What we know about Japanese history may not be what we think? The latest DNA findings have revealed a shocking truth: the ancestors of the Japanese are not the legendary descendants of Xu Fuku, but have a more complex ancestry.
Advances in DNA technology have unveiled many of the mysteries of history. Recently, a research team from the Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences released a study on Japanese ancestry, which shocked the entire academic community. They found that the Japanese were of completely different ancestry from what we had previously thought.
The study began as a way to explore the genetic diversity of the Japanese, and scientists soon discovered something unexpected. Their research showed that half of the Japanese are genetically similar to the Tibetans in Tibet, China
In the distant Yunnan region, about 1% of genes have found a corresponding in Japanese people. This means that the ancestors of the Japanese may have come from these regions, not just from eastern China or the Korean Peninsula, as we usually think.
In fact, there have been many theories about the origins of Japan. One of the most well-known is the story of Xu Fu, a Chinese Qin Dynasty monk who led 3,000 young men and women and some craftsmen to Japan and became one of the ancestors of the Japanese nation.
The scientific data gives a different answer. After analyzing the genes of the Japanese in detail, researchers found the remains of a woman about 3,550 years ago in the Hokkaido region, and by sequencing her genes, scientists have found more clues about the origin of the Japanese.
The genes in this ancient woman are closely related to today's Japanese, especially a unique genetic variant in her body that allows her to break down body fat more efficiently, a discovery that is rare worldwide.
Similar traces of this genetic mutation have been found among the Inuit in the Far North. This is of great interest to scientists, as the distance between the Arctic and Japan is very long. Through research, scientists have proposed a hypothesis: from the end of the Paleolithic period to the beginning of the Jomon period, a part of the population from northern Asia may have begun to migrate to Japan.
This discovery is important for understanding the origins of ancient Japanese populations. Scientists have used cutting-edge archaeological and molecular biology techniques to deeply dissect and compare ancient genetic information. Their efforts paint a latent image of Japan's ancestors and also overturn traditional views that come directly from China or the Korean Peninsula.
In the course of studying ancient Japanese culture, scholars have also gained a new understanding of the origins of the Jomon people and the Yayoi people. According to a 2003 study by the Japan Museum of History and Folklore
The Yayoi culture began around the 10th century BC, and the older Jomon culture dates back about 15,000 years. The development of these cultures shows the earliest chapters of human activity in the Japanese archipelago, as well as the adaptation and migration of ancient populations in the face of geological changes and climate fluctuations.
From eastern China to the Korean Peninsula to the Japanese archipelago, ancient migration routes became clearer. The migration of these ancient populations has shaped the face of today's peoples and provides a new perspective on how to understand the rich history and culture of these regions.