English Translation by Nina Tkachuk Dimas

Surname, Name, Patronymic:: Ono, John

Church affiliation Russian Orthodox Church Abroad

Russian Orthodox Church

Biography

1941 photo
Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin. 1942, pg 165

Nikolai (Ono John), Japanese bishop.
Data on birth, education and times of services is not available.
Mentioned as a missionary - a Japanese with the rank of archpriest.
On February 27, 1941, accompanied by Deacon Endo, he left for Harbin. There on March 14, 1941 [Manuil: on April 7^th], hierarchs of the Church Outside of Russia, headed by Metropolitan Melety of Harbin and Manchuria consecrated him as bishop of Japan. Bishop Nicholas (Ono) became the first Japanese bishop in the Japanese Orthodox Church.
As head of the church, Bishop Nicholas petitioned Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), the Patriarchal locum tenens, for permission to transfer from ROCOR to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate; permission was granted.
After the beginning of the Second World War communication with the Moscow Patriarchate was interrupted.
On April 5-6^th an Extraordinary Council of the Japanese Church was held in Tokyo at which it was decided to place Japanese Orthodox parishes in the jurisdiction of the American Metropolia. Part of the Japanese clergy and the laymen, which disagreed with the Counsil's decision, formed the True Orthodox Church (TOC). It was lead by Nikolai (Ono) and archpriest Antony (Takai). In 1957 the ROC Synod (already after death of Bishop Nikolai) recognized TOC and on its basis formed a ROC deanery in Japan.
On March 27, 1946, he petitioned His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to reunite him and the Japanese Church with the Mother-church.
On April 3^rd of the same year he was reinstated.
He died in 1956.

The literature:

"JMP" [Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate] 1950, № 10, p.with. 30.
A. Tyscuk, Japonskaja Avtonomnaja Pravoslavnaja Cerkov" (Kratkaja istoriceskaja spravka) [Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church (Brief historical reference)], in: JMP 1970, hier 12, 45-47.
G. Seide, Geschichte der ROK im Ausland 312.