Hakodate Orthodox Church

Built in 1916 to replace a wooden church destroyed by fire in 1907, Hakodate Orthodox Church is a prominent example of Russian Byzantine architecture on the Motomachi hillside. Its green copper roofs, brick walls, and octagonal bell tower are visible from much of the harbor area. The six bells are designated one of Japan's 100 Soundscapes. Inside, the carved iconostasis includes 12 paintings by Yamashita Rin, the only Japanese woman known to have painted Orthodox icons. The church traces its roots to 1860, when an early chapel in the Russian consulate hosted the first Japanese baptisms into the Orthodox faith here in 1868.