(Voice actor) Mr.Chris Koprowski

Nikolai-do in Iidabashi, Tokyo, was built in tribute to Archbishop Nikolai, who introduced the Russian Orthodox Church to Japan. There was a Japanese person who worked hard on the construction of the Nikolai-do. His name was Takuma Sawabe. Takuma Sawabe was a samurai from the Tosa domain (now Kochi prefecture). In Tosa, Takuma was the cousin of Ryoma Sakamoto, who would later become a central figure in toppling the Tokugawa regime. He was a good swordsman and even became an assistant teacher of swordsmanship to pupils at the Momoi Dojo, one of the three major dojos, or training schools, in Edo at the time. However, while Takuma had a good personality, he was a bad drinker and repeatedly caused trouble. In 1857, Takuma caused a major incident at last. While on his way home after drinking, he got into a fight with a merchant. Takuma won of course, but then he found a golden watch. So, he picked up the watch and sold it, and drank more with that money. Later on, the merchant who was the owner of the watch appeared and complained to the Tosa domain. The Tosa domain took the matter seriously and questioned Takuma, who then confessed that he sold it in a drunken haste. The Tosa domain ordered him to commit seppuku. It was his cousin Ryoma Sakamoto who opposed this head-on. Ryoma claimed that it was wrong to commit seppuku for a watch, even if it is a crime. And he put the matter to rest by returning the watch to the merchant, recompensed, and apologized. Still, the officials of the Tosa domain were concerned that Takuma had brought shame to the domain and tried to make him commit seppuku. Therefore, Ryoma secretly allowed Takuma to escape to Edo by faking his seppuku. Takuma later moved to Hakodate via the Tohoku region and Niigata. Takuma opened a dojo in Hakodate to teach swords, utilizing his sword skills. Hakodate had one of the ports opened to foreign countries and had become an international port where many foreigners came and went. There was Russian consulate here in Hakodate. Among the consular staff, there was a person who wanted to teach Japanese martial arts to the kids and Takuma began going to the Russian consulate. Around the same time, Nikolai of the Russian Orthodox Church was in Hakodate as a priest for the Russian consular staff. Nikolai took interest in Japanese history and culture and researched many things. It was then that Takuma met Nikolai, a man who would later make a major impact on Takuma’s life.