Kirisuto no Haka
Kirisuto no haka (キリストの墓, Kirisuto no haka), which literally translates to the Tomb of the Christ is a tomb claimed to be that of Jesus in Shingō, Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
The tomb was allegedly "discovered" in 1935 by Kiyomaro Takeuchi, who was surveying the village of Herai (current village of Shingō). In the Takeuchi manuscript, which is believed to be a hoax, Jesus underwent training in Japan for 12 years before spreading Christianity. The manuscript also claims that instead of Jesus, his brother Ishukiri died on the cross and Jesus escaped to Herai through Siberia, residing there until his death at the age of 106. Although the hoax was not taken seriously by the residents of the village or the public, the site is currently used as a tourist spot by the village, with festivals being held every June since 1964.
Description
[edit]It is claimed that the tomb was discovered in 1935 by Kiyomaro Takeuchi.[1] According to claims made by the Sawaguchi family, Jesus came to Japan when he was 21 years old and went into religious training for 12 years before going back and spreading Christianity. In the claims, Jesus Christ did not die on the cross at Golgotha. Instead, a man alleged to be his brother, Isukiri, took his place on the cross, while Jesus escaped across Siberia and crossed the sea into the current-day Hachinohe to Mutsu Province, in northern Japan. Once in Japan, Jesus changed his name to Torai Tora Daitenku. In Japan, Jesus allegedly married a 20-year old woman named Miyuko, with whom he fathered three children, all daughters. The eldest daughter married into the Sawaguchi family, which is claimed to hold a direct lineage to Jesus, evidenced by certain non-Japanese physical characteristics. After his death at an age of 106, Jesus was said to have been interred into one of two grave mounds in the village. A lock of hair that belonged to him is allegedly buried in the other mound.[2][3][4]
History
[edit]In 1934, the head of the village of Herai (Current village of Shingō) was trying to utilize a movement attempting to turn the area around Lake Towada into a national park to advertise the village. The head of the village invited Toya Banzan, a Japanese painter to survey the region, hoping a connection between the lake and the section of the village called Mayogatai would be found. Toya claimed to own a manuscript passed down through his family, which is claimed to have the history of Japan before the reign of Emperor Jimmu. Although the manuscript was later deemed a hoax, it also claims Moses, Confucius, and Mencius has been trained in Japan. In a survey conducted in the summer of 1935, Takeuchi claimed that he discovered the Christ's grave in Herai. The discovery not only surprised the local villagers as they had no traditions directly related to Jesus, but was not taken positively due to the anti-Western sentiment at the time. The manuscript was later burned and lost in Tokyo during the World War II, which made the verification of the manuscript's claims impossible.[5][6][4]
The site was then forgotten for decades until an occult boom in the 1970s, when it received media attention due to its strangeness. Although most villagers never believed in the hoax, and there were no Christians in the village, the village ended up hosting a matsuri for Jesus every year in June from 1964. A traditional song sang in the festival has been passed down through generations with no meaning of the lyrics told, although there is a saying that the song may be written in Hebrew to praise god. According to the local residents, this action was to preserve the existing culture and to advertise the village as a tourist spot.[6][4]
Use as a tourist attraction
[edit]The so-called tomb and its surrounding buildings are utilized as the village's tourist attractions.
Christ Village Tradition Museum
[edit]The museum has exhibitions about the town's story about Jesus, along with several other stories such as how Emperor Chōkei might have fled to the village and died there. The museum also features the "Jerusalem stone", gifted to the village of Shingō by Israel.[7]
The museum claims that many of the unique customs of the village, like the now-lost custom of drawing a cross on the forehead of infants, come directly from the teachings and direction of Jesus.[6] Thousands of pilgrims and tourists travel to the site annually, making it the small village's primary source of tourism.[1]
"Kiristop"
[edit]The store's name and logo resembles a known brand Ministop, and the store is operated by a local businessman since 2011 or 2012. The store opens every Sunday. According to the store's owner, the store was opened to create a place where tourists can spend money, as no such place existed back then.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Magazine, Smithsonian; Lidz, Franz. "The Little-Known Legend of Jesus in Japan". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ "Japan Trivia: Aomori Pref. village proud host of 'Christ's tomb'". Mainichi Daily News. 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ "十来塚と三婆羅塚 新郷村「キリストの墓」伝説は南朝天皇につながるのか？｜webムー 世界の謎と不思議のニュース＆考察コラム". webムー 世界の謎と不思議のニュース＆考察コラム (in Japanese). 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ a b c "キリストは青森で死んだ？今年で55回目、日本屈指の奇祭をご存知か（岡本 亮輔） @gendai_biz". 現代ビジネス (in Japanese). 2018-06-01. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ "青森にキリストの墓やピラミッド？ 神秘の「新郷村」を訪ねる…額に十字を描く謎の風習も". 読売新聞オンライン (in Japanese). 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ a b c "Keeping the Faith: Christ's Tomb in Aomori and Japanese Religion". nippon.com. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ "デーリー東北デジタル". デーリー東北デジタル (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ 祐亮, 井上 (2019-11-02). "ミニストップならぬ「キリストっぷ」 青森・新郷村に衝撃的ネーミングのおみやげ店があった(3/3)｜Jタウンネット". Jタウンネット (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-02-21.
- ^ "青森「キリストの墓」の横で11年続く売店の知られざる陰謀 - イーアイデム「ジモコロ」". www.e-aidem.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-02-21.