A highway road sign in Japan points the way to the grave of Jesus Christ in the farming village of Shingo where according to local lore Christ died at age 106 after returning to Japan – which he first allegedly visited at age 21. The village is the home of Sajiro Sawaguchi, a man in his eighties who claims to be a direct descendant of Jesus and whose family has always owned the land in which it is said that Christ is buried under a humble mound topped with a large wooden cross.

According to the account in the Christ Museum next to the tomb, Christ arrived in Japan at the age of 21 and learned Japanese before returning to Judea 12 years later to engage in his mission and preach about the "holy land of Japan."

The official Shingo history is that Jesus's place on the cross was "casually" taken by his brother, leaving Christ free to return to Japan. On his return he fell in love with Miyuko, a local girl with whom he fathered children. About 40,000 Japanese visit the site every year, many to attend the annual Christ festival of tradi¬tional Japanese dance.

Times Online