Ueno Station and Ueno Park. Ueno is also home to some of Tokyo's finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Science Museum, as well as a major public concert hall...
. In 1970, he was canonized as 'Equal-to-the-Apostles, Archbishop of Japan, St. Nicholas'. His feast day is February 3, February 16 old-style. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Japanese Orthodox Church celebrate this feast nationwide on the old-style date.
There is a church which commemorates him in Maebashi, Gunma
Maebashi, Gunma
is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1892, by the samurai Makuba Kawai.On December 5, 2004 the town of Ōgo, and the villages of Kasukawa and Miyagi, all from Seta District, were merged into Maebashi....
, built in 1974. There is also an Eastern Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint Nikolai of Japan in Moscow.