Determining Japanese presence in Pre-columbian America

When tracing back history with a certain agenda, evidence found here and there slowly begins to add up, taking shape and supporting certain suppositions of daring scholars who, in visionary fashion, create hypotheses almost bordering on fantasy. In this specific case, I refer to the presumption of a Japanese presence in Latin America long before the arrival of European conquistadors.  They would have been as far as Brazil according to the Jornal Nippo Brasil dated April 20—26, 2000, in its report, "The Japanese were in Brazil before [Pedro Álvares] Cabral."

What appears to be an incontestable truth is that the origin of the first Americans is Asian. In any history book we find these first groups of Asians of the Upper Paleolithic crossing the Bering Strait on an ice bridge that had not yet receded. This migration from Asian Siberia to American Alaska occurred approximately 14,000 years ago.  A slow migration southward then began to take place all the way to Chile itself.  The theories of Asian immigration strengthened when the French ethnologist Paul Rivet published "The Origins of the American Man" in 1943. In it he states that not all arrivals were by land. Many came by sea. Moreover, this theory gains more strength every day. Heinz Budweg, in a substantial Brazilian ethnic research project, asserts that: "Japanese, Chinese and Hindus constantly traveled (by sea) to South America between 2,000 and 3,000 BC."

These ancient Japanese had come to the Americas after the initial populating of the continents, and significant traces of their arrival have recently come to light. Some examples follow:

1) Japanese Middle Jōmonperiod (1,600 BC) pottery unearthed in the Napo region of Ecuador.

2) Use of Japanese words in the topography of the Americas. Just two examples: water is 'mizu' in Japanese, and would have served as a basis for the name of the river "Missouri." In Bolivia, Mount Suyama would derive from 'yama', which means mountain in Japanese.

3) At the end of the 1970's archaeologist Charlotte Emerich lived with a tribe on the Upper Xingu River, finding that they communicated in an ancient Japanese dialect.

4) In December 1999, a team of Japanese scientists led by Kazuo Yajima of the Center of Cancer Research of Nagoya discovered that 1,500 year-old Chilean mummies carried the HTLV-1 virus (a leukemia variant), which is particular to certain regions of Japan and a few other spots in Asia. (The virus was found in the remains of the Chilean mummy known as Miss Chile. The mummy is at the Museo San Pedro de Atacama in Arica.)

5) Brazilian researcher Luiz Caldas Tibiriça, who has been studying the linguistic similarities of indigenous Brazilian dialects with Japanese for more than 40 years, claims to have found more than 2,000 related expressions. According to his research, the following are a few examples, which compare Tupi (terms listed on the left) with Japanese (right): ay-ssó/ai-sö = pretty, delicate; a-nhó/an-non = peace, calm; amä/ame = rain; arassy/arashi = bad weather, storm; mirä/mirai = future; coty/kotchi = next to, this side; mé-mé/mai-mai = always.

Questions arose immediately after the appearance of these astonishing studies and theories. The most persistent question being, "How were they able to cross the Pacific?" According to certain myths, they were familiar with ocean currents that allowed them to navigate back and forth. (As in the very same ocean currents used by Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Norwegian expedition in 1947.) A Japanese myth that we grew up with and that mentions Chile talks about one of those possible currents. Additionally, the story brings to light geographic names that are still in use, as well as the possible realization of a dream that may have been grounds for genetic and cultural influence on Native Americans:

"It is said that the oldest son of a great Japanese lord, obsessed with a prophecy foretelling his destiny to be the founder of an empire across the ocean, set sail, with several faithful followers, around 1,100 B.C. The ocean current 'kuro-shiö' brought them to a beach they called 'Arika' (Arica), which can be translated as 'here it is.' Later, they traveled south while looking for the Promised Land. They stopped at "Asaban" ("morning and night" – Azapa [in Spanish]) after determining that they were on the wrong track, and retraced their steps. They then traveled northwest from the 'Yutoo' (Lluta) River, which means 'something better' or 'better than the other.' They crossed deserts and mountain ranges, finally arriving at a great lake they called 'Chichi-haha' ('Dad and Mom' -- Lake Titicaca). The lake was supposed to be the divine sign that would lead them down the final route to the place where the prophecy was to be fulfilled."