Around the Mediterranean.  While there is much evidence in the LinA texts and the Minoan culture for the Minoan/Japanese association, evidence beyond the shores of Crete continues to present itself in support of early Japanese presence.  This post supplements Beyond the Mediterranean with evidence about bronze-aged Mediterranean culture, as it relates to Japanese culture.

Genetic Affinity (The) Between Cretans and Okinawans. Linguists generally dismiss language correlations among societies unless there is demonstrated non-random genetic affinity through one or more DNA markers. This research endeavors to establish the “missing genetic link” between the Okinawans (and, by association, the Japanese) and the Minoans that historical linguists require.

Index of Japanese Names (IJN).  The number of LinA (線文字A) words is estimated to be around 900, which is likely to change with accurate tabulation.  However, unlike LinB, LinA texts do not include personal names. Nevertheless, evidence for the Minoan/Japanese association may be found in the high correspondence between LinA words and current Japanese names.

Japanese Concordances with Indo-European (IE) Languages.  One theory states that Japanese cannot be the underlying language of LinA because Japanese, like LinA, must belong to the Indo-European (IE) family of languages to be considered.  Paradoxically, linguists separately postulate that both LinA and the Japonic languages belong to the Altaic family of IE languages.  Consequently, many linguists may be surprised about the prevalence of Japanese words with IE concordances.

Minoan Origin (The) of Karate (空手, καρατέ, κρατέω). Since there are few surviving historical documents, historians have their theories about the origin of karate. Some historians believe that karate originated in China, while others believe that karate originated in Okinawa during the 15th century CE. However, there is compelling evidence that karate originated in Crete and that it was brought to Okinawa in the very distant past.

Minoan “Seki” (尺) (The).  The Japanese shaku (尺) “is almost indistinguishable from the Minoan foot” and may exhibit symbolic similarity.

Mino: The Fertile Island. Archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans is credited with naming the Minoan civilization for the legendary King Minos. However, evidence suggests that the king was named after a reference to the land, which appears to have been named for the Egyptian god of fertility.

Naru Kanashi: Paradise Across the Ocean. The Ryukyuans have a legend that refers to the Other Realm, an island paradise, which they call Nirai Kanai (ニライカナイ).  Between 1918 and 1919 CE, Stephen Xanthoudidis excavated Nirou Khani, a two-storeyed site on the north shore of Minoan Crete, 13 km east of Heraklion and just east of Amnisos.

Okinawan Sekiban (The) (石版). These 12 tablets are believed to hold the key to Okinawan prehistory.

Pax Minoica and the Okinawan Peace:  (Editorial). Due to the lack of evidence to the contrary, archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans concluded that the Minoans belonged to a peaceful society. Pax Minoica is the term that describes this aspect of the Minoan civilization. Likewise, the Okinawans are dedicated to an identical philosophy as they work hard to overcome the lingering impact of World War II on their islands.

References to the Similarities Between the Minoan and the Japanese Cultures. During the past century, since the excavation of Minoan sites on Crete, there have been numerous references, by Minoan and other scholars, to the similarities between the Minoans and the Japanese. It is true that, when viewed in singular context, each of these references may be easily dismissed as little more than scholarly musing; however, it is also true that the cumulative weight of these musings foreshadows a convergence of evidence too great to be indefinitely ignored.

Similarities Between the Minoan and the Japanese Cultures.  The Minoan and the Japanese cultures share many features that are worth exploration.  This list is intended to eventually provide a comprehensive resource for scholars who are interested in Minoan/Japanese studies.