- 23 Sep 2005
- 1,295
- 76
"A rare visit by archaeologists to a fifth-century imperial tomb offers hope that other closely guarded graves in Japan might soon be open to independent study.
This month a group of 16 experts led by the Japanese Archaeological Association released results from their February visit inside Gosashi tomb.
The event marked the first time that scholars had been allowed inside a royal tomb outside of an official excavation led by Japan's Imperial Household Agency.
Archaeologists have been requesting access to Gosashi tomb and other imperial sites since 1976, in part because the tombs date to the founding of a central Japanese state under imperial rule.
But the agency has kept access to the tombs restricted, prompting rumors that officials fear excavation would reveal bloodline links between the "pure" imperial family and Koreaﾂ―or that some tombs hold no royal remains at all.
Although the team's visit didn't lay any of those issues to rest, experts celebrated it as a first step toward expanded access to the mysterious tombs";
Full story;
"Other experts have suggested that the hesitation is because courtiers and conservatives fear excavation will uncover blood ties between the supposedly pure Japanese imperial line and the Asian mainland, specifically Korea.
But Walter Edwards, professor of Japanese studies at Tenri University in Nara, argues that the "Korean bones" issue is a red herring.
"Blood links between Korea and the Japanese imperial family are documented from the eighth century," he said.
"Even the current emperor [Akihito] has said that he has Korean ancestry." Edwards suggests that the agency's attitude has more to do with trying to maintain the imperial family's dignity."
(sarcastic): Oh no, Japan might just have to openly face up to the fact that its general public knows its precious royal bloodlines are tainted with inferior Korean blood! Shock horror!
Seriously, though, I think it's ridiculous that Japan is so reluctant to let experts thoroughly examine its precious royal tombs- people don't even know for sure if there are actually even royal skeletons at all in some of these tombs!
It's very dodgy that Japan is so reluctant to let people determine for themselves what exactly these tombs contain. I smell the whiff of racial prejudice against Koreans. The large majority of Japanese originally came to the island from Korea and China- if Japan faces up to this fact more, then it'll have to uncomfortably admit that the people like Koreans & Chinese it holds grudges against actually helped found the country and its royalty as we know it.
Let's all hope that the cash-strapped Imperial Household Agency becomes even more skint, so it's forced to open these tombs to experts for full examinations. These might be private graves of the Royal family, but they are also the graves of the rulers of the past, rulers who Japanese people lived under and whose society was founded by- surely the Japanese general public has the right to be certain of what is in these tombs exactly and to learn more about them in general?
This month a group of 16 experts led by the Japanese Archaeological Association released results from their February visit inside Gosashi tomb.
The event marked the first time that scholars had been allowed inside a royal tomb outside of an official excavation led by Japan's Imperial Household Agency.
Archaeologists have been requesting access to Gosashi tomb and other imperial sites since 1976, in part because the tombs date to the founding of a central Japanese state under imperial rule.
But the agency has kept access to the tombs restricted, prompting rumors that officials fear excavation would reveal bloodline links between the "pure" imperial family and Koreaﾂ―or that some tombs hold no royal remains at all.
Although the team's visit didn't lay any of those issues to rest, experts celebrated it as a first step toward expanded access to the mysterious tombs";
Full story;
Japanese Royal Tomb Opened to Scholars for First Time
A rare visit by archaeologists inside the tomb of Empress Jingu offers experts hope that other closely guarded sites dating to the founding of Japan might soon be open to independent study.
web.archive.org
"Other experts have suggested that the hesitation is because courtiers and conservatives fear excavation will uncover blood ties between the supposedly pure Japanese imperial line and the Asian mainland, specifically Korea.
But Walter Edwards, professor of Japanese studies at Tenri University in Nara, argues that the "Korean bones" issue is a red herring.
"Blood links between Korea and the Japanese imperial family are documented from the eighth century," he said.
"Even the current emperor [Akihito] has said that he has Korean ancestry." Edwards suggests that the agency's attitude has more to do with trying to maintain the imperial family's dignity."
(sarcastic): Oh no, Japan might just have to openly face up to the fact that its general public knows its precious royal bloodlines are tainted with inferior Korean blood! Shock horror!
Seriously, though, I think it's ridiculous that Japan is so reluctant to let experts thoroughly examine its precious royal tombs- people don't even know for sure if there are actually even royal skeletons at all in some of these tombs!
It's very dodgy that Japan is so reluctant to let people determine for themselves what exactly these tombs contain. I smell the whiff of racial prejudice against Koreans. The large majority of Japanese originally came to the island from Korea and China- if Japan faces up to this fact more, then it'll have to uncomfortably admit that the people like Koreans & Chinese it holds grudges against actually helped found the country and its royalty as we know it.
Let's all hope that the cash-strapped Imperial Household Agency becomes even more skint, so it's forced to open these tombs to experts for full examinations. These might be private graves of the Royal family, but they are also the graves of the rulers of the past, rulers who Japanese people lived under and whose society was founded by- surely the Japanese general public has the right to be certain of what is in these tombs exactly and to learn more about them in general?
