St. Andrew’s International Orthodox Center in Kita-Karuizawa, Japan

The inspiration to create an International Orthodox Centre, dedicated to the Holy Apostle Andrew, came to us from our desire to spend time in nature, enjoying the fresh air of the mountains. Our tradition of organising annual camps in the mountains is what implanted in our minds and hearts the desire to find a place of our own, that would welcome us not only once a year but at any time we might wish to visit it. Therefore, in August 2021 we proceeded to purchase a plot of land of about 1,000 m², situated at the foot of Mount Asama, in the Kita (Northern) Karuizawa area. At present the land is occupied by a small forest. In the time lapsed since the initial moment of purchase we have come up with a sketch detailing a building complex spanning about 400 m^2., complex which includes a large dining room, common areas, a chapel and 10 bedrooms.

Although the original intention was to simply have a retreat location of our own, it came upon us that – were it to be God’s will – such a complex could become the headquarters of a small monastic community, the very first one in Japan. With this premise, the International Orthodox Centre “St. Andrew” aims therefore to be a centre for recreation not merely physical but also spiritual. The goal of establishing such a centre can only be achieved with your help, which is why we would like to bring to your attention the “Donations” page of this website: there you can find a particular donation form addressing this project of ours. Any amount of help from you constitutes yet one more step towards fulfilling our goal, which is important not only to us in a local sense but also – dare we say and hope – to the entirety of Orthodoxy in Japan. We appreciate any form of support!