<Article>Japanese Gengo, Historical Consciousness and Christianity

HIRAYAMA Asaji

doi:10.15068/00157975

The Taiho era, which was the first era to be established without interruption in Japan, started from the birth of Prince Obito, who later became Emperor Shomu. This era is quite different from China’s Kengen era, which was based on the enthronement of the Emperor Wu of Han. In this paper, we explore and test the hypothesis of the influence of the anno domino (AD) period after Christ’s incarnation on Taiho. AD was transmitted to Tang with East-Syriac Christianity in 641. Although Kunitake KUME points out that Christianity influenced Prince Shotoku’s biography and that it was transmitted from Tang to Japan in the late 7th century, this argument has been criticized as unsound. An entourage which included an envoy of Dvaravati (the present-day Chao Phraya River area in Thailand) as well as Indian couples who intended to pay tribute to Tang came to Japan in 654 via a route that by-passed China. The fact that they also brought Christianity to Japan is supported by the production and circulation of the first Japanese coin (Bon Silver Coin), circulated in the Tenchi era. The principal image of Amida Sanzo-zo (the statue of Amida Triad) in Zenko-ji Temple （善光寺）is believed to have been sent to Japan from India via the Korean peninsula without passing through China. In addition to the Zenko-ji Faith, Christianity’s influence can also be found in the Gion Faith （祇園信仰）, the Spiritual Faith （怨霊・御霊信仰）, and the Spring/ Autumn Fair Party （春秋彼岸会）. As pointed out by Masao MARUYAMA, the irreversible historical consciousness that has been established in Japan is unending and compatible with Darwin’s theory of evolution. Taro OKAMOTO expresses it as the Tree of Life within the Tower of the Sun in the 1970 Exposition. Eschatological thought was transformed into cyclical patterns and was found in the practice of Kaigens based on the ideas of the Shin-yu Revolution （辛酉革命）and the Ko-shi change of order （甲子革令）. During the reigns of Emperor Godaigo and Emperor Komei, the Kaigens based on these ideas were performed and the abolition movement against shogunate government（幕府）became dominant. Prime Minister Takashi (Kei) HARA was assassinated in 1921, and the Taisho democracy movement started to become dominant around that time. In addition, Japan’s unique evolutionary historical consciousness has been expressed by idols after the period of high economic growth.

<Article>Japanese Gengo, Historical Consciousness and Christianity

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