Japan was once a country whose culture was 'Buddhism' and before that 'Hinduism' and such was this influence that for over one thousand years it was a vegetarian country.

 

Japan has imported over 80% of its gods and goddesses from the lands of ancient India and one such god is known as 'Taishaku' a name for the Vedic god of heaven known as 'Indra'.

 

Japan possesses the 'Taishaku river' it possesses the 'Taishaku valley' and it possesses the 'Taishaku mountain' all expressing glorification of the Vedic god of heaven 'Indra'.

 

'Taishaku' means 'the mighty ( sakra ) god ( tai ) of the heavens' a name composed of 'Sak' a word within Sanskrit meaning 'strength' and this expands as 'Sakti' meaning 'power'.

 

'Sak' whose meaning is to possess 'power' to possess 'strength' to possess 'ability' expands as 'Siksa' meaning 'art' and 'skill' and this becomes 'Siksaka' meaning 'teacher'.

 

'Sak' meaning 'power' expands as 'Sakra' meaning 'Indra' as seen within 'Sakrapuri' the town ( puri ) of Indra ( sakra ) and 'Sakrasana' the throne ( asana ) of Indra ( sakra ).

 

'Taishaku' meaning the 'mighty ( sakra ) god ( tai ) of heaven' may also possess 'Di' a root in Sanskrit meaning to 'shine' which becomes 'Dyu' and 'Dyaus' words in Sanskrit meaning 'divine' and 'god'.

 

'Dyu' and 'Dyaus' meaning 'divine' 'heaven' 'god' becomes 'Dio' and 'Deus' words within Latin meaning 'god' and it may be that the Japanese 'Tai' meaning 'god' is a cognate.

 

'Taishaku' is depicted in Japanese art as riding an elephant named 'Erawan' an obvious corruption of the celestial elephant 'Airavata' whose meaning is the abode ( vati ) of waters ( ira ).

 

 

"Countries of the Far East, including China, Korea, Japan, Tibet and Mongolia owe much of what is best in their own cultures to the inspiration of ideas imported from India."  Philip S. Rawson  "The Art of South East Asia".

"As i come from the Japanese town of 'Laksmi' it is no great surprise to me to find that Japanese life is full of so many Hindu deities" Former Ambassador of Japan - Yasukuni Enoki.

 

"Indian art had accompanied Indian religion across straits and frontiers into Sri Lanka, Java, Cambodia, Siam, Burma, Tibet, Khotan, Turkestan, Mongolia, China, Korea and Japan. In Asia all roads lead from India.” Will Durant.