Among the festivals in Tokyo, Sanja-festival of Asakusa, Junko-festival of Hie Shrine, and Kanko festival of Kanda Shrine are famous. Times are bad, but at least these festivals are energetic. Of anything, the gorgeousness of Mikoshi is one thing worth mentioning! Billions and ten billions are invested into making a single Mikoshi! Amazing, isn't it?

Two years ago, one foreigner saw this Mikoshi and was at a loss for words. It was not because Mikoshi was so luxurious, nor was it the traditional culture of Japan, nor was it exotic. He was so surprised to see the long forgotten festival of his own culture.

He was a Jew, the most famous Jew in the world. His name was Edmond Rothschild. Needless to say, the richest man in the world. And Rothschilds are Jewish.

What he saw in Mikoshi was the lost festival of Jews. According to the very person who invited Rothschild to Japan, of all things, Rothschild was mostly interested in Mikoshi. Mikoshi resembled so much with the Ark of the Covenant.

The Ark of the Covenant is a box housing three important Jewish sacred objects that are the two stone tablets of the Law given to Moses, Aaron's rod, and the golden pot of "hidden" manna. Beneath the box are poles to carry it on one's shoulders. The entire ark was overlaid with gold. And on its top were two statues of gold cherubim facing each other, with their wings spread. When Jews won in a battle, they carried the Ark of the Covenant and paraded, accompanied by bells ringing and pipes piping. The Old Testament even records an episode that King David was seen dancing naked.

This reminds us of the Japanese Mikoshi. Mikoshis are also overlaid with gold. It houses the Goshintai (body of the divine) and on top of it is the "Ho-oh" spreading its wings. On shrine festivals, people carry Mikoshi on their shoulders by its poles and make tempestuous but jolly noises. Becoming naked is not unusual. Furthermore, the scenery of people dancing to the sounds of pipes, bells and drums it itself identical to the scenery of the Ark of the Covenant.

Among the researchers of Japanese-Jews Same Ancestry Theory, there has been a continuous argument suggesting that the model of Mikoshi was in fact the Ark of the Covenant.

No discussion, however, has been made after due consideration of the roots of Mikoshi itself.

Mikoshi first appeared in Zoku-Nihonki. It was recorded in relation with the consecration ceremony for the Great Buddha at the temple Todaiji of Nara. Mikoshi came to celebrate the completion of the Great Buddha from as far as Usa-Hachiman Shrine in Kyushu.

Explanation of this sort can be read in any other books related to Shinto. But the important point is who organized this Mikoshi tour. Let's first look at the party that was celebrated, that is Todaiji. The person holding the supreme power over administration of large temples was called Betto. And the fist Betto of Todaiji was Roben. Roben was of Wakasa origin, with his father serving the chief priest of Shiraishi-shrine whose name was Hata-no-Joman. In other words, the secular name of Roben was Hata.

On the other hand, in Usa-Hachiman shrine, the party that sent the Mikoshi, were three clans that served as priests; Usa-clan, Oogami-clan and Karashima-clan. The clan with the longest history was the Karashima-clan, who was originally referred to as Karashima-katsu clan. "Katsu" is a common surname among the Hata-no-be. Therefore, Karashimas were also Hata-clan.

Now we know that those who celebrated and those who were celebrated were both Hata-clan. It should be more than a coincidence that the first tour of Mikoshi was organized by the Hata-clan.

Hatas were Primitive Christian Jews. They created the Mikoshi based on their culture of the Ark of the Covenant. Today, Mikoshis are carried all over Japan. Such view reminds me once again of the tremendous influence Hata-clans had at their time.

And even the famous Rothschild would never have imagined Mikoshi as being founded by the Primitive Christian Jews.

Translated by Rie Ishida