Visit to Hakodate Haristos Orthodox Church - Russian Orthodox Prayer and the Sound of the Bell of Gan Gan Temple
On Saturday evening, November 28, 2020, I visited the Haristosian Orthodox Church in the Motomachi district of Hakodate.
The first Russian Orthodox church built in Japan, the Haristos Orthodox Church has become a symbol of Hakodate.
The photo above shows that it was around 16:30 in the evening, so you can see the atmosphere as it became a little darker.
For both Hakodate citizens and many tourists, the place called the Harististos Orthodox Church is very famous. This church has been loved as a building that symbolizes the uniqueness of Hakodate.
However, it is surprisingly unknown what kind of history this church has had and what kind of faith it is supported by.
I was born and raised in Hakodate, but to be honest, until recently I had no idea what kind of building or religion it was, even though I knew about the Orthodox Church of Hakodate. I knew little beyond the fact that it was a Christian church.
However, last year, through my involvement with Dostoevsky, I came to know Russian Orthodox Christianity, a uniquely Russian form of Christianity.
Although Russian Orthodoxy is the same Christianity, its teachings, ways of praying, and culture are quite different from Catholicism and Protestantism.
It was here in Hakodate that the Russian Orthodox Church first arrived in Japan and took root. It is said that Father Nikolai, who came to Japan as a missionary, was acquainted with Dostoevsky.
As a lover of Dostoevsky, I feel some strange connection with him. I felt a kind of fate that Hakodate, where I live, has a very significant meaning in my study of Russian Orthodoxy.
So I began to visit this place many times, and on this particular day, I was invited to participate in the evening prayer.
The priest gave us special permission in advance to take pictures inside the cathedral.
In this issue, we would like to share these photos with you.
This is a photo from the front of the entrance.
As you can notice from the pictures, the atmosphere of the painting is very realistic and solemn.
The solemn space of the church, the candlelight, the priest's recitation, the choir's singing echoing through the hall...
I felt as if I was in a different world when I participated in the prayer.
During my round-the-world trip last year, I visited many churches and attended mass. But when I thought about it, I realized that most of them were Catholic churches.
The atmosphere of a Catholic Mass is quite different from that of a Russian Orthodox Church. It is difficult to describe in words, but the difference is clear when you actually experience it.
Then, after the 5:00 p.m. prayer, I was allowed to go up to the bell tower to listen to the sound of the bell up close and personal.
The bell tower is located at the top of the church. From here it rings the bell that earned the temple the nickname "Gan Gan Temple.
Let's listen to the sound of the bell. Please enjoy it with the night view of Hakodate.
It is a rare opportunity to listen to the sound of the bells while viewing the night scenery of Hakodate. And it is even more rare to hear the sound of the bells from the bell tower.
The sight of the bells ringing and swaying before my eyes reminded me of "The Bells of Notre Dame.
The view from the bell tower was wonderful. We also saw a beautiful moon.
Well, the next day I was able to attend Sunday morning Mass again. The morning was wonderful, with a different flavor in the morning.
The bell tower you went up last night is located in the photo above. You were looking at the night view from here.
On this day, we were also allowed to enter the bell tower for a special occasion.
After all, Hakodate's scenery is wonderful.
Yesterday it was too dark to see much, but the bell had inscriptions on it.
The bell in the center is quite loud, and the sound is a shock to the body.
Last night's video was only a short one, so here is the sound of the bells again.
According to the story, the tone changes in the morning and at night, and the sound changes depending on the temperature and weather.
For more detailed information about the Orthodox Church of Japan, please refer to its website, where you can learn more about the history of the church and its events. Here are some links
Hakodate Haristos Orthodox Church HPhttps://www.orthodox-hakodate.jp/
And here's a warning notice!
The Orthodox Church will soon be undergoing repairs, so it will not be open for viewing for a while. The church will soon be undergoing repairs, so it will be closed to the public for a while.
We encourage you to visit the church as soon as possible.
This was "Visiting Hakodate Haristos Orthodox Church - Russian Orthodox Prayers and the Sound of the Bell of Gan Gan Temple".
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