Are the Japanese the descendants of more than 3,000 people brought by Xu Fu?

Are the Japanese the descendants of more than 3,000 people brought by Xu Fu?

Looking at historical data, we can see that in historical records, Xu Fu took 3,000 boys and girls to sea. This was Xu Fu's second sea voyage entrusted by Qin Shihuang. Xu Fu's first sea voyage was in In 219 BC, his purpose was to be appointed by Qin Shihuang to find the Immortal Island and the Elixir of Immortality. However, Qin Shihuang waited for a full 10 years, but Xu Fu returned empty-handed. This made Qin Shihuang very angry. Of course, Xu Fu explained when he met Qin Shihuang that he had found Penglai Immortal Mountain, but the gifts he brought from the immortals were too thin, so the immortals refused to give him the elixir of immortality. .

After hearing Xu Fu’s explanation, Qin Shihuang asked, what else do the immortals need? Xu Fu replied that he still needed 3,000 boys and girls, grain seeds, and a hundred skilled craftsmen who were proficient in various skills. Xu Fu also said that since sailing on the sea is very dangerous and big fish often appear, he hopes that his Majesty can send some people who are good at archery to go with him. After hearing this, Qin Shihuang agreed to Xu Fu. Finally, Xu Fu went east to the sea again in 210 BC.

However, Xu Fu heard nothing from him after he went to sea this time and never returned. In fact, it can be basically seen from the conversation between Xu Fu and Qin Shihuang that Xu Fu may not have planned to come back when he went to sea for the second time. After all, he proposed to Qin Shihuang 3,000 boys and girls, various craftsmen, and grain seeds. It has nothing to do with seeking the elixir of life. On the contrary, it can be seen that Xu Fu's approach is to form a small tribe of his own.

Sima Qian recorded in "Historical Records" that Xu Fu led 3,000 boys and girls to a plain area with plenty of water. He saw that the sun was shining brightly, the people were simple, and the climate was mild, so he decided to stay and make his own name. king. Furthermore, considering that Xu Fu's direction to the sea happened to be east, many people suspected that the place Xu Fu might go to was Japan. According to archaeological discoveries, as early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were indeed immigrants who came to the Japanese archipelago and settled down. From this perspective, it is still very likely that Xu Fu arrived in Japan that year. So the question is, are the Japanese descendants of the 3,000 boys and girls Xu Fu brought there?

The author believes that although Xu Fu may have visited Japan at that time, the possibility that the ancestors of the Japanese are the descendants of the 3,000 boys and girls brought by Xu Fu is still very low. The reason is very simple. If Xu Fu came to Japan and thrived there, then at least there should be clear records in Japanese history. But in fact, Japan does not have this historical record, so the current Japanese is Xu Fu. The possibility of bringing over 3,000 boys and girls is still very low. In fact, modern genetic testing has made it very clear the origin of the Japanese.

After modern genetic analysis, there are two main branches of Japanese. One is the Jomon people from the southwest island area. These people arrived in Japan through the Korean Peninsula. The other group is the Yayoi people who entered Japan from Northeast Asia. In fact, humans have settled on the Japanese archipelago as early as 38,000 years ago. The first people to settle on this land in Japan were the Jomon people. More than 6,000 years ago, another group of Yayoi people entered the Japanese archipelago from Northeast Asia. These two groups make up the modern Japanese. Whether Xu Fu really arrived in the Japanese archipelago is currently only speculated by people, and there is no definite discussion. Knowing this, we have basically ruled out the possibility that the Japanese are the descendants of the 3,000 boys and girls Xu Fu brought there. .