The Holy Orthodox Church in Japan

This church is an Eastern Orthodox church founded in Japan by the Russian Orthodox missionary Nikolai. Hristos means Christ in Russian. Nikolai came to Japan in 1861 (Bunkyu 1) as a priest attached to the Russian consulate in Hakodate. The first believers were Sawabe Takuma, Sakai Atsunori, and Urano Ozo (baptized in 1868). Evangelism was centered in Hakodate and Sendai, and after Nikolai moved his base to Tokyo in 1872 (Meiji 5), the church expanded to the Kansai region. Despite the trials of the Russo-Japanese War, by 1911 (Meiji 44), the number of churches had grown to over 260 and the number of believers to over 30,000. Nikolai died the following year in 1912, and Sergius became the leader, but the relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church was severed due to the Russian Revolution, and the church was forced to establish an independent system by enacting the Constitution of the Japanese Orthodox Church. After the Second World War, the church formed a sister relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church in America (Metropolia), leading to a partial separation (in 1970 it became the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Japan). In 1970 (Showa 45), it was reconciled with the Russian Orthodox Church and became an autonomous church. It has three dioceses (Archdiocese of Tokyo, Bishopric of Sendai in Eastern Japan, Bishopric of Kyoto in Western Japan). There are 55 churches, 14 missionary stations, 37 teachers, and 9,863 believers (Religious Yearbook, 2014 edition).

[Reiko Yamakawa]

"The History of the Orthodox Church in Japan" by Ushimaru Yasuo (1978, Metropolitan Office of the Orthodox Church of Japan)" ▽ "The Journal of the Japanese Orthodox Mission" edited by the Orthodox Church of Japan, 2 volumes (1900, Editorial Office of the Orthodox Church of Japan)" ▽ "The Life of Archbishop Nikolai" edited by Shibayama Junko (1936, General Affairs Office of the Orthodox Church of Japan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ロシア正教会の宣教師ニコライによって日本に創立された東方正教会系の教会。ハリストスХристос／Hristosはロシア語でキリストのこと。ニコライは箱館(はこだて)（函館）のロシア領事館付司祭として1861年（文久1）渡来。最初の信者は沢辺琢磨(さわべたくま)、酒井篤礼(あつのり)、浦野大蔵の3名（1868受洗）であった。函館、仙台を中心に伝道、1872年（明治5）ニコライが東京に本拠を移してからは関西方面にも教勢が伸び、日露戦争の試練にあいながらも、1911年（明治44）教会数260余、信者数3万以上となった。翌1912年ニコライ死去、セルギーが指導者となったが、ロシア革命によってロシア正教会との関係がとだえ、日本ハリストス正教会憲法を制定しての自立体制を余儀なくされた。第二次世界大戦後、在米ロシア正教会（メトロポリア）と姉妹関係を結んだため一部が分離した（1970年ロシア正教会モスクワ総主教庁駐日ポドウオリエとなった）。1970年（昭和45）ロシア正教会と和解、自治独立の教会となった。三つの主教区をもつ（東京大主教区、東日本―主教座仙台、西日本―主教座京都）。教会数55、布教所数14、教師数37、信徒数9863（『宗教年鑑』平成26年版）。

［山川令子］

『牛丸康夫著『日本正教史』（1978・日本ハリストス正教会教団府主教庁）』▽『日本正教会編『日本正教傳道誌』全2巻（1900・日本正教会編輯局）』▽『柴山準行編『大主教ニコライ師事蹟』（1936・日本正教会総務局）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例