Home page News
Patriarch Kirill meets with Japanese ambassador to …

Patriarch Kirill meets with Japanese ambassador to Russia

On August 24, 2016, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the Japanese Ambassador to Russia Mr. Toyohisa Kozuki, at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence in the St. Daniel Monastery.

They were joined in their talk by Mr. D. Tsutihasi, the embassy’s second secretary and head of the protocol department, and Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR), and D. Petrovsky, staff member of the DECR.

Welcoming the high guest, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stated that the Russian Orthodox Church traditionally has very good and active relations with the Japanese embassy in Moscow. ‘There are many reasons for it, and the most important one is that the Russian Orthodox Church’s mission in Japan resulted in the emergence of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church, which consists of several dozens of thousand faithful, while being a very important chain in the link between our nations. Japan is a large and multimillion-strong country but this relatively small Orthodox community has played a very important role in making cordial the relations between our nations because the Japanese people for us are spiritually close people’, he said.

His Holiness recalled his visit to Japan in September 2012, during which he met with the Emperor Akihito and the Prime-Minister Yoshihito Noda and visited placed affected by tsunami in 2011. ‘We took that disaster with pain in our hearts, and I am delighted that the work to provide victims with humanitarian support made us even closer to many in Japan’, he stressed.

Patriarch Kirill also said that the year 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan and Mr. Kozuki celebrates his 60th birthday that same year. ‘I am confident that your appointment as ambassador coincides with an important period in the bilateral relations with Russia. I believe the Russian and Japanese peoples would like to see a radical change for the better in these relations and the overcoming of all the negative consequences of World War II so that a new page could be opened in the bilateral relations. God grant that your work in Moscow may promote it as much as possible’.

‘During your visit to Japan in 2012, I had the honour of meeting you, and I always remember that meeting’, Mr. Kozuki said in his response. He thanked Patriarch Kirill for the support given by the Russian Orthodox Church to the Japanese people who were affected by the destructive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

According to Mr. Kozuki, the Russian Orthodox Church plays a very important role being a moral support and value of the Russian society. During his previous trips to Russia, Mr. Kozuki and his wife visited churches and monasteries in Russia on several occasions. The Japanese ambassador said that his wife shared his interest in Russia’s spiritual heritage, which is expressed in her longstanding iconographic work.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates His Holiness Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria on his election and enthronement

30.06.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Met with the Released Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav

25.06.2024

Patriarch Kirill led the bringing of the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by the Venerable Andrei Rublev, to the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

22.06.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with senior Russian Protestants

18.06.2024

DECR Chairman delivered a lecture to students of the Russian Orthodox University

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

DECR chairman attends reception given by Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation

22.09.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with delegation of Orthodox Church in America

16.09.2024

DECR сhairman сelebrates in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Paris

08.09.2024

Nice hosts celebrations marking 50th birthday and 14th anniversary of episcopal consecration of Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe

06.09.2024

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations meets with Slovenian Ambassador to Russia

30.08.2024

DECR chairman congratulates head of the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of the Caucasus on the occasion of his 7th birthday.

26.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

Holy Synod deems it expedient that Working Group for Cooperation between the Russian Church and Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs should continue its work

25.07.2024

Holy Synod recognizes importance of resuming theological consultations with Assyrian Church of the East

25.07.2024

Session of commission for international cooperation under the Russian Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Associations takes place.

23.07.2024

DECR chairman meets with representative of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

23.07.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with the Syrian ambassador to Russia.

22.07.2024

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations meets with a delegation from Lebanon.

22.07.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب