Commemorative ceremony held at Russian cemetery in Japan

HAKODATE (Itar-Tass) - A ceremony marking the 150th
anniversary since the arrival of Hierarch Nicholas of Japan in the country
was held at the Russian cemetery in the Japanese city of Hakodate on
Saturday.
Russian presidential envoy for international cultural cooperation
Mikhail Shvydkoi and Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Bely laid flowers
at graves of Russians buried there.
Local Orthodox Resurrection Church dean Nikolai Dmitriyev led a
religious service, and after that, the Pyatnitsky choir sang some church
and folk songs.
The ceremony marked the 150th anniversary since the day of the arrival
of Archbishop Nicholas of Japan (Ivan Kasatkin) in the country. He brought
the Orthodox faith to Japan. The archbishop began his missionary
activities in Hakodate on Japan's northern Hokkaido Island in 1861 and
founded the first Orthodox community in the country.
The Russian cemetery was founded near Mount Hakodate in 1870. There
are 43 graves. Local residents take care of the memorial cemetery and keep
it in an excellent state. There are graves of crewmembers from Russian
ships that called at the port, clergymen of the local Orthodox church and
staff members of the first Russian consulate.