Ancient Egypt and Japan:


There are many similarities between these two countries. In Japan, a God named

IZANAGI created the God of Sun from his left eye and the God of Moon from his

right eye. This is the same in the Egyptian myth with Falcon creating the Gods.

The two countries share other similarities such as having archery and incense

Rituals to symbolize their dignity. It was surprising to see the picture of King

Ramesses2with his incense ritual. In both ancient Egypt and Japan they used

this ritual as a kind of power to connect God and humans. Our family has been

secretly transmitting the structure of the bow through series of generations.

But it is clearly shown that the structure of the bow wasn't transmitted through

my ancestors but from Egypt, for the same structured bow was found at the tomb

of Tutankhamen. This time, through the rituals that have been connecting our ancient

cultures, I have created an opportunity to hear and feel the ancient Egyptian God's Voice.


I would like to connect our ancient cultures and our present cultures with the

Incense ritual in the Khufh's Pyramids, I believe that Egypt is a place that is very

easy for the Japanese to relate to. I especially felt these similarities and

connections, and therefore, I feel that it is very important for me to present this

ritual here in Egypt.


In ancient times, incense was very precious and was used to contact the Gods. The

arrow was used to destroy the evil and to bring harmony with the particulate sound

the arrow makes when it is shot. And now, this arrow is the only one left in Japan.


I wish that this ritual will present connections with our cultures and that this will

bring happiness and luck to everyone here today. I would like to express my

appreciation to Dr. Zahi HaWass, Mr. Mohamed Shafik MorSy, Ambassador Mervat Tallawy,

Ambassador Dr. Sobhy Mohamed Nafeh, Mr. Abel Abdel-Aziz, Mr. Mohamed A. Hussein,

Mr. Hussein Abdel Nasser and Mr. Yukio Yoshii for this would have not been possible without

their support. I would also like to give my warmest appreciation to my frend, Mr. Mostafa Montasser.

I wish that our fiendship would connect our countries with a deeper understanding.


Takahito Tomotsune

The 21 st generation,

Head Master, Yamto Koru








14 Travel

Pyramid power for the sacred arrow

The turnip-shaped sacred arrow was let fly to ''open a new door to the future".To the watching Sphinx,the ancient Japanese ritual must have seemed familiar.

Not so for Nevine EI-Aref who looked on in awe

　

Fourteen Japanese visitors and members of the Japanese Embassy assembled

at Giza last week to witness Takahito Tomotsune, Grand Master of the

Yamato Koru School of Japanese Traditional Arts in Tokyo, performing an

ancient ritual involving archery and the burning of incense at the foot of the

Sphinx.

"To perpetuate an ancient tradition during the ninth anniversary of the new

emperor [ascending] the throne, and to re-imbue the sacred arrow with

Pyramid power, Tomotsune performed a unique ritual out of Japan for the

first time," said Japanese Embassy staff, a housewife and friend of the Grand Master.

he explained that by shooting the sacred tumip-shaped arrow from the holy

area ofthe Pyramids and the Sphinx would "open a new door to the future,"

and he explained that because Tomotsune sees many cultural affinities

between Japan and Egypt it was very important to carry out this ritual here.

"It is easy for Japanese people to relate to Egypt," Tomotsune said,

explaining that the two countries share many traditions including archery

and rituals where incense symbolises power. "It was surprising for me to see

a relief of RamsesU carrying out an incense ritual," he said, because in both

Ancient Egypt and Japan such gestures represented the power that linked

god and humans.

"It is clear that the structure of the bow was not transmitted through my

ancestors, but from Egypt," Tomotsune went on. "The bow and arrow we use

in Japan are similar to those used in Egypt in ancient times. Both are made of

bamboo, which was cultivated in Egypt. Through performing such a ritual,

we have been linking our ancient cultures [and] I have created an opportunity

to hear and feel the voice of the Ancient Egyptian god."

Tomotsune believes that the two cultures were linked by the ancient Silk

Road, and he hopes to discover more roots of his own culture when visiting

the ancient sites of Egypt.

Special arrangements had to be made for the archery ceremony at the

Sphinx. The ground in front of its paws was covered with wooden blocks

and 12 lamps "representing the 12 signs of the zodiac," were placed on both

sides as well as a large wooden screen covered with a multi-coloured scarf.

"The screen represents the universe and each colour of the scarf one of the

five elements: earth, fire, metal, water and sky," said staff of Japanese Embassy.

