| BISHOP’S RESIDENCE & CHANCERY OFFICE |
|---|
| 6-4-12, Tokiwa, Urawa, SAITAMA, 336-0001 Tel.048-831-3150 Fax.824-3532 |
| CATHEDRAL |
| URAWA CHURCH 6-4-12, Tokiwa, Urawa, SAITAMA, 336-0001 Tel.048-831-0134 |
| WEB SITE |
| http://saitama-kyoku.net/ |
Bishop
Most Reverend
Mario Michiaki Yamanouchi, S.D.B., Bishop of Saitama
December 8, 1955 Born in Oita-ken
December 21, 1984 Ordained Priest (San Juan, Argentina)
June 2, 2018 Appointed Bishop of Saitama
September 24, 2018 Ordained Bishop
Predecessors
- Msgr. Ambrose Leblanc, O.F.M. 1939-1940
- Msgr. Paul Sakuzo Uchino 1940-1957
- Most Rev. Lawrence Satoshi Nagae 1958-1979
- Most Rev. Francis Xavier Kaname Shimamoto 1980-1990
- Most Rev. Peter Takeo Okada 1991-2000
- Most Rev. Marcelino Daiji Tani 2000-2013
History
The Apostolic Prefecture of Urawa was established on January 4, 1939. It was composed of the four prefectures of Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gumma which were separated from the Diocese of Yokohama. It was entrusted to Canadian Franciscans, and Fr. Ambrose Leblanc, O.F.M. became the first Apostolic Prefect. He resigned in 1940, and Fr. Sakuzo Uchino was appointed Apostolic Administrator. In 1945 he became Apostolic Prefect.
Msgr. Uchino resigned in 1957, and on December 16 of the same year the Apostolic Prefecture of Urawa was raised to the status of a diocese. On December 24, 1957, Fr. Satoshi Nagae was appointed the first Bishop of Urawa. He was consecrated on April 13, 1958. In 1979 Bishop Nagae resigned and on December 20 of the same year Fr. Kaname Shimamoto was appointed his successor. He was consecrated on March 20 of the following year and became Bishop of Urawa. On March 20, 1990, Bishop Shimamoto was appointed Archbishop of Nagasaki, and took office in May. After that Fr. Takeo Okada was appointed Bishop of Urawa on April 15, 1991. He was consecrated on September 16 of the same year.
On May 13, 2000, Bishop Okada was appointed Archbishop of Tokyo. Urawa diocesan priest Fr. Daiji Tani was appointed Bishop of Urawa on May 10 of the same year. He was consecrated bishop on September 15, 2000. On March 31, 2003, the name of the diocese changed from the Urawa Diocese to the Saitama Diocese, since Urawa and other two cities were united as Saitama City. On July 27, 2013, upon Bishop Daiji Tani’s resignation, Archbishop Takeo Okada, Archbishop of Tokyo was appointed as Apostolic Administrator.
On June 2, 2018, Fr. Michiaki Yamanouchi, S.D.B. was appointed Bishop of Saitama and consecrated on September 24 of the same year.