Seraphim (Tsujie) of Japan
| Metropolitan Seraphim (Tsujie) | |
|---|---|
 As Bishop of Sendai
| |
| Rank | Metropolitan |
| Title | Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan |
| Church | Church of Japan |
| In office | 2023–present |
| Predecessor | Daniel (Nushiro) |
| Previous post(s) | Bishop of Sendai (2000–2023) |
| Birth name | Noboru Tsudzie |
| Born | March 23, 1951, Akita, Japan |
| Ordained deacon | November 5, 1989 |
| Ordained priest | August 18, 1991 |
| Monastic tonsure | August 20, 1999 |
| Consecrated | January 15, 2000, as Bishop of Sendai |
| Enthroned | October 22, 2023, Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Tokyo |
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His Eminence Seraphim (Tsujie) is the Archbishop of Tokyo, Metropolitan of All Japan, and primate of the Church of Japan since 2023. Before his election he was the ruling bishop of the Diocese of Sendai and Eastern Japan for 23 years.
Life
Bishop Seraphim was born Noboru Tsudzie on March 23, 1951, in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. He was baptized into the Orthodox Church in 1987, and studied at the Tokyo Orthodox Seminary from 1987 to 1990.[1] He was ordained a deacon on November 5, 1989. On August 18, 1991, Dcn. Noboru was ordained a priest.
Choosing to become a monastic, Fr. Noboru was tonsured a monk with the name Seraphim on August 20, 1999. He was elevated to the dignity of hegumen on September 6, 1999, and then to archimandrite on January 9, 2000. His consecration as Bishop of Sendai was on January 15, 2000.
Bishop of Sendai
His diocese suffered greatly from the great earthquake of March 11, 2011, particularly from the resulting great tsunami that followed. The Church of the Annunciation in Yamada-cho, that was destroyed after the tsunami and fire, was among the most seriously damaged church property. Fortunately the death toll among the Orthodox Christians was limited with a report of eight deaths.[1]
On July 8, 2012, by the decision of Council of the Japanese Orthodox Church, he was elevated to the dignity of archbishop. In September of that year, during the visit of Patr. Kirill of Moscow to Japan, he was among the clergy who received the new Order of St. Nicholas of Japan.[2]
In 2013, Abp. Seraphim consecrated the first church building of the parish in Tono, Iwate Prefecture, on May 19,[3] and on November 24 a temporary church for the parish in Yamada, where the first Divine Liturgy since the disaster was then served.[4]
The council of the Church of Japan held on July 6-7, 2019, also named him a vicar of the Diocese of Tokyo.[1] In September 2020, he served the vigil and, with Metr. Daniel (Nushiro), the Divine Liturgy at Holy Resurrection Cathedral for the 150th anniversary of the Russian mission in Japan, the 50th anniversary of the Church's autonomy and the 50th anniversary of the glorification of St. Nicholas.[5] On February 27, 2022, he consecrated the new Holy Trinity church of the Yamate parish.[6]
Primate of Japan
After the repose of Metr. Daniel on August 10, 2023, Abp. Seraphim was the only remaining bishop of the Church of Japan. He served at Metr. Daniel's funeral and was chosen locum tenens on August 11. On September 28, 2023, an extraordinary council in Tokyo elected him Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan, and Patr. Kirill approved the election the same day.[1][7]
He was enthroned at Holy Resurrection Cathedral on October 22, 2023. Metr. Anthony of Volokolamsk attended on behalf of the Church of Russia, and the two senior clergy of the Japanese Church, Archpriests Mark Koike and Paul Oikawa, placed him on the throne.[8]
As primate, on May 11, 2025, Metr. Seraphim consecrated the restored church of St. Matthew the Apostle in Toyohashi,[9] and on May 18, 2025, he gave relics of St. Nicholas and the Gospel book St. Nicholas had used in his mission to the Convent of St. Elizabeth in England.[10]
Seraphim (Tsujie) of Japan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Seraphim (Sigrist) |
Bishop of Sendai 2000-2023 |
Succeeded by: — |
| Preceded by: Daniel (Nushiro) |
Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan 2023-present |
Succeeded by: — |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 New primate elected for Japanese Orthodox Church, OrthoChristian.com, September 29, 2023.
- ↑ Patriarch Kirill celebrates Divine Liturgy at Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo, Department for External Church Relations, Moscow Patriarchate.
- ↑ 遠野ハリストス正教会新会堂成聖式 (Consecration of the new church in Tono), Orthodox Church in Japan, 2013 (in Japanese).
- ↑ 山田正教会仮会堂成聖式 (Consecration of the temporary church in Yamada), Orthodox Church in Japan, 2013 (in Japanese).
- ↑ Japanese Church celebrates 150th anniversary of founding, 50th of autonomy, 50th of glorification of St. Nikolai of Japan, OrthoChristian.com, September 16, 2020.
- ↑ 山手ハリストス正教会新聖堂成聖式 (Consecration of the new church of Yamate Orthodox Church), Orthodox Church in Japan, 2022 (in Japanese).
- ↑ In Memoriam: His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel (Nushiro) of Tokyo and All Japan, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, August 12, 2023.
- ↑ Enthronement of Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church takes place, Department for External Church Relations, Moscow Patriarchate, October 22, 2023.
- ↑ セラフィム府主教「豊橋聖堂・修復成聖式」執行 (Metr. Seraphim consecrates the restored Toyohashi church), Orthodox Church in Japan, 2025 (in Japanese).
- ↑ 在英女子修道院へ亜使徒聖ニコライ不朽体分与 (Relics of St. Nicholas given to a convent in England), Orthodox Church in Japan, 2025 (in Japanese).