The arrow used in the performance is specially crafted, and the only one

left in Tomotsune's family, made by the last surviving master craftsman. It

was first used nine years ago, on the occasion of the ascension of the new

Japanese emperor to the throne which took place in the Kasama shrine, one

of the biggest in Japan. Tomotsune wore a traditional kamitshimo of the

Samuray in ancient times for the ceremony. He also carried a ceremonial

sword that has been handed down for generations.

Mamdouh Ghazali, archaeological inspector at Giza who accompanied

Tomotsune to the plateau the day before, said that Tomotsune and his

assistant spent the whole of the previous night inside the Great Pyramid

burning incense in Khufu' s burial chamber.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Japanese Embassy, senior

officials of the Egyptian Tourist Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, and the

travel agency that sponsored the ceremony.


和訳文

神聖な矢のためのピラミッド・パワー

　

蕪型の神聖な矢は、「新しいドアを未来に開いてください」の願いをこめて放たれる

　目撃者はスフィンクス　

古代日本儀式はエジプトと親しいものであったにちがいありません。

　

　

　日本大使館からの14人のメンバーは、、日本伝統文化継承者大和古流の当主Takahito Tomotsuneの儀式に立ち会うために、先週、ギーザで、スフィンクスの御前において古代儀式のアーチェリーおよび神のための香りの儀式を執行するために集まりました。

　当主Tomotsuneは、「ピラミッド・パワーを神聖な矢に再び吹き込み、、地球守護之矢を放つため、古来より伝わる偉大な形式を初めて日本の以外で執行しました」と言いました。

　当主は、神聖なエリアから神聖な鏑の矢を撃つことによってピラミッドの神秘の力を込め「新しい時代の扉を未来に開いてください」とスフィンクスに願えるのだと説明してくれました。随行した人は、Tomotsuneが日本とエジプトの間の多くの文化的な類縁を見ているので、この秘伝の儀式を現実に日本からエジプトへ道具とともに運び出すことが非常に重要なのだと説明しました。

　Tomotsuneは、「現代、日本の人々が自分の足でエジプトの地を踏むことが大切です」と言いいました。エジプトと日本という2つの国が、ファラオの香りの世界と神秘のパワーを象徴する弓の形式を含む多くの伝統を共有することを説明してくれました。彼は、また「ファラオの香り形式をRamsesUのレリーフに見たとき大変驚かされた」と言いました。なぜなら、古代人エジプトと日本では、神と人をリンクするパワーとして香が使われていた共通の事実をを表していたからです。

　Tomotsuneは、　「弓の構造が私の祖先を通ってだけではなくエジプトからも送られたことは明らかです」　進みました。" 日本で私が使う弓と矢は、古代に、エジプトで使われていたものと同じ形式なのです。両方は竹で作られて、張力を強めるため裏反りになっています。２６００年以上日本独自に継承し続けてきたはずの弓がどうも、それはエジプトで洗練されてきたようです。今回の極秘の儀式を実際に執行することによって、私達は、私が、古代エジプト人・古代の神々の声が聞こえ、言葉にならない何かを感じるはずです。もし、古代からの継承文化がほんものであるなら…・・。現実に、エジプト国の要請によるこの儀式で答えを出してみたいと思います。

　Tomotsuneは、2つの文化が古代のシルクロードによりリンクされたと信じています。彼は、エジプトの古代のサイトを訪問する時に彼自身のなかにある文化の多くの根源を発見することを望んでいるようです。

　この偉大な儀式には、特別な手配がされる必要がありました。通常は、入る事の許されない聖地であるスフィンクスのすぐ前で、スフインクスの足の前に祭場が設えられ、および「十二宮の12の合図を表している」大きな五色の幕が張られ、矢の放たれる方向には、両側には、12の太陽の力で光を放つランプが松明の代わりに設えられました。

" 五色のスクリーンは、宇宙の要素である5つを色で表しています。地球・火・金属・水および空が現されています。

　今回の儀式に使われた矢は特別に精密につくられた唯一のものです、大和古流Tomotsuneファミリーにおいて執り行われた9年前の日本三大稲荷Kasama神社での平成国開きの儀の時、新しい王位への日本皇帝の継承において使われた矢と、兄弟の矢なのです。　Tomotsuneは式典のためSamurayの伝統的なkamitshimoを着用し、代々伝わる儀礼的な真剣も運びました。全て本物を、日本より運んできたのです。

考古学の検査官Mamdouh Ghazaliは、「昨日　Tomotsuneは、、世界最大のピラミッドのKhufu'　s埋葬室　に篭もり祈りをこめ、古代の香りを再現しの、儀式の前の夜の全体を費やした」と証言しています。

式典には、エジプトの政府高官、式典を後援した日本大使館のメンバーが、出席しました。、