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On 12 October 2010, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tokyo to mark the 40th anniversary of canonization of St. Nicholas of Japan, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and the autonomous status of the Orthodox Church of Japan.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, head of the official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church that took part in the celebration with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, officiated at the service in the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky at the Metochion.

Concelebrating with Metropolitan Hilarion were Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, abbot of the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius; Bishop Seraphim of Sendai; the DECR deputy chairman archpriest Nikolai Balashov; rector of the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tokyo archpriest Nikolai Katsiuban; a clergymen of the Metochion archpriest Ioann Nagaya, and other clerics.

Praying at the service were His Eminence Daniel, Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan; the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Mikhail Beliy; and the Ambassador of the Greek Republic Nicholas Tsamados.

St the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Daniel warmly greeted members of the delegation, saying that the Russian Orthodox Church has always helped its daughter and never abandoned its support in prayers. The Primate of Orthodox Church of Japan added that in 208 he consecrated the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky together with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the then DECR chairman. Since then the church has been a symbol of unity and friendly relations between the believers of the Russian and Japanese Orthodox Churches.

Metropolitan Hilarion read out the message of greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and conferred awards on archpriest Nikolai Katsiuban, other clergymen and laymen who have worked hard for the Metochion.

The DECR chairman underscored the important mission of the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Japan to be a home for the Russian-speaking believers living in the country of the Rising Sun and to keep the inseparable spiritual ties between the two Churches.

The delegation proceeded to the cemetery where St. Nicholas and the Primates of the Orthodox Church of Japan, Metropolitan Sergiy (Tikhomirov), Metropolitan Theodosius (Nagasima), and Bishop Nikolai (Ono) are buried. Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated a prayer service and said a requiem litiya at their tombs.