Diocese of

Saitama さいたま

Japan

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Saitama さいたま / 埼玉 (正體中文) / Saitamæn(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Tokyo 東京

Neighbouring Dioceses: Niigata 新潟 (↑), Sendai 仙台 (↗), Tokyo 東京 (↘), Yokohama 横浜 (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: May 5

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1939.01.04: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Urawa 浦和 / Uravaën(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Yokohama 横浜 and became suffragan of Tokyo 東京)
1957.12.16: Promoted as Diocese of Urawa 浦和 / Uravaën(sis) (Latin)
2003.03.31: Renamed as Diocese of Saitama さいたま / 埼玉 (正體中文) / Saitamæn(sis) (Latin)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2018.06.02 – ...):

Bishop Mario Michiaki Yamanouchi (マリオ山野内倫), S.D.B. (70)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Saitama さいたま (Roman Rite)

Bishop Mario Michiaki Yamanouchi (マリオ山野内倫), S.D.B. (70)
(2018.06.02 – ...)

Bishop of Saitama さいたま (Japan)

Unum corpus in Christo

Born:	1955.12.08 (Ōita, 大分県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1984.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	2018.09.24

Bishop of Saitama さいたま (Japan) (2018.06.02 – ...)

Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada (ペトロ岡田武夫)
(Apostolic Administrator 2013.07.27 – 2017.10.25)

Bishop Marcellino Taiji Tani (マルセリーノ谷大二) (73)
(2000.05.10 – 2013.07.27)

Bishop emeritus of Saitama さいたま (Japan)

Justitiam fidem caritatem Spem Pacem / 主を呼び求める人々とともに

Born:	1953.02.13 (Takarazuka, 兵庫県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1986.03.21
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.09.15

Priest of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1986.03.21 – 2000.05.10)

Bishop of Saitama さいたま (Japan) (2000.05.10 – 2013.07.27)

Bishops of Urawa 浦和 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Peter Takeo Okada (ペトロ岡田武夫) (later Archbishop)
(1991.04.15 – 2000.02.17)

主に望みをおく人 / Caritas fides spes

Born:	1941.10.24 (Ichikawa, 千葉県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1973.11.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1991.09.16
Died:	2020.12.18 (Urawa, 埼玉県, Japan † 79)

Bishop of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1991.04.15 – 2000.02.17)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Tokyo 東京 (Japan) (2000.02.17 – 2017.10.25)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (2007.06 – 2010)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (2010 – 2013.06)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (2013.06 – 2016.06.17)

Apostolic Administrator of Saitama さいたま (Japan) (2013.07.27 – 2017.10.25)

Bishop Francis Xavier Kaname Shimamoto (フランシスコ・ザビエル島本要), Prado (later Archbishop)
(1979.12.20 – 1990.02.08)

Born:	1932.02.14 (Kitauonome, 長崎県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1958.11.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1980.03.20
Died:	2002.08.31 († 70)

Bishop of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1979.12.20 – 1990.02.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nagasaki 長崎 (Japan) (1990.02.08 – 2002.08.31)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (1992 – 1995)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (1998 – 2001)

Bishop Lawrence Satoshi Nagae (ラウレンチオ長江恵)
(1957.12.24 – 1979.12.20)

Born:	1913.08.17 (Tokyo, 東京都, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1938.03.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1958.04.13
Died:	1998.02.11 († 84)

Bishop of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1957.12.24 – 1979.12.20)

Prefects Apostolic of Urawa 浦和 (Roman Rite)

Msgr. Paul Sakuzo Uchino (パウロ内野作蔵)
(1945.12.13 – 1957)

Born:

Apostolic Administrator of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1940 – 1945.12.13)

Prefect Apostolic of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1945.12.13 – 1957)

Msgr. Paul Sakuzo Uchino (パウロ内野作蔵)
(Apostolic Administrator 1940 – 1945.12.13)

Msgr. Ambrose Leblanc (アンブローズ・ルブラン), O.F.M.
(1939 – 1940)

Born:	(Canada)
Died:	1940

Prefect Apostolic of Urawa 浦和 (Japan) (1939 – 1940)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (Urawa Church), 浦和 (Urawa), 埼玉県, 関東地方
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (61)

Niigata 新潟 (↑), Sendai 仙台 (↗), Tokyo 東京 (↘), Yokohama 横浜 (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 22,666 km²

Population: 118,820 Catholics (0.9% of 13,958,268 total)

Pastoral Centres: 59 parishes

Personnel: 42 priests (20 diocesan, 22 religious), 5 deacons, 142 religious (22 brothers, 120 sisters), 1 seminarian

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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