160308-0041 - Archbishop Saint Nicholas

Archbishop Saint Nicholas of Japan (日本の亜使徒大主教聖ニコライ, 1836–1912), born Ivan Dimitrovich Kasatkin, ca. 1900s.

Nicholas introduced the Eastern Orthodox Church to Japan. The Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo is informally named after him as Nikorai-do (ニコライ堂).

Nicholas landed at Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture as a priest attached to the chapel of the Russian consulate there on July 2, 1861 (Bunkyu 1).

In 1870 (Meiji 3), Nicholas moved to Tokyo, began an intensive missionary effort and bought property which later became the site of the see of the Orthodox Archbishop of Japan.

Nicholas was consecrated bishop in 1880 (Meiji 13) and presided over the consecration of the Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral in 1891 (Meiji 24).

Nicholas was the first saint of the Japanese Orthodox Church.