"Russian public acquaintance with this diary will certainly promote Japanese-Russian friendship," said Mr. Sasakawa, emphatically adding that the saint's Japanese flock exceeded thirty thousand in his lifetime.
The publication of the holy man's diary comes as a stride toward ever closer ties between the two nations. "St. Nicholas of Japan is a link between them, personified. He was maker of the Japanese Orthodox Church. Everyone who reads his diary will develop a love for the Japanese. Of that I am sure," the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said in reply. He went on to thank all contributors to the publication, and offered a gist of the saint's life.
Father Nicholas was keeping his diary for forty years to enter in it his meditations and spontaneous impressions. He came to Japan, a young hieromonk, as Russian Consulate chaplain, and soon developed a heartfelt love of the local people. He translated the Holy Writ and many liturgical books into Japanese. The ardent missionary refused to leave his adoptive motherland when the Russo-Japanese War broke out, 1904. Father Nicholas was canonised as equal to the Apostles for inspired Christian sermons and educational activities, said His Beatitude Alexis II.
The Patriarch referred to his visit to Japan of several years ago. He saw St. Nicholas worshipped not only by Eastern Christians but the entire nation. The Resurrection Church, Tokyo's most cherished Eastern Christian shrine, is popularly known as Nikolai-do-The Way of Nicholas. The name reflects reverence of the saint's memory, sacred cause and lifetime achievements. Today's Japan carries on the pious quest of St. Nicholas, added Alexis II.
