A Persian Clerk in Japanese Palace in 8th Century?

What about an episode on Japanese history in the 8th century - in the Heijo Palace in Nara? Of the few imperial palaces in those days, the Heijo Palace is prominent as the capital city of Japan during most of the Nara Period, from 710-40 and again from 745-84.

Today's episode has to do not so much with the palace itself but a new discovery as regards a palace clerk named Hashi Kiyomichi found engraved on a wodden plate. Wooden plates were used in East Asia back then to record data till the advance of paper.

Now, an IR photograh revealed a word "hashi" written on the plate with brush and ink. The word sounds alike as another word meaning Persia and suggests the presence of a Persian clerk serving in the palace then. This particular wood plate was found among those recording night duties of the college dormitory for palace trainees.

Shoku-Nihongi or the Chronicle of Japan Volume 2 has it that a Persian brought to Japanby the Japanese missions to Tang China was granted audience and conferred a rank by Emperor Seimu in 736 . The Nara National Research Institue of Cultural Properties surmisesc this Persian identical to the one found printed on the wood plate.

This is the first incidence of any Persian identified on the wooden plate and Director Akihiro Watanabe of the institute comments on the discovery, thus:

"This is one valuable evidence of the Heijo Palace being an inernational capitalc then."

The wooden plate is scheduled to be exhibited at the Heijo Palace Site Museum starting November 1.

The Nara Period reminds us of the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple. Isn't it fascinating just to picture this Persian looking up on the 15-m-high Buddha in person?
(Nathan Shiga)