# Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Nikolai-do)

> The main cathedral of the Orthodox Church in Japan, a Byzantine-style church with a 35-meter green dome, consecrated in 1891 and rebuilt after the 1923 earthquake. The interior opens to visitors only in the afternoon, for a 300-yen donation.

- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Type: Historic site
- Address: Tokyo, Japan
- Admission: 300 yen
- Official site: https://nikolaido.org/

Walk out of the Hijiri-bashi exit at Ochanomizu and the green dome is right there, squeezed between office blocks and university buildings. Nikolai-do is named after Nikolai Kasatkin, the Russian missionary later canonized as St. Nicholas of Japan, who first came to Hakodate before building this cathedral. Construction began in 1884 to a design by the Russian architect Mikhail Shchurupov, with Josiah Conder drawing up the working plans, and it was consecrated on March 8, 1891. The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake toppled the bell tower onto the dome and fire gutted the interior. Okada Shin'ichiro led the rebuilding, which finished in 1929 with a changed dome and roofline, though most of the original walls survive. It became an Important Cultural Property in 1962. Time your visit with care: the interior opens only in the afternoon, from 13:00, closing at 16:00 from April to September and 15:30 the rest of the year, and it is shut on Mondays.

## FAQ

### When can I go inside Nikolai-do?

Only in the afternoon: from 13:00 to 16:00 between April and September, and from 13:00 to 15:30 the rest of the year. It is closed on Mondays, and church events can close it at short notice, so check the visiting calendar on the official site.

### How much does it cost to visit?

The visiting donation is 300 yen for adults and 100 yen for junior high school students; elementary school children and younger are free. Groups of fewer than 10 people do not need to book.

### What is the connection between Nikolai-do and Hakodate?

Nikolai Kasatkin, the missionary the cathedral is named after, arrived in Japan in 1861 as a priest at the Russian consulate chapel in Hakodate, the site of today's Hakodate Orthodox Church. He later moved to Tokyo and built this cathedral.

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Source: Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Nikolai-do) — Japan Voyage