As you hear, this is a very strange music with super unique melody by amazingly old time musical instruments.

This music is still played on some special occasion such as wedding ceremony at shrines, or traditional festivals in old cities like Kyoto of Japan.

It’s unique and original but some say that Gagaku melody is somewhat similar to old melody of Persian.  Also they say it came to Japan through Silk Road from the area around Persian territory to far east land, Japan.

I once saw a TV program of Japan about Gagaku.  Gagaku players are still almost limited among the same clan of people ever since the time of it’s origin in Japan.  And some of those Gagaku players ,without hesitating, say ” our ancestors came to Japan from the West in the ancient time of Japan “.

Not only Gagaku but also more things in Japan are from the West.

Actually most of them were arranged into Japanese taste by original creativity of Japanese people, but still we can see shadows of influence from the West in some traditional heritages of Japan.

I often feel that I’m following the Japanese origin.  Just like when I hear Gagaku, my mind is as relaxed as it can be.  I also like rock, jazz or some modern music, and scarcely listen to Gagaku usually.  In spite of such life style of mine, Gagaku always takes me to cradle of time.

Some DNA investigations reported recently, although I don’t know if it’s true or not, one of them says that Japanese DNA structure has something in common with the people from far West.

Gagaku is one of the remaining similarity between Japanese people and the West… this might be true.

http://youtu.be/DmIgB22JevE

Herman Van Rompuy is the president of EU now. Today he had a meeting with Japanese prime minister, Naoto Kan, and he gave us Japanese a word of consolation to the earthquake disaster by Haiku.

Haiku is a very traditional form of Japanese literature, which is not easy for us Japanese either because the usage of the words and sentences is very special, it’s a really old style of Japanese word art.  We don’t use the Haiku expression in usual conversation, and that  it’s hard to master how to compose Haiku sentences in the form it should be.

Herman Van Rompuy, though, likes Haiku and he showed his sympathy to Japan today with Haiku composition by himself.

Thank you !  It’s really heartwarming news for us.  It makes the distance of Japan and EU closer than ever.

Now we have, what we call, Obon time in Japan, which is one of traditional national events with consecutive national holidays.  Usually people of Japan enjoy holidays from 13th to 15th of August, and many go back to their hometown.  The reason for their retruning home is mainly the memorial service for the dead by the custom of Japan, which should be what Obon is.  Recently this vacation time tends to expand longer, consequently companies often give workers to have discretion for longer vacation time. Now the trains or highways are all crowded in rush.

Origin of this unique tradition of Japan is not known well as it’s not stated clearly in the history documents either.  As one of the analogies, it’s said Obon comes from custom of Buddhism.

In the genesis of historic time of Japan, or maybe before 8th centry or older time, in the sense of ancestor worship, spirits of ancestors are believed to fall down on the world of ours to visit their descendant twice a year. One of the visits became the ceremony of new years day and the other one became Obon we have now. It’s not known when the present formation was completed as such 2 spirit fall down times, New Years Day and Obon time.

Also the influence of Buddhism can’t explain all the origin and history stream of this national custom, some say that it’s also under the shadow of Shinto of Japan, which is also an original religion that was formed in ancient time of Japan.

It seems true that this Obon used to be held on July 15th each year on the lunar calender ( old calender ) before the solar calender or Western calender was adopted in Japan.

Tomorrow, August 15th, will be the last day of Obon vacation time.  People who went back to their hometown are now on their way to their life places and they need to prepare for their work again with refreshed mind.

As a footnote, around the Obon time, there are many firework events, old style festivals called Omatsuri, visiting graves called Hakamairi, and also memorial events of the 2nd world war.  Especially the last one includes the memorial evens for the termination of the war ended together with a prayer for peace in the atomic bomb city of Hiroshima.

Looking at the video of this festival below, I really think why people get mad like this even by risking their life.  Actually, this festival’s climax time, sliding the tree poles scenes look really mad and dangerous.  Some people actually died in this festivals in the past but people don’t stop this action.

Rather than escaping from the risk of life, they think it’s honor of them to ride on the tree to the bottom.  This is a real holy event of Japanese, especially in this area.  This festival has been held over 1300 years at least.  The reason why they can risk their life is they have strong mind for their god.  This is not a simple festival but a tribute event to God.

After the tree sliding events, they carry the 8 tree poles in total to the shrine by crossing the river, which is called ” purifying trees for god through water”.  8 tree poles are used to build the shrines by replacing the old 8 main poles.

Who started this festival ?  Nobody knows. As stated in the previous post,  this festival is held at Mount. Moriah ( Moriya ), which is this shrine’s God, and people must cross the river, and they think these tree poles are God.

As usual in Japanese old customs, this is also pointed out that Jewish influence is much in this festival.

During this era, people at the time built a lot of large size graves. Most of them are for Emperors or the related families of Emperors.  Nobody could tell why they built such a lot of large graves only though that era, but it’s sure that people who built them wanted to show how Emperors were great to Japanese nation.

These graves have the same shape all throuht the era, and it’s called Square Front - Circle Back type grave ( see photo ).  When we learn it at schools, the picture of this grave is always shown upside down like this photo, so it looks like Circle Front – Back Square shape.  I don’t know why the editor of texbooks of high schools showed the photo upside down like this.

The grave in this picture is really large. The length of the grave is about 486 meters, which is the largest size in the world.  Not only this photo, but there are many same type graves in Japan. They were all built in this era of old graves.

Also it’s known that the builders of this grave ( photo ) were people of  Hata Clan.About the Hata Clan, I already wrote about them in the previous post. They were very technical in academically, artistically, and religiously. Lots of influence of Hata clan can be seen like this in the old time of Japan. As stated before, some academical research say that Hata clan came over to Japan 5 times or 6 times in total from BC 400 or 500 year to AD 400 to 700 year. For the first group was probably people of Judaism, and the later groups could be primitive time of Jewish Christian. Of course this is not yet proved, but they academic researchers say there are a lot of possible proof to show their opinions are right.

Anyway, talking about Hata clan takes more time. Not enough in this small space.

By the way, we Japanese don’t know ( or didn’t know ) why this big graves were designed like this strange shape, square front – circle back type. Recetly I found an interesting study about this answer.

If we look at the shape in the right position, it looks like a kind of pot.  And it’s really similar shape to the Jar of Manna, one of the three Sacred Treasures.  If we compare 2 shapes, they are almost exactly the same as in the pictures in the bottom !

Actually we don’t knwo why this design was decided.   But If…If it was designed to show this Jar shape, it’s totally impossible for original Japanese to draw the design like this because we don’t have the Jar in our life custom and ( of course ) the original Japanese didn’t know what the Jar of Manna was like. How could they draw the design in the close shape ????   Mystery.

If Hata clan was really a group from Israel then, this could be explained well.  They knew the Jar of Manna, and they were the builders of this grave. Also, the Japanese religion was formed by them. Japanese Shinto religion was always with Emperor of Japan. So… Hata Clan could make this shape grave for Emperors of Japan.

You might be asking why Hata clan with Judaism made Japanese Emperor’s grave ?  Japanese Emperors stay with Japanese Shinto religion, so it’s strange if people of Judaism made such graves for Emperors.  This could be a good question.

Again, some academic researchers say that Japanese Emperors also could be originated from the people from ancient Israel.  It means Emperors could be from Jewish blood with Judaism. What !?  What !?  This is such an universally broken topic ! Who would believe it ?

Yes, it’s hard to believe it. But if this was true, all the story can be beautifully told in order. Against old studies of Japan, some or many of people support this idea now, this is also a fact.  Please see this next website for more information about it.  This is written by a famous Japanese specialist about it.  http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~magi9/isracame.htm

To know the truth, one of the best ways is excavation of the graves including this largest grave of a Japanese Emperor, Nintoku Emperor Grave. Then at least many of the concerned  things would be found.  However, nobody has ever tried it in the history because it’s not allowed by the Emperial Office of Japan. Why ?  I would like to know the reason too.

There is one rumore about this.  Soon after the second world war, which means when Japan signed the paper of unconditional surrender, the first thing American General Headquaters did in Japan after they landed on Japan was the work of excavation in this grave, Nintoku Emperor Grave.  I don’t know if this is true, but some people strongly say it’s true.  If so, the mystery would again start.

This shrine has a very unique and famous festival valled Onbashira Festival.  How unique is it ?  Maybe words can’t tell it exactly, but it’s a super strange festival for us too. 

Onbashira Festival is held once in 7 years.  This festival’s purpose is carrying 4 tall tree poles from woods to the shrine as tributes to god. In the process of carrying 4 poles, large number of people march on shouting loud and sometimes keeping quiet. In the late part of the march, poles are slided down off a steep slope by the large number of people.  The people try to ride on the tree poles on the slope and they slide together with poles to the bottom with very fast speed.  It’s a dangerous part of the festival, actually some people ever died in the part.

But people there don’t stop this festival. In the time of 7 years end, people get together there and carry big tree poles from woods as if it was a promise with their god. Poles are carried to the shrine and they believe they work for god. 

This festival has started today.  Until the poles reach at the shrine, Suwa Taisha, the festival will go on for 4 weeks or so.

As an interesting story, this shrine, Suwa Taisha, is said to be related wtih old time of Israel. Of course, people around there don’t know it, but some academic people point out the undeniable facts. In Japanese pole is called HASHIRA, and this festival shown poeple believe that God rests with the Hashira. So they carry the poles to the shrine by the promise of the god.  In Hebrew, pole is called Ashira ( Not sure on spelling ) and old jewish people also believe the tree pole is equal to God.  And the festival is similar to the story written in the old testament of Judaism. ” They carried large tree poles from Lebanon to Jerusalem to build the Shrine”.

Near Suwa Taisha shrine, there is a mountian. This shrine sees the mountian as its God. This mountian’s name is MORIYA ( Moriah), which means holy place in Israel.

Also, this shrines has some more festivals and one of them is especially unique. It’s called Ontosai, which means Holy Head Festival.  This has been changed a little with the times but the original of this Ontosai festival was as follows.

A high rank priest trys to kill a child lying before him with a sharp knife. Suddenly the other priest comes up to stop killing the child. Instead of it, the other priest offers 75 deer heads as dedication to god. 

This festival is very similar to the old testament story of chapter 22 in Genesis, when Abraham tries to kill Isac for god,  but he is stopped by the man from god. In stead of killing Isac, he dedicated 75 sheep. 

As above, the festival story is really close.  Probably nobody can deny there was a big influence from Judaism or old Israel when Japanese religion was formed.

As stated, maybe it’s really hard to deny all of the facts. Certainly recently we have more consensus among new academic people of Japan and Israel as Japan or Japanese Shinto religion was formed by Jewish people who came in Japan in the ancient time.  Some say that the Jewish probably came 4 to 5 times over some hundred years duration.  First group arrived and formed basic Japanese religion, and the later groups completed it. Also later groups of the Jewish were supposed to be Primitive Christians who believed Christianity at the very first stage of its birth.

This is a big taboo story, but some do believe it. Why Taboo ? The answer is easy, if Japan was formed by the power of Jewish people, the hisotry and identify of Japanses people would be totally different. It means Japan needs to revise its history…including the origin of Japanese people, religion, and the origin of Emperor of Japan…Maybe. There are more proofs of influence of the Jewish in Japanese history, it’s too many to show all of them.

Probably this will not be resulted in one answer forever. But the arguement about the origin of Japan and its people is still covered by historical mistery… this is the only truth.

Probably Sumo is too strange for other countries people.  For us Japanese, it’s really hard to answer what SUMO really is.  When we are born in Japan, Sumo is regularly held 4 times ( 5 times ?) a year.  Each Sumo time has 15 days to decide the term champion, and everyday during the Sumo time,  sumo matches are on air on national TV of Japan.  We are not especially fond of Sumo for the first time, but sumo just goes on no matter what happens.

The right answer of ours, if we are asked ” do you like SUMO ?”  would be YES for many of Japanese. But it would not be a strongly positive YES, but it’s like saying ” yes, we like it in our custom “.

For me, Sumo was just such a national sport and not a special one for a long time.

Coincidentally I read a book about Sumo some years ago, and got surprised.  Sumo used to be ( and probably still is ) a tribute to our God.  That was not a sport when it started.

Sumo field is a circle with a rope made by straw. Field is surrounded by 4 wood poles. Before the sumo ritual, sumo players throw salt over the field to purify the place. On starting, they shout HaKeH YoHYi ( Hakke Yoi ).  Sometimes in the old sumo tradition, sumo wrestlers play it alone ( so it’s not a match, but a ritual with God).

This is the rough pick up of sumo play.

I’m not a specialist of Old Israel, but some say Sumo is from there in ancient Israel. If you familiar to Hebrew,please imagine  HaKeH YoHY like pronunciation. An expert said it means Throw, Attack ! in Hebrew language ( look at 6:30 place of the video at the bottom ). Also, placing salt over the sumo field to purify it is also a custom of old Israel. Tall poles and circled place means the place to reach God for old Jewish too. In addition, Sumo word is taken from SHEMO ( I don’t know the correct spell and pronunciation ) of Hebrew word.  The origin of SUMO was written in the testament as Jacob took battle ( or sumo ) with Angel and he was named Israel by the Angel then.

Above information might be wrong a little because my memory is not perfect, but roughly they are telling the survey of SUMO origin by some people in Japan.

Anyway, SUMO is a very old ritual for God. This is a true story.

There are so many similarity between Japanese old custom and Jewish custom, this seems to be true too.

Next video tells how it’s similar to Jewish origin, but it’s in Japanese.

