THE GREAT NAME OF THE GOD OF UZUMASA

Some of the Hadas arriving in Japan in the 6th century C.E. had already been converted to Nestorian Christians. Their influence is seen particularly in songs such as the one composed in the reign of the Emperor Kogyoku (641-643 C.E.), as duly recorded in the Nihonshoki. It was exceedingly popular with the common people.

O Lord, our Uzu-Masa (Yeshu - Meshiach)
How Majestic is thy name in all the earth!
Thou art truly the God of gods
For thou has conquered the "eternal god"

(eternal god here means Tokoyo god)

In Japanese

Uzu-Masa wa
Kami tomo Kami to
Kikoekuru
Tokoyo no Kami wo
Uchikita masumo

As the story goes in the Nihonshoki:

A man, called Oube-no-Ohshi who lived in the region of modern Shizuoka prefecture, told his neighbors to enshrine a certain worm called Tokoyo-mushi (the eternal worm).* He told them, "This is the eternal god, the Tokoyo god. If you will worship this worm god, it will bring you riches and long life." The people listened to him, and began to worship Tokoyo-mushi. Even the priests at Shinto shrines went along with the multitude following blindly the commands of Oube. The priests even told their followers that if they enshrined the worm god, the poor would become rich, and the old would regain their strength and vitality.

Then Oube-no-Oshi, and his priestly following began to urge the people to render their possessions to Tokoyo-mushi, which they did, putting wine, food, cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, dogs, chickens, precious jewels, and other treasures side by side, along the road to the shrine they had built. The Ohshi and the priests called the people to see what great miracle had been wrought on the highway. For, lo and behold, thousands of worms could be seen crawling, crowding, and picking their way through the motley animal offerings, "Come, people, take your new treasures. Gather them up. Love them, take them to your homes . " And crowds of the people, came from far and near to see the "miracle of the worm, " they ran into the roads, into the fields, into the shallow ponds clutching handfuls of the precious cargo in their arms. They brought them to their homes, where they enshrined them. They blasphemously prayed before these creatures, sang songs, danced before them, asked from them the gifts of happiness, prosperity, and long life, and in their ecstasy, fell prostrate before the shrines. But, nothing happened. No divine favors were forthcoming. As a matter of fact, the next few years were particularly difficult ones. The people incurred tremendous losses in business. The weather was bad, the crops failed, and things generally went very badly.

When Hada-no-Kawakatsu, a leader of the Hada people, learned of these pagan goings-on, he became infuriated. He sought out Oube-no-Ohshi, found him, and killed him, as well as all the priests who had upheld and practiced the "worm religion."

From then on, songs of praise were sung in honor of Had no-Kawakatsu, who singlehandedly had destroyed the faith of blasphemy. One of these songs is of particular interest, because of its wording.

Oh Lord, our Uzu-Masa
How Majestic is thy name in all the earth!
Thou art truly the God of gods,
For thou has conquered the "eternal god (Tokoyo worm god)."

So amazed were the populace at this miraculous victory and triumph that they began to worship the "God of Uzumasa, " and for many centuries this was the religion of the inhabitants of the Fujigawa River vicinity.

As we can observe from this account in the Nihonshoki, the word "Uzumasa" was the name of the deity worshipped by the Hada tribe, and was a corruption of "Yeshu Meshiach," or Jesus Christ .

The "Tokoyo" faith originated in Silla, and had formerly been a religion with sublime quality as described in the mythology of the province of Izumo. Yet it became degenerated into a superstitious heresy that only sought earthly gains. And Hada no-Kawakatsu became so enraged as to attempt a religious reformation. On account of his heroic exploits, the whole country was resounded with the fame of "Uzumasa" or Yeshu Meshiach; his victory was indeed great and well worthy of the name of "God who Restores the Origin. " In fact, it should be called the revival of the Original Gospel in ancient Japan. It is the prayer of the author that their yet unattained goal be fulfilled, and that the genuine flame of divine light of life&emdash;the glow of the hitlahabut&emdash;prevail over the nation.

* "Tokoyo-mushi" are caterpillars, somewhat similar to silkworm, the kind that infests mandarin orange and Japanese pepper trees; they are about four inches long, and green in color with black stripes.