Oh fer Christ's Sake.
Posted on 05/31/2006 9:56:17 AM PDT by NYer
IN A paddy-lined valley in the far north of Japan is a municipal signpost inscribed: “Tomb of Christ: next left.”
Follow the winding path up into the forest and there, sure enough, is a simple mound with a large wooden cross labelled as the grave of Jesus. Nearby is a tomb commemorating Isukiri, Christ’s brother, adorned with a plastic poinsettia Christmas wreath.
For two millennia the farming village of Shingo claims to have protected a tradition that Jesus spent most of his life in Japan. The village is the home of Sajiro Sawaguchi, a man in his eighties who claims to be a direct descendant of Jesus and whose family has always owned the land in which it is said that Christ is buried.
Mr Sawaguchi emerged as Jesus’s heir only in 1935, when a priest in Ibaraki discovered a document in ancient Japanese purporting to be Christ’s will. This document supposedly identifies Shingo as the location of the tombs of Jesus and Isukiri. The claim is widely believed. About 40,000 Japanese visit the site every year. Two years ago it was presented with a plaque by Jerusalem, and next Sunday it will host the annual Christ festival of traditional Japanese dance.
According to the account in the Christ Museum next to the tombs, Christ arrived in Japan at the age of 21 and learnt Japanese before returning to Judaea 12 years later to engage in his mission and preach about the “holy land of Japan”. The official Shingo history is that Jesus’s place on the Cross was “casually” taken by his brother, leaving Christ free to return to Japan. On his return he fell in love with Miyuko, a local girl, and lived happily with his family among the rice fields until dying aged 106.
Norihide Nagano, the straight-faced curator of the tombs, says that the theory that the grave does contain the remains of Jesus is supported by several pieces of evidence. There is the local tradition, dating back hundreds of years, of drawing a charcoal cross on babies’ heads; and ancient kimonos made in the area incorporated a Star of David.
The upkeep of the site is paid for out of the profits of a local yoghurt factory, and Mr Nagano agrees that The Da Vinci Code will probably boost Shingo’s coffers. The village shop is already doing a roaring trade in Christ-branded saké. “Did you enjoy the museum?” asks Mr Nagano. “If you did, I recommend you go to Ishikawa district. They have the tomb of Moses there.”
Sounds like Dan Brown's sequal is in the works....
Japan is a beautiful country and Japanese women -- well, need I say more? So who could blame Him for going back?
(a big, fat SARCASM here)
Somewhere their is a treasure trove of unused frequent flier miles just waiting to be discovered.
Great. I suppose they'll find the burial site of Moses somewhere on Maui next.
> someone is turning religion into a Big Business
When has it *not* been?
There you go. Can't refute that.
Amen to that.
Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
There is the grave of Moses in Mt. Houdatsu, Ishikawa prefecture, where he lived to the age of 583, and a legend says that many secret treasures of Solomon are kept in Mt. Tsurugi in Shikoku, Japan. There are also shrines in Japan with a statue that is said to have been made by Jesus from the bones of Joseph and Mary and the original tablet of the Ten Commandments.
I'd like to get some of that Christ-sake.
Beat me to it by THIS much...
They also have the skull of Christopher Columbus, and a smaller skull of Christopher Columbus as a child.
Instead, the number of the Beast is 1-800-GOD-ZLLA.
"Ladies and gentlemen, step right up! This way to the Fabulous Egress!"
**Japanese version of NBC's Friends is shown on TV**
Cast Member #1: Do you like my new shirt? It says "Reggae Hairstyle, Rock N' Roll"! Could I be more Japanese?
Cast Member #2: You are the emperor of last year
Cast Member #1: Your comeback shames me
WOW..Does Dan Brown know this? His next book can be the SHINGO CODE...bwahahahahahaha.Hey it could be "hugh and series."!
Oh fer Christ's Sake.
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