After seeing this video, of course I was moved and I think he is one of the nice Japanese we can be proud of.  If I’m allowed to say objectively, maybe what Sugihara did is just a natural act for us.  At least, in the bottom of the mentality of Japanese, we used to have this heart firmly in ourselves especially before the war.

After the war, new life concept covered Japanese people, and we lost basic humanity. Instead of that, we searched the money all the time. Which should be the human way ? The answer is easy.

This video is really nice story, but before I get proud of him as a Japanese, I lament the things we lost after the war. Some at least had the same heart as Sugihara did, but maybe not now in Japan.

This video in the bottom doesn’t have one beautiful story that should be told.  What I was impressed most was that a person who was saved his life by Sugihara’s VISA later became an ambassador to Japan from Israel. And he searched for Sugiraha for a long time, when he finally found Sugihara, he showed Sugihara  the VISA received from Sugihara 40 years ago. That paper was too rough but it surely showed how his life was saved.  Later, Sugihara was given an emblem from Israel, but when he was invited to Israel, he was sick in bed being about to die.

Sugihara’s act was wonderful but at the same time, the heart of Jewish people who remembered him for long is equally beautiful.

When I saw this, something I lost  in my heart told me that I must remember now.

Sugihara quit the Japanese government job soon after he got back because he disobeyed. After that, his life was not easy. To his biggest dismay, he and his wife lost one of their children ( he died) on their way back to Japan. Still, I know he didn’t regret what he did at all.

This book was very interesting for me. I’ve already read some books about history of Japanese religions and immigrants from other parts of the world. The Author, Ken Joseph and Ken Joseph Jr. explained how our history education has had a lot of lack in teaching religion of Japan, and the people of Japan.

We Japanese learn that Buddhism always was the only leading religion in Japan although Shinto has been an original Japanese religion since the country was formed. And the first Christianity in Japan was brought by Francisco Xavier from Portugal back in 1549.

But it’s not true at all.  As we search for the history, we almost knew that Christianity and some kind of Judaism had already arrived soon after the coutnry of Japan was formed by the people from Israel and Assyria called HATA clan.

Ken Joseph Jr. investigated the real history of Japan’s religion and he found many facts which have apparently been hidden for a long time in Japanese history study. And he gives us some hints to find the real history of ours.

He seems to be a descendant of the lost country, Assyria.  But he says that Japan surely has the influence from Assyria and Israel in the old time of Japan because they came to Japan through  Silk Road in the ancient time.  So he is proud of himself as a Japanese .  He says Japanese people consist of various nations but it’s not taught now, and nobody in Japan knows that fact.

After reading this book, I again got sure image about old Japan and the origin of our blood.  Ken’s questions to Japan are all clear and simple. But they are all heavy questions with his straight attitude to the investigation. Indeed they are all taboo questions in Japan among Japanese looking Japanese people.  Ken’s questions are all very important and probably his answers for them are also nearly correct.

This book is written in Japanese language. If you are OK, I recommend this book for new awakening of the facts which have long been hidden by unknown reasons.

Tengu is believed to live in the steep mountains and he is strong with much knowledge for life.

Please see the little box in his head. This is what we Japanese don’t know why he wears it.  But as a cusotm from old time, Tengu has it on his head in the legend. This little box is often seen on the head of Japanese priests called Yamabushi, too.  He blows big horns with this box on his head for rituals. But again, the reason for this box on his head is not sure.

Next, Tengu has a scroll in his hand ( see photo). This scroll is called TORANOMAKI in Japan. It’s said that Toranomaki has much wisdom for life and it’s given to the people who trained much.  But again, we Japanese don’t know why Tengu has it in his hand.

Above all of these, we don’t know who Tengu really is.  He is living in the legend of our life, but why did he appear in Japanese historic tale ?

But recently, Tengu is suspected that he could have been Jewish people.  People with Judaism in the old time often went to the mountain for pray.  That could be a reason why Tengu was often found in the steep mountain of Japan.

If he was a Jewish, some strange things can be explained.

Tengu is bigger than usual Japanese persons.  Also the nose of Tengu is bigger than us Japanese. Jewish people could be bigger than the Japanese.  They mayb have imagined big people in their mind when the Tengu image was completed in their mind.

The box on the Tengu’s head is also used among the people with Judaism. And the scroll in his hand, Toranomaki, could be the Torah Scroll.  Torah seems TORA in Japanese pronounciation and the Scroll is called MAKI by translation into Japanese.  Of is replaced by Japanese, No. Then, it becomes perfectly… Scroll of Torah, or Torah’s scroll.