The Grave of Christ in Japan?
IN 1935, Koma Takeuchi, a Shinto priest, announced that he had discovered the grave of Jesus Christ on a hill in the village of Shingo, in northern Japan. He claimed that documents found in a family storehouse showed that Jesus had lived for a time in Shingo and died there. Searching for Jesus’ burial place, he came upon a mound and concluded that it was the grave.
Then, a Hebrew document reportedly found at the Takeuchi family’s shrine asserted that Jesus had visited Japan twice and had even studied mysticism with Japanese priests. The account alleges that Jesus, having been betrayed, fled from Judea to the Siberian wilderness, then traveled to Japan, married a local girl named Miyuko, fathered three daughters, and died at the age of 106. According to the tale, the man who was put to death in Jerusalem was not Jesus but his younger brother Isukiri.
What might the motivation be for such a story? According to the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, the link between Jesus and Shingo “suggests economic possibilities to which the local authorities are far from blind.” Thus, sightseeing is encouraged. Probing too deeply is not. “Supposing the grave was dug up and they found nothing but old cow bones,” said one observer. “Imagine how disappointed everyone would be.”
So each year on May 3, visitors dutifully assemble before the alleged grave of Jesus to celebrate the “Christ Festival.” A Shinto priest presides over the occasion and exorcises evil spirits before the dancing begins.
Is there any truth to this tale? No. The Bible tells us that by the age of 30, Jesus was known, not as a world traveler, but as a carpenter’s son who had grown up in Nazareth. The four Gospels contain eyewitness accounts of Christ’s preaching in Israel from the age of 30 to 33. They include places and dates and confirm that it was Jesus Christ himself who was put to death in Jerusalem. Thus, genuine Christians are not swayed by extravagant reports that seek to distort Bible truth for selfish purposes.