Comments on: Jesus in Japan

Jesus in Japan

maryh — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:34:40 -0800

"I'm not a Christian, and I have my doubts about being Jesus' descendant,' says garlic farmer Toyoji Sawaguchi. "Somehow I just can't picture Jesus, a great man, as my ancestor.' Bucolic Shingo, formerly Herai, a tiny village in northeast Japan, is believed by some to be the final resting place of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Photos of His grave can be found here.

By: Dantien

Dantien — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:45:30 -0800

I lived 10 minutes from Shingo in the 90s. All the other Gaijin in the area just had a blast visiting the Jesus Convenience Store. There's not much up there in the Tohoku region, but Shingo was a required stop when the family came to visit. I'm so pleased to see this on the Blue!

By: dhammond

dhammond — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:49:48 -0800

Freakalicious.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:57:23 -0800

Wait a minute... so he didn't die for our sins? There's very little, unfortunately, concerning the Son of God on the Shingo town website. There is this page, featuring another of the bizarre little dolls-in-a-basket. Thanks for the post, maryh!

By: RTQP

RTQP — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:06:34 -0800

the dolls in the baskets make me think mario brothers.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:32:32 -0800

BTW, Jimmy Hoffa is buried in Kyushu.

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:51:32 -0800

Yeah, right, flapjax, just like he's 'supposed' to be buried under Meadowlands Stadium... Buried like a fox...

By: zardoz

zardoz — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 02:47:37 -0800

Wow, I was just planning to do a podcast story about Shingo for my friend's website. And hey, it coulda happened!

By: Zack_Replica

Zack_Replica — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:12:43 -0800

It is nearly impossible to miss this 5 branches star, embly of the Sawaguchi family, in its prominent position: Embly. I'm liking that word. Emm-blee. Emblyembly. The similarity of this family emblem this David's star, symbol of the hebrews since ancient times, is nothing short of breathtaking: Because they both have branches. Pure logic. embly.

By: blacklite

blacklite — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:25:15 -0800

This makes at least as much sense as the commonly-accepted Christian doctrine version of what happened to him.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:45:32 -0800

This is absolute bullshit. Actually, Jesus lived another 2000 years after the crucifiction, and is buried in my ass. Come see. Don't forget to buy the t-shirt.

By: melissa may

melissa may — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:53:59 -0800

Here's another good article on the subject. Also, John Updike wrote a short story based on this myth in "Jesus on Honshu," which you can find collected here.

By: Shecky

Shecky — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 04:32:09 -0800

Basket Doll is watching you embly.

By: thekilgore

thekilgore — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 06:12:11 -0800

I really hope Jesus learned some kick-ass martial arts skills when he was in Japan. It would further jibe with the story of Jesus I like that is told in Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.

By: squasha

squasha — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 06:31:29 -0800

Bizarrre. Someone just handed me a copy of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal a couple of hours ago. And, um...12 years, now, I have called Japan home but never, ever, have I heard of this village, though I had been told of "the Christmas God"'s travels through Asia by a religious scholar in Tel Aviv, but took it all with a grain of that guy Lot's salt. Said religious scholar is supposed to be coming to visit in the next year (see, he's my brother-in-law...) and now I'm thinking a road trip to Aomori is *definitely* in order. (Gotta get me one of them basket dolls to add to my collection of absurd artifacts and embly.) Embly embly embly, malkovich.

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 06:32:09 -0800

Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine ...

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 06:35:11 -0800

i licked Lots wife.

By: squasha

squasha — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:16:31 -0800

Thus, the mystery of why she turned around is solved. (oh, and in case I didn't make it clear above, maryh, great post.)

