Japanese origins
The discovery of Roman coins in Okinawa [ Ft350:13] reminds me of stories I’ve heard here in Japan about other earlier than historically recognised contact with the West. There is a suggestion that one of the Lost Tribes of Israel came to Japan, for example. Proponents of the idea, known as the Japanese-Jewish common ancestry theory, go as far as to say that Japanese people are descended from the tribe (or at least a portion of the population). They point to some apparent similarities between Judaism and Shinto, Japan’s local religion of ancient folklore and customs. For instance, I’ve had it explained to me that the Tengu, a magical creature of Japanese folklore (collectively known as yokai in Japanese), is possible evidence, with its big nose and traditional little hat resembling the Jewish hat or cap.
Another theory is that Jesus himself visited Japan, and even died and is buried in a small town in Aomori prefecture, northern Japan. His resting place is supposedly a small tomb in Shingo, Aomori. The story goes that Jesus had a brother, who took his place on the cross and allowed Jesus to flee to Japan, where he lived a quiet life as a farmer and was buried in the town [See ‘Land of the Rising Son’ by Edward Mazza and Glenn Kardy,
Ft110:24-26, May 1998]. My personal theory is that the story was created by Japanese Christians, often known as Kakure Christians (hiding Christians) due to the persecution they suffered during the Edo period that forced them into hiding their faith and worshipping in secret. I have visited caves in the region of northern Japan, where Kakure Christians used to hide and worship in relative safety. Believing in a closer connection between Japan and Jesus would have helped them get through the difficult years of persecution. (I have heard that the new film Silence covers the rough time early Christians had in Japan.)
Other proposed early visits by foreigners include shipwrecked Russian sailors on the coast of Akita, also in the north, whose appearance, hitherto unseen by local Japanese fishermen, may have started tales of ferocious demons coming from across the sea – and spawned the Namahage, traditional local demons who terrorise naughty children, like Japanese bogeymen. (I’m reminded of the tale of a monkey in Hartlepool being mistaken for a French spy and hanged.)
While these theories likely have little basis in reality, it is interesting when new archæological discoveries challenge our view of the extent of globalisation in the ancient world. Richard Eccleston By email