A Cathedral in Tokyo : Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Nicholai-Do)

On a cold winter day in December, walking to the Shinto Shrine Kanda Myojin I noticed a dome like structure in the distance and the overall European feel the structure had. I found out from searching the internet that it is the Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral which also goes by the name of “Nicholai-do”. Decided to visit this Greek Orthodox Church as I understood it from Wikipedia this week.
Nicholai-Do at OchanomizuThe first and the largest Byzantine-styled cathedral in Japan it has been in Japan for a long time, been witness to the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1924 where the structure remained intact, but fires across the city gutted the church too and suffered structural damages. The guide at the church informed us that had there been no fires the dome and the structure would have remained in its initial glory and not the scaled down version which stands now. It was finally restored to its present condition and designated as an important national cultural property on the 21 June 1962. A very important piece of national history in Japan, it finds reference on many posters and cultural material.
Nicholai-do at OchanomizuIt is a quick 1 minute walk from the JR Ochanomizu Station. Make sure you access it from a rather difficult to pronounce Hijiribashi Exit. The other exit will take you in a completely opposite direction (what I experienced)
Nicholai-do at OchanomizuOn the way to the Cathedral, we see a young boy playing his guitar and decent singing skills too. Great going young boy. You were awesome!
Nicholai-do at OchanomizuThe Cathedral is open between 13:00 to 16:00 on days other than Sundays. They charge 300 yen donation (a compulsory donation at that) on non-Sundays. Beautiful white structure and green dome looks a great contrast with the blue sky.
Nicholai-Do at OchanomizuThe Cathedral has Greek roots and the founder St. Nicholas introduced Orthodox Christianity to local Japanese believers after the church came up in 1891. The interior is equally beautiful like the exterior although the cathedral was supposedly much more magnificent prior to 1924 Kanto earthquake.
Nicholai-do Cathedral at Ocha-No-MizuGuides will give detailed story of the history of the cathedral and you can light candles at the cathedral that you will receive as part of the 300 yen donation. Not crowded on weekdays or Saturdays and you may want to visit then if you want to avoid Sunday crowds.
Nicholai-do at OchanomizuCollect brochures which detail the history of the cathedral. They have english versions of the same and you can ask for the same. The staff is very courteous and will speak in English if you require support.
Nicholai-do at JR Ocha-No-Mizu StationBrochure of Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Nicholai-Do)
Nicholai-do at JR Ocha-No-Mizu StationWe went at the plum blossom time at end of February. Not exactly in the church premises but just outside the campus there are a few plum trees on whose background we took a few snaps.
Nicholai-Do at OchanomizuBeautiful flowers and colors…
Nicholai-do at OchanomizuFeeling blessed we took back the road to the Ochanomizu Station. Cathedrals are few in Japan, but Nicholai-do with its architecture, interiors, stained glass wall art transports you to a European setting. Highly recommend if you miss being back in Europe.
Nicholai-do at Ochanomizu

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