By: cenoxo

cenoxo — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:22:42 -0800

Wrong. Jesus didn't cross Siberia to become a rice farmer in Aomori, have a family and die at 114 (sigh.) Don't you know that, after surviving the Crucifixion, Jesus travelled through Turkey, Persia, Western Europe, and England, then reversed course to India? He's really buried in Kashmir:

The implications of Kersten's discovery are monumental. Christ's life in India, after the crucifixion, challenges current Church teachings at their very foundation. The theology of Saint Paul, the major influence on modern Christianity, is empty fanaticism in the light of this discovery. Threatened also are the doctrines of obedience to the Church, original sin, salvation through blind faith and the non-existence of reincarnation, etc. Yet these ideas underlie the morality and ethics, (or lack of them), that govern the entire Western social structure, from the legal system to medical health care schemes. It is no wonder that the modern Churches and their secular interests refuse to consider such a proposition as Kersten's!

No wonder. Clearly, the collapse of Western Civilization is at hand, and Junichiro Sawaguchi is just trying to get into the act.

By: Atreides

Atreides — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:28:24 -0800

Very fun post to read. Maybe Amakusa Shiro was a descendant of Nihon Jesus, too!

By: eriko

eriko — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 08:09:24 -0800

Acutally, it's a typo. He was really trying to help Paul with his trignometry homework. Paul wasn't getting it, and insisted to Jesus -- three times -- that the sin A= a/h. In frustration, Jesus wept, and fell over, landing on the wooden axis frame they were using to generate angles. Yes, kids....

By: Absit Invidia

Absit Invidia — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 08:11:59 -0800

Jeez . . . You guys are all so sceptical. A few days ago I had a beer with the man hisself, and he said there's no way he's gonna put out another album, until you guys just all . . . You know . . . um . . . believe. And stuff.

By: taosbat

taosbat — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 08:44:56 -0800

"Nanya Do Yara Nanya Do Nasareno Nanya Do Yara" Hey! Hey! Yoko! "Nanya Do Yara Nanya Do Nasareno Nanya Do Yara" Hey! Hey! Yoko! "Nanya Do Yara Nanya Do Nasareno Nanya Do Yara" Hey! Hey! Yoko!

By: empath

empath — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 08:56:52 -0800

i thought jesus went to america to convert the indians

By: quin

quin — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 09:15:30 -0800

squasha : Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal Well worth a read. As far as I'm concerned Chris Moore's version makes all other gospels obsolete. Particularly insofar as it explains Jesus' feelings towards bacon.

By: ninjew

ninjew — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 09:32:25 -0800

This makes at least as much sense as the commonly-accepted Christian doctrine version of what happened to him. posted by blacklite at 5:25 AM CST on November 19 As well as how humans came into existence. Yeah, don't forget that one either.

By: Baby_Balrog

Baby_Balrog — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 09:41:30 -0800

This makes at least as much sense as the commonly-accepted Christian doctrine version of what happened to him. Well... except that one is in the synoptic gospels and one isn't. But, hell. I support the 118 year old Ninja jesus.

By: Slarty Bartfast

Slarty Bartfast — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:06:06 -0800

Isn't this about as far fetched as the Latter Day Saints' version of Jesus' life? My band's next album will be entitled "Tomb of the Unknown Savior."

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:10:52 -0800

Meatbomb writes "crucifiction". Sly anti-religious skepticism or lack of spellchecking at 3:45 a.m.? You decide.

By: wfrgms

wfrgms — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:21:27 -0800

Amazing how after all these years people are still making up stories about Jesus...

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:59:25 -0800

Lordy. Christ didn't head off to Japan or India! He came over to the New World and called himself Quezalcóatl. You're all a-gonna burn in hell.

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 11:17:46 -0800

But the orgy of evidence is not over yet! This is my new favorite rhetorical device.

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 11:18:48 -0800

..and Mary H., what's your last name again? keed...

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 12:37:51 -0800

The answer is so obvious! How could you all miss it. He did ALL of the above. After all he is The Jesus!

By: cadastral

cadastral — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:16:51 -0800

Why does a cross mark the grave if Jesus didn't die on a cross? Kind of subverts the whole meaning of the symbol, yes?

By: nonmerci

nonmerci — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:18:55 -0800

Fascinating post!

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:08:18 -0800

Santa Claus is Jesus.

By: ereshkigal45

ereshkigal45 — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:42:09 -0800

Cadastral just made my head explode!