“Nihonjin To Yudayajin” is the transliterated Japanese title of this country’s run-away non-fiction best-seller, “The Japanese and the Jews.” The 208-page volume made its appearance eight months ago with a modest first run of 2,500 copies, Since then it has sold over a half million, been quoted from by Japan’s Premier Eisaku Sato on national television, grabbed an important literary prize and, in the process, created an intriguing mystery surrounding its authorship. Why the book made an impact in Japan was explained to this correspondent by Moshe Bartur, Israel’s Ambassador to Tokyo. For one thing, he said, ” It identifies modern Japan’s quest and search for its own identity and mission in today’s world.” Secondly. “it reflects the fascinating spiritual relationship between Japan and the Japanese people and Judaism and the Jewish State–Israel.”
Bartur noted that the book’s language is “very rich Japanese, very difficult to translate.” He said the “perspective is such that it could have been written only by one fully versed in Japanese history, though from the point of view of a foreigner who fully understands Japanese literature and peculiarities.” Beyond that, the Israeli envoy was no better able to identify the author than the scores of other literary detective who have been probing the mystery since the book attained prominence.
The name of the author appearing on the cover is Isaiah Ben-Dasan, obviously a nom-de-plume, A brief preface to the book describes him as a Jew who was brought up in Kobe before World War II. Left there during the war and returned to Japan in the post-war period, Bartur said the publisher, a Christian who operates a small company specializing in Biblical works, explained that he must respect the author’s desire for anonymity. The publisher will only say that he is a businessman and obviously also a scholar well versed in Japanese literature and knowledgeable in Jewish classics. A professor at Indiana State University in Terre Haute who handles the author’s mall and apparently knows him, offers no clues. He says the writer “is not ready to disclose his identity.”
The director of the United States Information Service in Japan, Allan Carter, told the JTA correspondent that the author is not a Jew but a Japanese Biblical scholar who is now studying at a theological school in North Carolina. Walter Citrin, president of the Jewish Community Center in Tokyo agreed that the actor probably was not Jewish. He pointed out “some errors” in the Jewish context of the book. But the publisher insists that the mystery writer “is not a Japanese.” This re-enforces Ambassador Bartur’s belief that he is a bi-cultural person born of a mixed marriage–possibly a Jewish father and Japanese mother.
The book draws a parallel between Japanese philosophy and literature and Hebrew learning. including the Talmud. It speaks of contemporary problems that Japanese and Jews–Israelis–have in common, among them matters of national security and defense.
Prime Minister Sato quoted from the book seven months ago during a television appearance at which Japan’s defense problems were discussed. When Gideon Rafael, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry visited Japan, the book was Mr. Sato’s first subject. Two days later, when the Prime Minister met King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, he immediately began talking about “Nihonjin To Yudayajin.” to the obvious consternation of the Arabian monarch.
Meredith Weatherby, president of John Weatherhill, Inc., in Tokyo, announced recently that an English language edition of the book is scheduled for publication early next year. Western readers will come out of hiding.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
