| History |
In 1846 the Vicariate Apostolic of Japan for the evangelization
of Japan was entrusted to the Paris Foreign Mission Society.
However, due to the proscription of Christianity at that time,
missionaries were unable to enter the country. In 1858, after
the port cities of Nagasaki, Yokohama, Hakodate and others
opened, the first members of the Paris Foreign Mission Society
entered Japan and began missionary work.
On May 22, 1876, the Vicariate Apostolic of Japan was divided
into the Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Japan and the Vicariate
Apostolic of Northern Japan. The Vicariate Apostolic of Northern
Japan, with Yokohama as center, had the jurisdiction of the
Chubu, Kanto, and Ou regions, as well as of Hokkaido.
In 1891, the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Japan was further
divided into the dioceses of Tokyo (June 15) and Hakodate
(April 17), and Tokyo was elevated to the status of an Archdiocese.
Archbishop Pierre Osouf, M.E.P. became the first ordinary
of the Tokyo Archdiocese. His jurisdiction included the seven
prefectures of the Kanto region and the nine prefectures of
the Chubu region.
On August 13, 1912, with the establishment of the Prefecture
Apostolic of Niigata, the three prefectures of Toyama, Ishikawa,
and Fukui, and again on February 18, 1922, with the establishment
of the Prefecture Apostolic of Nagoya, the two prefectures
of Aichi and Gifu were all entrusted to the Society of the
Divine Word.
On November 9, 1937, with the transferral of the Archdiocese
of Tokyo from the care of the Paris Foreign Mission Society
to the care of Japanese clergy, all the other regions, except
for Tokyo and Chiba, were transferred to the Diocese of Yokohama.
Father Doi Tatsuo was consecrated the first native archbishop,
and became Archbishop of Tokyo.
On March 28, 1960, Archbishop Doi became the first Japanese
cardinal. On May 8, 1966, Father Shirayanagi Seiichi was consecrated
as Auxiliary Bishop of Tokyo. On November 15, 1969, Bishop
Shirayanagi was appointed coadjutor with right of succession,
and on February 5,1970 Father Hamao Fumio was appointed Auxiliary
Bishop of Tokyo. When Cardinal Doi died in office on February
21, 1970, Bishop Shirayanagi succeeded him as Archbishop of
Tokyo.
On January 15, 1980, Bishop Hamao became Bishop of Yokohama,
and on December 3, 1984 Father Mori Kazuhiro was appointed
Auxiliary Bishop of Tokyo. He was consecrated on February
23 of the following year.
Pope John Paul II named Archbishop Shirayanagi a cardinal
in November 1994.
Cardinal Shirayanagi retired for health reasons on June 12,
2000. Bishop Mori also tendered his resignation, which was
accepted.
On the same day, June 12, 2000, Bishop Okada Takeo of Urawa
was named as the cardinal's succesor and became archbishop.
He was installed as the head of the archdiocese on September
3, 2000.
On November 29, 2004, Father Koda Kazuo was appointed Auxiliary
Bishop of Tokyo and was consecrated on February 19, 2005.
He is the first Auxiliary Bishop of Tokyo since Bishop Mori
Kazuhiro retired in June 2000.
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