Orthodox Monasteries of East Asia
Submitted by Athos on March 29, 2026 - 8:43am
Orthodox Monasteries of East Asia
A reference page for Athos Forum, arranged by country and region, with statistics, principal monasteries of Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia.
East Asia
Orthodox monasticism in East Asia is relatively recent and is chiefly the result of Russian missionary activity during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Japan possesses the strongest and most developed Orthodox monastic tradition in East Asia, while China, Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia have only small communities. Many monasteries in the region are associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Japanese Orthodox Church, or local missionary jurisdictions.
35+
Orthodox monasteries and convents in East Asia
Orthodox monasteries and convents in East Asia
50%
of East Asian Orthodox monasteries located in Japan
of East Asian Orthodox monasteries located in Japan
12+
active women’s monasteries and convents
active women’s monasteries and convents
150+
years of Orthodox monastic history in modern East Asia
years of Orthodox monastic history in modern East Asia
The principal concentration of Orthodox monasteries lies in Japan, especially around Tokyo and Hokkaido, with smaller communities in China, Korea, and Taiwan.
This page follows the same structure established for the other Orthodox countries and regions in this series.
Principal Monasteries of East Asia
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Japan – Tokyo, Japan. Principal Orthodox monastery of Japan.
- Convent of the Protection of the Mother of God – Japan. Principal Orthodox women’s monastery in East Asia.
- Monastery of Saint Innocent – Hokkaido, Japan. Orthodox monastery associated with missionary work in northern Japan.
- Monastery of Saint Sophia – China. Principal Orthodox women’s monastery in China.
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas – Seoul, South Korea. Principal Orthodox monastery in Korea.
Japan
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Japan – Tokyo. The foremost Orthodox monastery in Japan.
- Convent of the Protection of the Mother of God – Japan. Principal women’s monastery of the Japanese Orthodox Church.
- Monastery of Saint Innocent – Hokkaido. Orthodox monastery associated with northern Japan.
- Monastery of Saint Sergius – northern Japan. Monastic community of the Russian Orthodox tradition.
- Convent of Saint Olga – Japan. Important Orthodox women’s monastery.
China and Taiwan
- Monastery of Saint Sophia – China. Principal Orthodox women’s monastery of China.
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas – Harbin. Historic Orthodox monastic community associated with the Russian presence in Manchuria.
- Monastic House of Saint Innocent – Beijing region. Small Orthodox monastic residence.
- Monastery of the Holy Trinity – Taiwan. Principal Orthodox monastery in Taiwan.
- Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene – Taiwan. Orthodox women’s monastic community.
Korea and Mongolia
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas – Seoul. Principal Orthodox monastery in South Korea.
- Convent of Saint Anna – South Korea. Principal women’s monastery in Korea.
- Monastic House of Saint Andrew – Mongolia. Orthodox monastic residence serving the Orthodox community in Mongolia.
- Monastic House of Saint George – Ulaanbaatar region. Small Orthodox community.
- Monastic Community of the Holy Cross – North Korea. Historical Orthodox presence associated with the Russian Orthodox mission.
Female Monasteries and Convents of Special Importance
- Convent of the Protection of the Mother of God – Japan. The principal Orthodox women’s monastery of East Asia.
- Convent of Saint Olga – Japan. Important Japanese Orthodox women’s community.
- Monastery of Saint Sophia – China. Principal women’s monastery in China.
- Convent of Saint Anna – South Korea. Principal women’s monastery in Korea.
- Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene – Taiwan. Principal women’s monastery in Taiwan.
Observations
- Japan possesses the strongest and most developed Orthodox monastic tradition in East Asia.
- Most Orthodox monasteries in East Asia are modern foundations dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
- The Orthodox presence in China is historically linked to the Russian communities of Harbin, Beijing, and Manchuria.
- Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia possess only small Orthodox monastic communities.
- Among the best-known monastic centres are Saint Nicholas of Japan, the principal convents of Japan, and the historic Orthodox communities of Harbin and Seoul.
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